Boxing Day menus

[GiddyUpGo]

Hi everyone,

My husband is British so Boxing Day has always been a big part of his holiday celebration. When I ask him about his mum's Boxing Day menu, though, he just shrugs and says "leftovers." Well, I like to plan a little more elaborately than that so I was wondering if anyone out there has any favorite Boxing Day recipes they'd like to share? I know some people do a ham but we do that on Christmas Eve ... So what I'm looking for is some recipes that incorporate ham/turkey leftovers but aren't just basic casseroles or bubble n' squeak.

Thanks in advance!

Becki

 

[CrystalWriter]

Hi everyone,

My husband is British so Boxing Day has always been a big part of his holiday celebration. When I ask him about his mum's Boxing Day menu, though, he just shrugs and says "leftovers." Well, I like to plan a little more elaborately than that so I was wondering if anyone out there has any favorite Boxing Day recipes they'd like to share? I know some people do a ham but we do that on Christmas Eve ... So what I'm looking for is some recipes that incorporate ham/turkey leftovers but aren't just basic casseroles or bubble n' squeak.

Thanks in advance!

Becki

I do a filo pastry pie

Basically roughly 500g turkey, 150g ham = or whatever meats you've got
3tbsp oil, 300g leeks, 30g flour, 400ml milk, herbs, 1tbsp mustard, 80g cranberries, zest of orange.

Cook leeks till softened, add flour, stir in the milk. Bring to simmer, add meat, herbs & mustard, 4 2mins, place into a baking dish.

Melt butter to brush the filo, scrunch and place on top, scatter the cranberries & zest.

Bake in a 180c / 160f fan for 25mins

Sometimes I add the cranberries and zest to the main mixture, and use a all butter puff pastry. Also the measurements don't need to be exact

 

[Steve Kroll]

My birthday is on Boxing Day. We will be on a flight home. So I am thinking dinner will probably be a bag of nuts or pretzels.

 

[Jing]

British Boxing Day fare? Cold turkey (of course) and likely also cold or hot cooked ham. Scotch eggs, pork pie, cocktail sausages and maybe sausage rolls, potato salad, green salad, potato crisps (chips to you North Americans), pickles (lots of 'em including pickled beets) and probably some cheeses (cheddar, lancashire, stilton and cheshire perhaps) and biscuits. Maybe a terrine or a pate and melba toast. Likely followed by a big English trifle made with lots of sherry. And naturally, left-over Christmas cake and mince pies.

Oh yum!!

 

[LPBeier]

I will most likely be fasting most of Boxing Day as it looks like I will be going in for gallbladder surgery the next day.

Normally TB and I just put together a bunch of appetizers, get a bunch of movies and curl up on the couch and veg on boxing day. This tradition started because for several years we did tech (sound and computer) for our church and would be so busy preparing for the two Christmas Eve services on top of running our own business and holiday prep. I would then share cooking duties with my sister on Christmas day. So once it was all over, we took the 26th for ourselves. We haven't done tech for several years but still keep up the tradition.

Growing up, my family usually had roast with all the trimmings including Yorkshire pudding, as well as some Christmas day leftovers. It was usually all set out and you helped yourself. We had an open house so people would be coming and going all day.

 

[Harry Cobean]

curry.we brits love our boxing day ruby!!as it's boxing day,keep it simple & stress free.buy the best quality jar(s) of curry "cook in" sauce for the left over turkey,that you can find.you can also chuck in any left over sprouts,carrots,spuds etc,to warm thru'.uncle ben's microwave pilau rice & some ready made poppadums & chutney.done!
me?as with steve k,i'm hoping to be on a plane.somewhere hot & sunny,for a week or three,so it depends what's on the menu at 35,000 feet or however high these things fly!!

 

[Gravy Queen]

We don't really do specific recipes as such for Boxing Day, it really is leftovers . Turkey is fab made into a curry as Harry says , or I make turkey and ham soup and put a stash in the freezer too . We mainly have cold cuts of meat, pickles, piccalilli, cheeses , that sort of thing, buffet style . I do have a favourite for using Stilton which is Delias Stilton rarebit , Stilton mixed with walnuts, onions, mustard powder, an egg, mixed together and then toasted on bread under the grill .

 

[Mad Cook]

Coronation Turkey

Hi everyone,

My husband is British so Boxing Day has always been a big part of his holiday celebration. When I ask him about his mum's Boxing Day menu, though, he just shrugs and says "leftovers." Well, I like to plan a little more elaborately than that so I was wondering if anyone out there has any favorite Boxing Day recipes they'd like to share? I know some people do a ham but we do that on Christmas Eve ... So what I'm looking for is some recipes that incorporate ham/turkey leftovers but aren't just basic casseroles or bubble n' squeak.

Thanks in advance!

Becki

Boxing Day leftovers are the best bit of Christmas!

As well as the cold cuts and pickles, etc., and the curries and the pies and the casseroles what about "Coronation Turkey". Cold turkey in a fruity curried mayonnaise, based on the recipe for "Coronation Chicken" which was devised in 1953 by Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, for one of the dinners held to celebrate the coronation of "Our Own Dear Queen". This is the recipe I use

CORONATION CHICKEN | Recipes | Nigella Lawson - Pinched of course, from a "part work" magazine cookery course called, IIRC, "Good Cooking" except I don't usually use the tomato puree/paste/concentrate and I don't follow her recommendation to serve it with cold pasta - yuck.

This recipe replaces the more usual raisins with apricot jam (I use "Bonne Maman" if I haven't any homemade on hand) and I think it's an improvement. It isn't too sweet because there's lemon juice in there.

Not just for Christmas it's good for a buffet anytime. I sometimes cook a chicken specially for it if I/m doing a large party.

(And don't confuse it with a disgusting mixture erroneously called "coronation chicken" which is sold in a plastic tub in the chiller cabinet of supermarkets for use as a sandwich filler. The real McCoy is an eye-opener which bears no comparison with that travesty!)

 

[Mad Cook]

curry.we brits love our boxing day ruby!!as it's boxing day,keep it simple & stress free.buy the best quality jar(s) of curry "cook in" sauce for the left over turkey,that you can find.you can also chuck in any left over sprouts,carrots,spuds etc,to warm thru'.uncle ben's microwave pilau rice & some ready made poppadums & chutney.done!
me?as with steve k,i'm hoping to be on a plane.somewhere hot & sunny,for a week or three,so it depends what's on the menu at 35,000 feet or however high these things fly!!

Just a comment. Tilda microwave rice is streets ahead of Uncle Bens.

 

[Mad Cook]

British Boxing Day fare? Cold turkey (of course) and likely also cold or hot cooked ham. Scotch eggs, pork pie, cocktail sausages and maybe sausage rolls, potato salad, green salad, potato crisps (chips to you North Americans), pickles (lots of 'em including pickled beets) and probably some cheeses (cheddar, lancashire, stilton and cheshire perhaps) and biscuits. Maybe a terrine or a pate and melba toast. Likely followed by a big English trifle made with lots of sherry. And naturally, left-over Christmas cake and mince pies.

Oh yum!!

Oh yes, trifle is essential for Boxing Day - with jelly of course and decorated with hundreds-and-thousands and silver balls, slivered almonds and glace cherries on the top. Oh, and rum in the custard as well as sherry soaked into the sponge cake - you don't drive your car after my family's trifle!

None of these weird "tipsy cake" apologies for a good old Edwardian trifle that feature everywhere these days, thank you very much. They may come from ancient "Receipt" books but were basically a way of using up stale cake. A proper Edwardian trifle is a triumph and takes pride of place in the centre of the table.

 

[Harry Cobean]

Just a comment. Tilda microwave rice is streets ahead of Uncle Bens.

there are three keys on your keyboard.."i" "m" & "o"...imo.it means "in my opinion".you really should use them when passing comment on anything from rice to kippers to supermarkets,rather than making blanket,all encompassing statements.you can only speak for yourself,and those you know.
i use both & am well aware of the pluses & minuses of both brands.i presumed that the op is in the states & i see uncle bens when i'm over there.i haven't seen tilda,but that may be because i wasn't in a shop that stocks that brand.that's why i suggested uncle bens.so,it would also be sensible,in future,to enquire as to why a particular brand etc was named.

 

[CarolPa]

Dec 26 is also the Feast of St Stephen. I googled it and it says to eat Cannelloni. What's up with that? LOL My husband once mentioned that he hates the song Good King Wenceslas and that it's stupid. He doesn't realize it is about the feast of St Stephen, for whom he is named. His family is staunch Roman Catholic and his confirmation name is Stephen. His Anglo Saxon Protestant wife knows more about his religion than he does. Religion and ethnic traditions were so important to his family that I made a point to learn as much as I could about them.

 

[GiddyUpGo]

Just wanted to say "thanks" for all the replies. I had all the ingredients to make CrystalWriter's ham and turkey pie and then ended up in bed all day with a nasty stomach virus, so Boxing Day never happened for us! I think I'll probably do the recipe on Saturday if I feel a whole lot better than I do today ... otherwise I'm making note of all your replies and will be prepared for Boxing Day next year! Thanks again ...

 

[Toffiffeezz]

We kept it simple, turkey pot pie minus the crust with homemade baking powder biscuits

 

[taxlady]

Never thought of putting rum in the custard. Great idea. Though, I usually don't make custard, I make a cornstarch vanilla pudding. I have tried to make custard and have never succeeded. I refuse to use Bird's Custard Powder.

 

[Whiskadoodle]

If I ever have the luxury of having turkey leftovers again, I want to try this--

Leftover Stuffing/ Dressing. Pat it out in muffin tins and make a well. Fill with diced turkey and maybe a smidge of a veggie mixed in. Smother w/ gravy or mix gravy with the turkey. Bake until the stuffing gets crispy on the sides, although how you could tell this part, I'm not sure.

I also have a mini pie maker, or use muffin pans and maybe make stuffing shells first and fill and assemble with heated turkey stew.

 

[Toffiffeezz]

If I ever have the luxury of having turkey leftovers again, I want to try this--

Leftover Stuffing/ Dressing. Pat it out in muffin tins and make a well. Fill with diced turkey and maybe a smidge of a veggie mixed in. Smother w/ gravy or mix gravy with the turkey. Bake until the stuffing gets crispy on the sides, although how you could tell this part, I'm not sure.

I also have a mini pie maker, or use muffin pans and maybe make stuffing shells first and fill and assemble with heated turkey stew.

Good heavens, this sounds delicious!