Max La Manna’s Best Festive Leftover Sandwich
Make the most of your Christmas dinner leftovers with this indulgent sandwich, stuffed with all the best bits of a roast dinner. Perfect for Boxing Day lunch!
From the book
You Can Cook This!: Simple, satisfying, sustainable veg recipes
120 no-fuss veg-centric recipes for everyday cooking
From simple midweek meals to crowd-pleasing dinner party dishes
Recipes to help you spend less and reduce food waste
Introduction
When the festive season rolls around, I’m thinking about two things: what can be saved as leftovers and how to cook up those leftovers in a creative way. This recipe gives your festive leftovers a crunchy kick. Totally drool-worthy.
Ingredients
| For the Buttery Herb Stuffing: | |
|---|---|
| 450g | sourdough (or other bread) torn into 2-3cm pieces |
| 125g | butter |
| 150g | celery (about 5 sticks), finely chopped |
| 120ml | white wine |
| 2 tbsp | freshly chopped rosemary |
| 2 tbsp | freshly chopped thyme |
| 2 tbsp | freshly chopped sage |
| 240ml | veg stock |
| 80ml | cold water |
| 2 tbsp | cornflour |
| salt and black pepper | |
| For the sandwich: | |
| 4 tbsp | mayonnaise |
| 2 tsp | wholegrain mustard |
| 50g | leftover Buttery Herb Stuffing (see above) |
| 1 portion | Roast Dinner Tart (see recipe note) or Nut Roast (Find the recipe for Nut Roast Cake on page 70 of You Can Cook This!) |
| 3 slices | bread |
| 1 tbsp | cranberry sauce |
Method
Find the recipe for Roast Dinner Tart here.
If you’re making Max’s Buttery Herb Stuffing (you need 50g of this for the sandwich, leftover from your roast dinner):
Preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until the bread is dried out on the surface.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the wine and herbs, increase the heat to bring the wine to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, until reduced. Add the veg stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the water and cornflour together until there are no clumps.
Stir the cornflour mixture into the stock and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat.
Increase the oven temperature to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.
Put the dried bread in a large baking dish and pour over the onion and celery mixture. Stir until the bread is evenly coated and season with salt and black pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 18–20 minutes, until dried out on top and crispy around the edges.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving.
For the leftover sandwich:
Preheat the oven to 150ºC/130ºC fan/gas 2.
Mix the mayonnaise with the mustard and set aside.
Warm the leftovers (stuffing, vegetables, nut roast cake/roast dinner tart) in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Toast the bread to your desired toastiness. Spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce on 1 slice, and the mustard-mayonnaise on the other 2 slices.
Beginning with the first slice of bread with mustard-mayonnaise, add a layer of nut roast cake/roast dinner tart. Add the slice of bread with cranberry sauce and top with the stuffing and veg. Cover with the last slice of bread, mustard-mayo side facing down.
Serve immediately, and if there’s any leftover gravy, don’t be afraid to dip that sandwich in!
Tip Use any leftover cooked veg: beetroot, Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips, roast potatoes, sweet potatoes…
