After clearing the floors of gift wrap and tinsel, and making it through the mountain of dirty dishes in the sink, it’s time to tackle the leftovers in the fridge.

But after a couple of cold cut sandwiches, the sight of another slice of ham can suddenly feel faintly threatening. That’s when most of us reach for the bin bag to exorcise the ghost of Christmas dinner past, according to Love Food Hate Waste, a national campaign that aims to get Brits reducing their food wastage.

British households waste a whopping 7.2 tonnes of food each year, they say. That’s the equivalent of almost 1,500 turkeys going in the bin.

But with a little bit of creativity, you can make your Christmas meal stretch a little further, without sending your family crazy.

Here are some ingenious recipes that will have you serving Christmas leftovers into January…

Quick tips for Christmas leftovers

• Check your cheeses for freeze-ability. Stilton, for example, tastes terrific straight from the freezer.
• Heat leftover mincemeat in a pan and spoon over ice cream for an indulgent winter pudding.
• Transform day-old sprouts and roast potatoes into a tasty mash by whizzing them in the food processor with a little parmesan and cream.
• Finish off the brandy butter by using it in sweet shortcrust pastry instead of regular butter. It’ll make pastry more fragrant, and the sugar in the brandy will speed up baking.
• Put leftover meat into a blender with some chopped onion and parsley and pulse gently to form a coarse mince – perfect for shaping into burger patties.

Cranberry and brie tartlets

(Makes 24)

225g shortcrust pastry

Tracklements Cranberry & Port Sauce

200g Brie cut into ½ inch cubes (with rind left on)

2tbsp milk

1 large egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Roll the pastry out until it’s 3mm thick, stamp out circles to fit in a tartlet tin and then chill for half an hour. Bake these pastry cases blind for 10 minutes at 180C/Gas mark 4.

Remove from oven and put half a teaspoon of cranberry sauce in each pastry case and cover this with one or two cubes of brie.

Whisk together the milk, egg, salt and pepper and pour this mixture over the brie and cranberry sauce to fill up each tartlet.

Cook for 10-15 minutes until raised and golden brown.

Spiced beef,pumpkin and carrot soup

(Serves 4)

225g cooked roast beef, shredded or cubed

2tbsp rapeseed or olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

1tbsp curry paste

225g carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

350-450g pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cubed

2 celery sticks, chopped

1 litre beef or vegetable stock

Splash of sweet sherry (optional)

Creme fraiche, to serve

2tbsp freshly chopped chives or flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic for two to three minutes. Add the curry paste and cook for a further one to two minutes.

Add the carrots, pumpkin or butternut squash, celery and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes. Cool slightly.

Puree the soup in batches, in a blender or food processor and return to the pan, adding the beef. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, add the sherry (if used) and simmer for two to three minutes until piping hot.

Season if required and serve with a spoonful of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley to garnish.

Turkey Pie

(Serves 4)

4 x Jus-Rol filo pastry sheets

Melted butter for brushing

500g cooked turkey – diced or cut into strips

2 leeks – halved lengthways, then cut into short lengths and washed and drained

50g butter

2-3tsp sweet paprika

Juice and rind of one lemon

200ml single cream (or cream and milk mixed)

Few drops Worcester sauce

2tsp mustard

Poppy seeds for garnish

Preheat oven to 190C/Gas mark 5.

Gently cook the leeks in the butter until tender, stir in the paprika and cook for a further three minutes, stirring all the while.

Add the turkey, lemon juice and rind, then stir in all other ingredients (apart from the pastry and melted butter) and gently heat through. Place in a shallow, ovenproof dish and allow to cool.

Open out the filo sheets, and keeping the four in a stack, brush the top one lightly with melted butter, then tear off strips down the length (don’t worry if it’s not an even tear).

Gently allow the filo strip to drape over the filling in ribbons. Continue with remaining filo and melted butter until all filling is topped.

Sprinkle the top lightly with poppy seeds and bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

Festive Tortilla

(Serves 4)

175-225g cooked roast beef or lamb, roughly chopped

2tbsp oil

1 medium red onion, peeled and finely sliced

350g leftover cooked roast potatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

50g leftover cooked Brussels sprouts, halved

6 eggs, beaten

2tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives

1tbsp ground paprika

3-4tbsp grated cheese

Mixed green salad, to serve

Crusty bread, to serve

Heat the oil in a medium-sized non-stick frying pan. Cook the onion for five minutes or until soft. Add the meat, potatoes and sprouts, stirring gently.

In a small bowl, mix the eggs and herbs together, then pour into the pan with the meat and vegetables. Gently move the mixture around with a fork. Sprinkle over the paprika.

Reduce the heat and cook for about five minutes, or until the tortilla is set, then sprinkle over the cheese.

Finish cooking the tortilla under a preheated moderate grill for three to four minutes until golden.

Serve the tortilla with a mixed green salad and crusty bread.

Christmas Pudding Strudel

(Serves 4)

250g ricotta cheese

Zest of one orange

250g leftover Christmas pudding, crumbled

3 large sheets of filo pastry

25g melted butter

Ground cinnamon

Brown sugar

Vanilla ice cream, custard or cream, to serve

In a bowl, mix together the cheese, orange zest and crumbled Christmas pudding.

Lay out the sheets of filo pastry, brush each sheet with melted butter and place on top of each other. Spread the filling at one end of the filo square.

Fold one end of pastry over the mixture and continue rolling, tucking each end to create a seal, until you have a tight filo parcel log.

Brush the top with butter and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and brown sugar.

Bake at 200C/Gas mark 6 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the base. Serve in slices with cream, vanilla ice cream or warm custard.

• For more leftovers recipes, visit www.simplybeefandlamb.co.uk and www.lovefoodhatewaste.com