Guest Recipe: Emily's Leftover Xmas Dinner Mac & Cheese

The festive season is upon us and there’s so much delicious food around us; cheese boards, pigs in blankets, even Brussels for those spouts fans among us. But sometimes there are bound to be leftovers and you need to get creative.

This leftover Christmas dinner is perfect for the moments where you want to make a midweek meal from those extra trimmings, with just a few extra store cupboard ingredients. So whether you have some leftover turkey, Brie from the cheeseboard or some extra cream crackers lying around, this simple recipe is a real mouthwatering money saver!

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins

Serves: 6-8

Category: Pasta,Dinner,Christmas

Ingredients

• 250g macaroni pasta
• 500ml semi skimmed milk
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 40g unsalted butter
• 40g plain flour
• 100g leftover turkey breast
• 50g leftover Brussels sprouts
• 150g grated leftover cheese, plus extra for the top
• Leftover crackers to sprinkle on top
• Salt and pepper to season

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. Boil the macaroni pasta according to packet instructions, which should take around 10 mins. Drain the water and set aside.
3. Cook your chopped onions and garlic on a low heat. Set aside.
4. In another small saucepan, make a roux by melting the butter then slowly adding the flour. It should form to a paste consistency. Pour in the milk to the roux slowly, whilst stirring on a heat with a wooden spoon. Add in the garlic and onions.
5. After stirring for a while on a medium heat, you should have a creamy sauce. Lastly add in the mix of cheese. Season to taste.
6. Combine the cooked macaroni pasta, cheese sauce, turkey and sprouts before pouring into an oven safe dish. Top with more cheese, crushed crackers and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Founder of Recipes & Reviews, Emily Coates is a Midlands based food blogger who write a mixture of recipe ideas, restaurant reviews and tales of foodie travels. Her blog features the likes of macarons, pasta making, sushi and afternoon tea as well as restaurants from the Midlands, London and beyond.