Belle’s Ultimate Christmas Recipes

From leftover lunches to delectable dessert ideas, Belle About Town brings you our ultimate recipes for the festive season.

Ultimate Boxing Day Cheese Board Mac ‘n’ Cheese
The perfect recipe for a quiet Boxing Day supper or during the ‘midmas’ period between Christmas and New Year. This recipe created by chefs at Sainsburys makes the most of the ends of the cheeseboard, plus some of the leftover trimmings, and you can also add chunks of leftover turkey, pigs in blankets or sausage meat stuffing if you fancy a meatier dish.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
500g macaroni
50g butter
50g plain flour
700ml milk
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
450g mixed cheeseboard cheese (Cheddar, Red Leicester, Stilton, Brie etc), grated
6 tbsp cranberry sauce
Handful of roast chestnuts
100g of leftover stuffing (or to taste)

Method
1. Cook the macaroni in a large pan of slightly salty water according to the pack instructions, but take off
the heat 3-4 minutes before reaching the recommended cooking time so that the macaroni is still ‘al
dente’/slightly undercooked. Drain and set aside.
2. Warm the milk gently in a pan and then make a béchamel (white sauce) by melting the butter in a large
saucepan, adding the flour and cooking for one minute whilst stirring continuously. Gradually add the
warm milk a ladleful at a time, stirring to avoid lumps until a smooth sauce has formed.
3. Stir in the mustard and 400g of the grated cheese, then add the cooked macaroni, cranberry sauce and
chestnuts and stir until coated.
4. Pour the mac ‘n’ cheese into an ovenproof dish and top with the remaining cheese and the crumbled
leftover stuffing.
5. Place in the oven for 30mins at 170C or until crisp and golden on top. Take it out of the oven and allow
to set slightly before serving.

Christmas Pudding Apple Crumble

Ingredients
Christmas Pudding Crumble
120g butter
270g plain flour
350g Christmas pudding
Apple Filling
450g Bramley apples, cut into 1cm cubes
1tbsp caster sugar
1tsp cinnamon (optional)

Method
1. Puree the Christmas pudding in a food blender until completely smooth N.B pureeing
is important as if you just crumble it, it may burn.
2. Cube the butter and add to the flour, followed by the smooth Christmas pudding; rub
the butter and Christmas pudding into the flour to create a light breadcrumb texture.
3. Place the apples into a bowl and mix in the cinnamon and caster sugar, place in the
microwave for approx. 3mins until the apple just begins to soften slightly.
4. Transfer into an oven-proof dish and top with the crumble.
5. Bake in the oven which has been preheated to 180C, for 20-30mins.

Spiced Salmon Fish Cakes
Following another Christmas recipe from Sainsburys, this is a great way to use up any leftover salmon – you can adapt to use smoked salmon, cold cooked salmon or even flakes of hot smoked salmon.

Ingredients
2 tsps of your preferred ground spices e.g. cumin, coriander, mild curry powder
600g potatoes
1 red chilli
1 egg, beaten
100g left-over salmon, flaked or chopped
Plain flour, dusting
Butter
Pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander to garnish

Method
1. Boil the potatoes. Meanwhile, dry-fry the blend of spices for a couple of seconds in a large
non-stick frying pan. When soft, drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan. Add the spices
and chilli with plenty of seasoning, then mash well. When cooled a little, beat in 2 tablespoons
of the egg, then carefully stir through the salmon.
2. Shape into 4 rough cakes, then coat in plain flour.
3. In the frying pan, melt the butter with the oil. Fry the cakes for about 2 minutes each side until
golden. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped coriander. Serve with plain yoghurt or
spicy tomato dipping sauce along with salad leaves.

Left-Over Christmas Hash with Turkey, Chorizo, Egg and Avocado
After a busy few days, something comforting can be just the ticket. This Waste less Save more recipe combines the heartiness of potatoes and chorizo with the revitalising ingredients of
avocado and freshly chopped coriander.

Ingredients (Serves 2-4)
3 onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Handful of thyme, finely chopped
70g chorizo
200g roast turkey, shredded
Left-over roast potatoes
1 egg
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 avocado
Bunch of coriander, roughly chopped

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Lay the left over roast potatoes on to a baking tray and roast for 5
minutes so the potatoes are crisp.
2. Place the chorizo in a frying pan and fry until crisp, set to one side.
3. In the same frying pan, add the sliced onions, garlic and thyme and slowly sauté until soft and
slightly caramelised. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the roast turkey and the cooked chorizo and cook for a further 5-6 mins stirring
continuously.
5. Add the roasted potatoes and gently mix through ensuring you do not break the potatoes up.
6. Plate the hash and serve with a fried egg, sliced avocado and a garnish of roughly chopped
coriander.

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey pecan pie 

A great dessert to finish off a Boxing Day dinner and use up some leftover liquor from the day before.

Ingredients (serves 8)

For the crust:

185g plain flour

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

113g ice cold, unsalted butter cubed

2 tbsp ice cold water

Pie Filling

45ml Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

100g Lyles’ golden syrup

200g brown sugar

1 tsp mixed spice

60g unsalted butter, melted

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla paste

150 g, pecan halves – 100g chopped and 50g for top of pie

To serve – 200ml double cream, whipped

Method

Preheat oven to 220C or 200 fan-assisted for pie shell

To make the pastry- pour flour, sugar, salt and butter in a food processor and pulse until it resembles sand. Slowly pour the water in and pulse until it comes together in a ball. Form into a disc and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for 1 hour to rest.

Roll the dough out into 28cm circle and place in 23cm pie tin. Fold the overhanging crust under and crimp the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freezer for 15 minutes-this will prevent shrinkage, well worth the time.

To prevent pastry from puffing up, prick the base of the pie with fork in several places. Place parchment or a large coffee filter inside tin and place dried beans to weight it down. Bake for 20 minutes, remove beans and bake 5 more. Cool completely before adding filling.

Whisk together all the filling ingredients together up to and including chopped pecans. Pour the filling into shell and arrange remaining whole pecan pieces on top, sinking them a bit.

Reduce oven to 180C or 160 fan-assisted. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set along sides with a hint of jiggle in the middle.

Cool at least an hour and serve with the whipped cream.

The original Snowball

Get your 80s groove on an treat yourself to a traditional Snowball cocktail, just like Mamma used to make it (usually before breakfast!)

Ingredients

50ml Warninks Advocaat

Lemonade or Soda

0.25ml Fresh Lime juice/ Lime Cordial

Method

Shake the Advocaat and lime juice or lime cordial together. Pour into a highball filled with ice. Top up with lemonade or soda.