Toastie made from Christmas leftovers ‘is better than the actual meal’

There comes a point when you’re sick of eating Christmas leftovers — but one woman claims there’s an easy solution to make them feel like a ‘brand new meal’.

In a TikTok video, user @likelev_ shared her go-to trick to use up her Christmas dinner leftovers without having to worry about sitting down at the table and facing a full roast dinner on the plate.

Instead, she simply slices up any leftover meat as thin as possible before frying it to warm it back up.

She adds in any leftover potatoes, vegetables, and stuffing too, and keeps it on the heat until it’s ready to put between two slices of bread to create a cheese toastie.

In her video, she said: “You want to grab two slices of your favourite bread — and now for the fun part, you want to start to build your Christmas dinner toastie.

“Start with the meat and top it off with Brie. Do not forget the Brie because it’s going to get it all lovely, melty, and oozy.

“Chuck on all of your veg and the top slice of your sarnie, which is soon to be a toastie. You have to squish it right down.

“Now, I know this is a bit controversial, but mayonnaise is the key to a good, crispy, golden toastie. Put it in a frying pan, squish it down again, add more mayo to the other side, and fry it until it’s golden brown.”

Commenting on her video, one user said: “Xmas dinner in a baguette with loads of gravy.” Another user added: “No leftovers in my house.”

A third user said: “OMG, you had me at mayo.” One more user said: “OMG, that looks absolutely gorgeous.”

When it comes to keeping your leftovers fresh for the coming days, storage expert Vlatka Lake from Space Station emphasises that separating each component of your roast is crucial for proper preservation.

She said: “It helps to preserve texture and flavour and makes reheating each item much easier, whether that’s via the microwave or your oven.”

Individual elements should go into their own airtight containers before being refrigerated.

Vlatka said: “Roasted vegetables and potatoes should also be kept in a shallow container, if possible, to avoid sogginess.”

Regarding the star attraction – the meat – there are also ideal preservation techniques to follow.

According to Vlatka, larger joints benefit from being carved into more manageable portions prior to refrigeration.

Vlatka added: “This allows for easier storage, quicker cooling, and more convenient reheating.”

A final crucial recommendation from the organisational expert involves wrapping your remnants in foil or cling film before transferring them into containers.