34 Boxing Day recipes

Clear out your fridge and make the most of your favourite ingredients with our best Christmas leftover recipes and indulge in our best winter comfort food recipes. After, take a look at our festive entertaining ideas and party food recipes for more inspiration.

Turkey sandwich for Boxing Day

Keep costs low after the big day by turning any leftover Christmas turkey and ham into this jam-packed Boxing Day sandwich.

Turkey and ham pie

What better way to use up your Christmas turkey leftovers? This meaty, creamy turkey and ham pie is made with shop-bought puff pastry to make life a little easier.

Honey-glazed roast gammon

This is a fuss-free way of cooking a Christmas gammon joint. It steams in the oven alongside aromatics, and is then finished with a honey mustard glaze.

Beetroot and gin-cured salmon

You'll have to prep this salmon in advance, but it's worth the wait. Pop it in the centre of your buffet table to wow your family. The orange gives it a slight sweetness while the gin gives it a great boozy kick. If you have leftovers, it'll still taste great for the next couple of days. What better way to carry on the festivities?

The smörgåsbord

This Swedish-inspired sharing feast makes for an impressive spread. Featuring cheese, fish, potato and egg, it's a great alternative to a buffet if you're feeding a crowd at a Boxing Day gathering.

Tandoori spiced salmon

This is great served with rice and chutney, and perfect for a Boxing Day spread.

Posh sausage roll

Whether you're a fan of lots of buttery pastry, or prefer a herby centre, you can't go wrong with making a batch for a buffet. Our posh sausage roll has a layer of chilli jam to give it a spicy kick and is topped with sesame seeds.

Epic Christmas toastie

Avoid buying more food by using up your Christmas dinner leftovers to make our ultimate toastie with turkey, stuffing and homemade bubble and squeak.

Cheese and onion quiche

Using spring onions and ready-made pastry cuts down the cooking time so you can bake this classic vegetarian tart midweek.

Turkey and ham raised pie

Ever ordered a turkey that serves 10, even if there's only four to feed? We have! After a while, the turkey sandwiches get a bit boring, so give this pie a go. It takes a bit of time to make, so why not have a buffet come dinner time?

Ragda pattice

Each mouthful of these ginger and chilli potato patties is a flavour bomb. They can easily be made ahead and heated up for a spicy treat on Boxing Day.

Fig and goat’s cheese puffs

If you're planning a fancier Boxing Day buffet, and have friends and family coming over, these fig and goat's cheese puffs are the right balance of easy to make yet impressive to look at. They can be made in less than half an hour and popped on the table. They're a great way to use up leftover goat's cheese that you don't want stinking out the fridge.

Baileys chocolate pavlova

Use up leftover Baileys from your cocktail cabinet and make this show-stopping Baileys pavlova recipe. You can make the pavlova base the day before, then fill just before serving, a perfect alternative to your Christmas pudding.

Ultimate Boxing Day stacked sandwich

While the Christmas Day feast is a great part of Christmas, another highlight is the Boxing Day sandwich. It can include whatever you like, whether you want to keep it simple with turkey and stuffing, or go all out and throw a roast potato and sprout in there, too! Our ultimate Boxing Day stacked sandwich is sweet, salty, indulgent and delicious.

Tear and share sausage roll

Perk up your Boxing Day party buffet with our epic sausage roll and camembert wheel.

Chicken and ham pie

Save time by using shop-bought pastry to make this cosy classic, filled with thick-cut ham, leeks, chicken thigh fillets and a creamy white sauce.

Christmas lamingtons

A batch of festive lamingtons make a fitting addition to your Boxing Day spread. Think white chocolate icing, a cherry yuzu jam centre and a buttercream crown.

Sage and honey butter roasted chestnuts

A bowl of these sage and honey butter-roasted chestnuts won’t go amiss at your Boxing Day spread.

Glazed cocktail sausages

Who would say no to these glazed cocktail sausages? Here, they’re taken up a notch or two with a hint of black cardamom, fennel, cumin and honey.

Sausage twist

Why not serve this festive sausage roll as the Boxing Day centrepiece and eat it with some leftover meats and cheese for the second festive feast of the season?

Boxing Day cheeseboard

You can make this impressive cheeseboard with leftovers by adding apple slices, bowls of chutney and other bits, to make your cheeseboard last two days in a row.

Barwheys savoury biscuits

A Boxing Day buffet table wouldn't be complete without cheese and biscuits. Whether you're a fan of smelly stinking bishop, or prefer a milder Wensleydale, it's important to have some great crackers to match. These Barwheys savoury biscuits are rich and crunchy.

Baileys ice cream

Use up leftover Baileys in this no-churn ice cream, a perfect as an accompaniment for your Christmas puds.

Rum truffles

A batch of these homemade rum truffles wouldn't go amiss at your Boxing Day buffet. They make great last-minute gifts, too.

Stollen bites

Make these pretty stollen bites for a fun Christmas baking project – you can use any mixed dried fruit, such as cranberries, sour cherries or apricots.

Christmas fudge

Check out this festive gingerbread fudge that takes just a few minutes to prepare. You can easily double the recipe to make two batches, so you have plenty for gifting.

Vegan raspberry and lemon trifle

Impress your guests on Boxing Day with this classic layered dessert. The easy homemade custard uses vanilla-flavoured soya milk and gives a traditional flavour and colour to the custard.

Tiramisu brownies

Up your brownie game with this mash-up that combines fudgy chocolate brownies with a boozy tiramisu-inspired topping. Perfect for an grown-up dessert.

Christmas pudding ice cream

A clever way to use up left-over Christmas pudding – add it to ice cream! This four-ingredient, no-churn recipe also comes laced with brandy or rum – the perfect winter pud.

Baileys tiramisu

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without an abundance of desserts. Be it a boozy trifle or a creamy cheesecake, you can never have too many. This Baileys tiramisu has it all: the booze, the cream and the chocolate. It's perfect for a buffet table. Just pop some bowls and spoons beside it and let people dig in.

Bûche de noël

Serve this bûche de noël for a Boxing Day dessert showpiece. This festive log features decadent layers of chocolate sponge, chantilly cream and chocolate buttercream.

Shortbread mince pies

You've probably been eating mince pies since the end of October, so why stop now? If you've got lots of mincemeat left to use up, make another batch of pies to have on Boxing Day. They'll always get eaten, whether you have them with mid-afternoon coffee or with a late night glass of mulled wine. We suggest making them up until New Year - you may as well make the most of this festive favourite.

Florentines

If you fancy having something sweet to snack on, but don't want a big dessert, give these florentines a go. They're sweet enough to satisfy your craving and have a great crunchy texture from the nuts and dried fruit. Pass them around on Boxing Day to nibble while you watch the TV repeats.

Salted caramel cheesecake

Our elegant, no-bake cheesecake can be made up to two days in advance, so it's ideal for stress-free entertaining.