Turkey Sandwiches? Try these alternatives.

Once the main event of Christmas Day is over and done with, the following few days are all about relaxing and finding a moment to enjoy the chaos - if you can!

It’s about this time of the holidays that we begin to turn away from the remaining pickled onions and quality street in an effort to find something fresh, tasty and different and usually that means turkey curry...but it doesn’t always have to be that way! We’ve compiled our top three alternative leftover turkey recipes for you to make this year's Boxing Day leftovers the best yet.

Cacciatore, Christmas Style.

Our first alternative is the italian dish Cacciatore, which literally means "hunter" in Italian. Prepared with onions, herbs, usually tomatoes, often bell peppers, and sometimes wine, Cacciatore is similar to a casserole and usually made with braised chicken or rabbit but goes just as well with turkey.

Turkey Cranberry Pie

This is another recipe that can be made a number of ways depending upon the traditions of your house. Our best tip of this one is to make the base from shortcrust pastry, and the top from puffed pastry for the extra crunch -  if you’re looking to save time just be sure to add these two to your shopping list beforehand.

Coronation Turkey

A Christmassy twist on the traditional. Save time and fuss on the day by making the mayonnaise in advance. All you need for this super quick spicy treat is some pre-made curried mayonnaise that can last up to a week in the fridge. Just be sure to pick up an extra jar at the supermarket for the recipe! And of course, we all know where you can grab your spices from.

Put health and safety first when dealing with meat. Let your cooked turkey completely cool, then refrigerate at the first opportunity – within 90 minutes is best.

Don’t leave your turkey hanging around all afternoon as it may become unsafe to eat. Bear this in mind before heading for your post-feasting nap…

Leftover turkey should be eaten within two days, so if you don’t think you’ll get through it in time stick it in the freezer in portions.

If you do freeze your turkey for a later date, make sure it’s wrapped properly or put in a sealed container to avoid freezer burn. It’s also good to use sticky labels to add dates and descriptions to your frozen goods.

If you’re storing your leftover cooked turkey in the fridge, place it on the middle shelf along with all your other ready-to-eat foods. Save the bottom shelf for raw meat and fish.