Turkey Sandwich Christmas Leftovers

Ultimate Turkey Leftover Sandwich With Olive Oil Infused Homemade Bread

Christmas dinner is often the most memorable meal of the holiday season. From roast turkey to an abundance of hearty side dishes, these meals are joyous—and plentiful. But what happens when your fridge is overloaded with leftovers? Instead of resorting to repetitive meals, turn your leftovers into vibrant, healthy creations with one key pantry staple—extra virgin olive oil (EVOO).

This versatile oil isn’t just for drizzling over salads. Packed with flavor and health benefits, extra virgin olive oil can add new life (and nutrients) to your post-holiday dishes. Below, we’re sharing creative ideas to transform your leftovers into culinary delights while staying health-conscious.

Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a Game-Changer

Before jumping into recipes, it’s worth understanding why extra virgin olive oil is such a valuable ingredient in elevating your leftovers.

1. Nutritional Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Unlike refined oils, extra virgin olive oil is minimally processed, preserving its high levels of healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Substituting extra virgin olive oil for butter or cream not only enhances flavor but also boosts the irritional value of your meals.

2. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Adds Complexity to Simple Foods

Whether it’s a drizzle over roasted vegetables or a spoonful in a creamy soup, extra virgin olive oil can add depth and richness to even the simplest dishes. It enhances natural flavors without overpowering them.

3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Helps You Stay Health-Conscious During the Holidays

The holidays are often a time of indulgence, and that’s okay! Using a heart-healthy fat like extra virgin olive oil in your leftover dishes can help you strike a balance between enjoying your food and maintaining your wellness goals.

Now that you know why extra virgin olive oil deserves a prime spot in your kitchen, here’s how to use it creatively with those Christmas leftovers.

This ultimate Turkey leftover sandwich from Jamie Oliver is a great way to use your extra virgin olive oil to make the most of those Christmas dinner leftovers.

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Turkey Leftover Sandwich

Serves 14

Ingredients

Pickle

  • White wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
  • 2 carrots
  • ½ cucumber
  • ¼ of cauliflower
  • 8 radishes
  • ½ fresh red chilli
  • 1 x 100g jar of green pitted olives
  • 1 x 465g jar of roasted peppers
  • 1 x 465g jar of roasted peppers

Filling

  • 400g sliced leftover higher-welfare turkey, stuffing and skin
  • 6 tablespoons leftover gravy
  • 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 250g sliced leftover higher-welfare ham
  • 1 x 60g bag of rocket
  • 200g Cheddar or Red Leicester cheese

Filling

  • 6 tablespoons leftover gravy
  • 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 250g sliced leftover higher-welfare ham
  • 1 x 60g bag of rocket
  • 200g Cheddar or Red Leicester cheese

Instructions

  1. Place the flour onto a work surface. Make a well in the centre and sprinkle in the sea salt. Pour in the water, scatter over the yeast and add the honey. Use your fork to gradually incorporate the liquid into the dry ingredients, mixing to form a rough dough, then knead for 10 minutes until smooth and stretchy.
  2. Place the dough back in its bowl, cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  3. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a 30cm x 40cm roasting tray, and rub it around the base with your hands.
  4. Knock the dough back, then stretch and shape it into the tray, pushing it into the corners. Use your fingers to push dimples all over the surface of the bread, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove again for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
  5. Preheat the oven to 200°C/395°F/gas 6. Bake the bread near the bottom of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden and crisp on top. As soon as the bread comes out of the oven, feed it again with 1 tablespoon of olive oil then leave to cool for 15 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make a start on the fillings. Place the turkey skin on a baking tray and crisp up in the oven for 5 minutes. Cool in the tray, then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack.
  7. Shred the turkey meat. I like a mixture of brown and white. In a hot frying pan, fry the meat until nice and crisp, then spoon over 3 tablespoons of leftover gravy, until it's all unctuous and glossy.
  8. To make the pickle, whisk together 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 6 tablespoons of white wine vinegar and the mustard. Finely chop the raw veg, thinly slice the chilli, olives and roasted peppers. Add everything to the bowl and mix well to pickle.
  9. Mix the remaining gravy with the mayo. Lift the bread out onto a board, cut it in half horizontally and spread over the gravy mayo, making sure you go all the way to the edges. Layer up the ham, turkey, skin, stuffing, rocket, slices of cheese, and pickles.
  10. Put on the 'lid' of the sandwich, press down gently, then cut into slices and serve.
  11. Put on the 'lid' of the sandwich, press down gently, then cut into slices and serve.

Homemade Christmas Tree Bread Recipe

Serves 8
Homemade Christmas Tree Bread

If you’re looking for an edible show stopper this Christmas Tree Bread from the excellent site RecipesfromLeftovers.com is a great accompaniment to soak up any leftover sauces or fillings from your Christmas larder.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Place the salt, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Add room temperature milk and stir. Make sure it forms a foamy cap, a sign that the yeast is working. Pour in the olive oil. Add flour in parts and knead with a spatula to form a soft, sticky dough.
  2. Round the dough and place it in a bowl greased with olive oil to rise. Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 1 hour. The dough should double in size. Line a baking sheet with parchment, lay out the dough and shape it into a teardrop shape. Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 20 minutes. Brush the dough with water and dust with flour.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment, lay out the dough and shape it into a teardrop shape. Cover with a towel and leave to rise for 20 minutes. Brush the dough with water and dust with flour.
  4. Remove the pieces of dough at the bottom to form a trunk. Use a thick knife to make diagonal stripes without cutting the dough. Use small scissors to make cuts along these stripes. Use a blade to make strokes all over the bread. Form a loaf from the remaining dough, brush it with water and attach it to the top of the bread. Bake the bread in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown in a 360-degree F oven.
  5. Cool the pastry on a wire rack and serve. Every bite of this Christmas bread is soft, warm and full of flavor, making it irresistible to family and friends.

Stuffing And Sage Ravioli With Olive Oil

Serves 4
Stuffing And Sage Ravioli

This mouth-watering ravioli from Delicious magazine is in keeping with our love for The Mediterranean Diet and lends itself perfectly to a quality extra virgin olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 300g leftover stuffing (any flavour stuffing will do - meat or vegetarian
  • 250g mascarpone
  • 3 tbsp whole milk
  • About 10g sage leaves, half sliced, half left whole
  • 80g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely grated
  • About 10g herbs (whatever you have to use up), finely chopped
  • 20g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, finely grated
  • Finely grated zest 1 lemon or 1 clementine
  • 1 tbsp Morocco Gold extra-virgin olive oil
  • 50g salted butter
  • For the pasta
  • 300g Italian '00' flour, plus extra to dust
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Semolina flour for dusting

Instructions

  1. For the pasta, sift the flour with a good pinch of fine salt on clean work surface to form a mound. Make a large well in the centre using the base of the sieve. Crack the eggs into a jug, add the 2 tbsp olive oil, whisk to combine, then pour into the well. With a fork and then your fingers, gradually incorporate t flour into the beaten eggs, making circular stirring motions a bringing increasing amounts of flour into the centre of the mound. When the dough has come together with a soft but not sticky texture, stop adding flour (you might not need it all
  2. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it's smooth and springs back to the touch. If the dough is dry and cracks begin to appear, add 1-2 tbsp water and knead for a bit longer. If it's wet and sticky, add a little flour. Wrap well in a beeswax wrap, then chill for 30 minutes
  3. Meanwhile, make the filling. Crumble the leftover stuffing in bowl, then stir in 200g of the mascarpone, the milk, sliced sage leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper until well combined. Add a splash more milk if it seems dry. Transfer to a piping bag with a 1cm opening and chill until needed.
  4. To make the chestnut sauce, combine the chestnuts with the garlic, herbs, parmesan, remaining 50g mascarpone, lemon or clementine zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the 1 tbsp oil, then set aside.
  5. Once the dough has rested, use a pasta machine to roll it out. It's easier to cut the dough into quarters and run them through the machine piece by piece (wrap up the dough you're not rolling to stop it drying out). Set the pasta machine to its widest setting, then flatten and shape the dough into a rectangle (making su it will fit widthways through the rollers). If the dough seems little wet, flour it lightly. Carefully pass the dough through t rollers, then fold in half, end to end. Repeat 2 or 3 times, folding and passing the dough through the rollers each time. If the dough sticks, sprinkle the machine and work surface with a little semolina or flour
  6. Once the dough has gone through the widest setting 2 or 3 times, narrow the setting by a notch, then carry on winding the pasta through, without folding the dough in half. The dough will get longer and thinner. Carry on rolling the dough through, narrowing the rollers by a notch each time until the pasta is very long, finishing with the machine's second-thinnest setting. Knead the rolled-out dough on a worksurface dusted. Once the dough has gone through the widest setting 2 or 3 times, narrow the setting by a notch, then carry on winding the pasta through, without folding the dough in half. The dough will get longer and thinner. Carry on rolling the dough through, narrowing the rollers by a notch each time until the pasta is very long, finishing with the machine's second-thinnest setting. Keep the rolled-out dough on a worksurface dusted with semolina, covered with a clean, damp tea towel.
  7. Pipe blobs of the filling, roughly 15g each, in a line along the t of the sheet of pasta, leaving 1-2 finger-widths of space abo the filling and between each blob. Continue in rows until you' covered the sheet of pasta. Lay another sheet on top. Carefully press down around the filling to seal the ravioli and remove air bubbles; it's handy to use a chopstick or ruler to press a length at a time. Cut between each piece of filling. Use a pasta cutter to get a pretty finish (or use a pizza cutter). As you cut them out, transfer to a tray dusted with semolina.
  8. Bring a large pan of heavily salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat, swirling regularly, until brown and nutty. Heat the chestnut sauce in another pan.
  9. Cook the pasta in the pan of water for 2-3 minutes until they float to the top. Drop the sage leaves into the browned butter crisp up, then add the drained ravioli and stir gently to coat. Divide among plates, then spoon over the chestnut sauce to serve.

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