If you were in charge of Christmas Day catering, you probably cooked extra to be on the safe side. So today you might be pondering how to transform your turkey leftovers into a delectable dish for Boxing Day.
There’s nothing wrong with a trusty turkey sandwich (or grazing randomly from the fridge – that’s something I’ll never grow out of). But if you want something heartier and more wholesome, you can also use your slow cooker to whip up a Boxing Day stew.
The main advantage of a slow cooker is that you can simply sling your ingredients in and then walk away – freeing up crucial time for watching Christmas films, guzzling mince pies or gallivanting around enjoying the holidays.
Easy Boxing Day feasts
Chuck the remnants of meat into your slow cooker, along with stuffing, potatoes and any other uneaten veg. Pre-cooked turkey will have already lost its structure and quickly goes tender when you slow cook it. Add a pint and a half of water and gravy granules or a couple of stock cubes, and you’re left with a pretty decent stew.
If you don’t own a slow cooker, you can also do this with a pressure cooker – and then you’re ready to eat in 10-20 minutes. If you’re using a pressure cooker, make sure you add enough liquid (your instructions should tell you how much to use for different foods) but not beyond the halfway mark.
Frugal festive feasts
If you’re still feeling nicely full from the main event and you want something a bit lighter, or if most of the bird has already been eaten, you can also use your slow cooker to make turkey broth.
Just stick what’s left of the carcass in, then add the vegetables. Bear in mind that it will sort of melt down with all the ‘bits’ in the soup. You’ll need to strain it to get rid of any small bones or bits of gristle you don’t want floating around in your bowl.
It’s amazing how many turkey dishes you can make in your slow cooker. When I asked my friends with slow cookers how they’d experimented with slow cookers in the past, answers included turkey with chilli, turkey a la King and turkey casserole with celeriac, parsnips and carrots.
Are you a slow cooker fan?
Don’t own a slow cooker but thinking of buying one? Take a look at the slow cookers we’ve recently tested and read more tips on how to use them.
Will you be putting your slow cooker to use this Christmas? If so, do you have any savvy slow cooker tips for using up Christmas leftovers?
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