In the United Kingdom and other British Commonwealth realms, December 26, the day after the Christmas holiday is not only a day for Santa Claus to catch his breath, but a national holiday. Boxing Day originated back in the 18th Century. The Victorians fleshed out the essence of Boxing Day.
Historically, it was a day off for servants. It was also the day on which their employer gave them a gift and made donations. Boxing Day traditions is characterized by bizarre events like fun walks, and charitable events in the icy cold English Channel, sporting fixtures especially football and cricket.
The most looked forward moment of Boxing Day celebration is the family dinner, where the tables are laid with traditional, tasty recipes from the Boxing Day menu!
These tasty recipes and drinks from Boxing Day show that Christmas cheer does not end on the 25th (or that a turkey curry is a must for leftovers). With a hearty brunch or a show-stopping fest of make-ahead recipes, including ideas with a boost of alcohol, continue the festive spirit. To complement those decadent Christmas sweets, a salad is perfect and can add leftover Brussels sprouts. Boxing Day food, after all, is a way to make the leftovers luxurious. Try dried cranberries with potted cheese, a rich turkey soup, and more. Eat up the leftover cheese or make an easy pie for Boxing Day. In a roasting pan, just put the leftover meat, potatoes, and vegetables. Cover with sauce, season, and cream. Cover with pastry, eventually, and bake until golden brown.
A collection of some of the best dishes Boxing Day recipes:
Boxing Day food tends to be colorful and festive. It is mostly eaten like a buffet or a less formal day than the previous one. So, for the cooks in the kitchen, not tied to the stove all day is something of a relief. Alternatively, it is a day for dinners, cooked in advance and a perfect way to use up turkey leftovers. It is the time to carry out some of the British buffet table’s stalwarts; hams, sandwiches, Christmas cake, and mince pies.
Vegetarian:
- Winter Spice & Crispy Butter Bean Pie Squash: To act as an alternate vegetarian Christmas centerpiece, one can make this hearty squash dessert. It’s festive and has a lot of herbal taste.
- Remoulade Sprout served in a decorative basket: One can liven up the remaining sprouts with mayonnaise, ginger, crème fraîche, mustard, and parsley to make a simple remoulade. Great for a buffet for Boxing Day.
- Sprout, comté & walnut tart sliced into ready-to-serve slices: One can make the most of their seasonal sprouts with this delicious tart. Comté cheese and walnuts are mixed in a lovely spelled and pumpkin seed pastry shell.
- Sandwich Christmas leftover: One can bring their Sarnie Boxing Day to the next step. Hollow out the center of a bread loaf. Then layer it with all the Christmas leftovers to make a scrumptious.
- Stuffed cheesy pancakes are eaten on a tray: Get these cheesy pancakes with cheeseboard leftovers. They are perfect for Boxing Day or a brunch on New Year’s Day. You can make them with just five ingredients.
Non-Vegetarian:
- Serving Ham & Crackling on a board: Heat this festive ham to 3 days in advance, and keep it in the refrigerator (and the crackling in an airtight container) to save tension during the entertainment.
- Salmon Fillet baked and sliced with pistachios, pickled cranberries, & parsley: Balance with homemade pickled cranberries on an oily fish such as salmon. They even add a nice feeling of Christmas to the bowl.
- Fricassee Leftover turkey is eaten with pasta: Using this rich fricassee to make the most of leftover roast turkey. It’s wonderful served with potatoes or pasta and is perfect for Christmas dinner with turkey.
- Ham cooked with marmalade, ginger & star anise on a carving frame: Bake a gammon joint for a centerpiece main course with a marmalade, ginger, and star anise glaze. It’s perfect for Christmas or lunch on Sunday.
- Spicy turkey noodles: On Boxing Day one can use the turkey leftovers to cook up our spicy turkey stir-fry.
Desserts:
Cake soufflés for Christmas: Transform the individual hot desserts into leftover fruitcake or Christmas pudding served with warm caramel sauce to pour into each pot.
Lime Cheesecake Semi-Freddo: This beautiful frozen dessert can be made and frozen for up to 3 months in advance – ideal for a Christmas dinner party.
Strudel Christmas pudding: Give a second life to the Christmas pudding leftovers with this simple strudel recipe.
Drinks:
Essentially, for Boxing Day, some of the drinks served for Christmas Day would be just as fitting.
Some of them go to drinks are:
- Champagne
- Wine
- Homemade Sloe Gin.
For non-drinkers, Elderflower Cordial is always the right non-alcoholic cocktail for a celebration.
Boxing Day Buffet Ideas:
- Recipe for chicken and ham pie: Save time by making these cozy classics, packed with thick-cut ham, chicken thigh fillets, leeks, and a fluffy white sauce, using shop-bought pastry.
- Posh roll of sausage: A good old sausage roll is enjoyed by all. If one is a fan of lots of buttery pastry, or prefer an herby core, making a batch for a buffet can’t go wrong. To give her a spicy kick, the posh sausage roll has a layer of chili jam and is topped with sesame seeds. We can cut it into as many pieces as you want. But we recommend you make two of them… they’re going to disappear soon!
- Fig and Goat’s Puffs of Cheese: The fig and goat cheese puffs are the correct balance to look at, easy to make yet impressive. They can be made and popped onto the table in less than half an hour. It’s a perfect way to use goat’s leftover cheese that you don’t want to stink out of the fridge.
- Stacked sandwich for Ultimate Boxing Day: Although a major part of Christmas is the Christmas Day feast, the Boxing Day sandwich is another highlight. It can include whatever one wants, whether with turkey and stuffing to keep it plain, or go all out and put a roast potato and sprout in there, too! Our ultimate stacked sandwich for Boxing Day is ultimate for a reason. It’s sweet, salty, delicious, and indulgent. Everything the Christmas ought to be.
So, make sure that this opportunity is used to show styling skills and produce a magical tabletop to really impress guests.
- Welcome in from the outside.
- Using a muted palette, set the mood.
- Decorate with dark, welcoming shades.
- Create crackers of your own.
- Set up a station with drinks.
- Welcome to the table, nature.
