Christmas and Italianfood They may not seem like the most obvious pairing, but they share one important thing in common: Both are about abundance. From an overloaded festive table to a multi-course Italian feast, the focus is on feeding, sharing and enjoying. And with that abundance inevitably comes leftovers — but that doesn’t mean boring repeat turkey sandwiches and reheated veggies.
Instead, this Recipes Give classic Christmas staples a Mediterranean twist, turning leftovers into three simple yet satisfying dishes. Turkey thigh meatballs are served over creamy polenta with a rich tomato sauce – a comforting dish with a twist on tradition. Or turn your roast leftovers into a vibrant Italian-inspired centerpiece, pairing cacciatore-style chicken thighs with a silky bread sauce. And for something lighter, there’s turkey and mushroom orzoto, a quick risotto-like dish that swaps out rice for orzo pasta and feels just the right side of indulgence.
Shopping list
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, trimmed and finely chopped.
- 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced.
- 30g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 200g wild mushrooms, torn into bite-sized pieces.
- 4 chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
- 500 g minced turkey thigh
- 850 ml of milk
- 80g hard Italian cheese, finely grated.
- 100 g panko bread crumbs
- 400 grams of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon caster sugar
- 75g coarse dry polenta or coarse cornmeal
- 2 tbsp tomato puree or tomato paste
- 187 ml of red wine
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 200 grams of orzo
- 10 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground masala
Turkey meatballs with polenta and tomato sauce
If you can’t find polenta, substitute mashed potatoes.
Ingredients:
50g dry panko breadcrumbs
450 ml of milk
250 g minced turkey thigh
½ teaspoon ground spices
4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
400 grams of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
½ teaspoon caster sugar
75g coarse dry polenta/coarse corn 15g fresh parsley
30 grams of hard Italian cheese
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C and line a medium tray with baking paper this will be for the meatballs later.
2. In a large mixing bowl mix 50g of breadcrumbs and 75ml of milk. We will use the rest of the milk later.
3. Add 250g minced turkey to the bowl with the milk and breadcrumbs. Season with ½ teaspoon allspice and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
4. With moistened hands, shape the mixture into 6 equal sized balls and place them on the lined tray. Remember to wash your hands after handling raw meat!
5. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes, until golden in places and cooked through. While you wait, proceed with the rest of the dish in the next steps.
6. Pour the remaining 375 ml of milk and a pinch of salt into a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. While the milk comes to a boil, proceed with the rest of the dish in the next steps.
7. Peel and finely chop 4 cloves of garlic.
8. Fry the garlic in a medium frying pan over medium heat in 2 tbsp olive oil for 2-3 minutes, until golden in places. While you wait, crack on with a little wash.
9. Tip in 1 400g tin of tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar, half a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt.
10. Reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until reduced by half. While you wait, proceed with the rest of the dish in the next steps.
11. Once the milk is boiling on the stove, slowly pour in 75g polenta, whisking all the time.
12. Reduce the heat to very low and continue to cook the grains for 5-8 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the mix is slightly dry and has the consistency of loose mashed potatoes. If it starts to get too thick, add a splash of milk. While you wait, proceed with the rest of the dish in the next steps.
13. Finely chop 15 grams of parsley. While you’re waiting for the rest of the dish to cook, break out with a little washing up!
14. After the polenta is ready, take the pan off the heat and finely grate 30 grams of cheese. Add 3⁄4 of the parsley and toss everything together. We’ll use the rest of the parsley for garnish.
15. Divide the polenta between plates and add the meatballs. Spoon over the tomato sauce, scatter over the parsley and serve.
Cactitour-style chicken thighs with bread sauce.
Chicken cacciatore is a classic Italian dish that usually takes AGES to cook. Get rid of this cheat version immediately!
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons of olive oil
4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on 1 brown onion
4 cloves garlic
2 red peppers
2 tbsp tomato puree/tomato paste 187 ml red wine
1 beef stock cube
50g dry panko breadcrumbs
400 ml of milk
½ teaspoon ground spices
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 200C.
2. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large, ovenproof frying pan and add 4 chicken thighs, skin side down, season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place the pan on medium heat, let the fat fall off the skin and fry for 8-10 minutes until golden. While you wait, proceed with the rest of the dish in the next steps.
3. Halve, peel and finely chop 1 onion and 4 cloves of garlic. 2 Red chillies, diced and finely chopped.
4. Once the chicken thighs are golden, transfer them to a plate. Fry the vegetables in the remaining fat for 6-8 minutes, until tender, tossing occasionally. While you wait, crack on with a little wash.
5. When the vegetable becomes soft, add 2 tbsp of tomato paste. Fry everything for another 2-3 minutes, until dark and sticky.
6. Turn the heat up to high and pour 187ml of wine into the pan. Reduce by 1⁄2, stirring all the time.
7. Crumble the beef stock into cubes and lay on the thighs, skin side up.
8. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced by 1⁄2. While you wait, proceed with the rest of the dish in the next steps.
9. Add 50g of breadcrumbs to a medium saucepan. Grind 400 ml of milk, half a teaspoon of spices, a pinch of salt and black pepper.
10. Place the pan on high heat and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3-4 minutes, until thickened we are looking for a loose mashed potato consistency.
11. Divide the bread sauce between the plates and spoon over the chicken cake, making sure to serve 2 thighs on each plate. Tuck in!
Turkey and mushroom orzoto
If you’re not feeling turkey, why not switch to sausage meat?
Ingredients:
200 grams of wild mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
250 g minced turkey thigh
200 grams of orzo
1 beef stock cube
15 g fresh parsley
50 grams of hard Italian cheese
Method:
1. Cut 200 grams of wild mushrooms into bite-sized pieces.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large frying pan and place over high heat.
3. Once the oil starts to shimmer and loosen, add the mushrooms and 250g minced turkey. Fry for 6-8 minutes until golden in places.
4. Add 200g of orzo to the pan and toss to coat in the oil.
5. Crush 1 beef stock cube and add 700 ml of water. Bring everything to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the orzo is tender but still has a slight bite. The liquid should reduce to a loose glaze that coats the grain, adding a splash of water if it thickens a bit. While you wait, proceed with the rest of the dish in the next steps!
7. While you wait for the orzo to cook, finely chop 15 grams of parsley.
8. When the orzo is ready, take the pan off the heat and finely grate 40 grams of cheese, we will use the rest later. Stir in the parsley and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Divide the orzoto between plates and finely grate over the remaining 10g cheese. Tuck in!
In response to getting up cost of livingwe’ve teamed up with Organized Food to bring you simple, affordable, quick and (most importantly) delicious recipes once a month. Learn more about Sorted and their nifty meal planning app Sidekick. sortedfood.com/sidekick.