It’s that time of year when the chocolates and treats are in abundance. But if you’re hankering for a nutritious family meal instead of the constant stream of party food then we have just the dish for you.
Best of all it makes use of all of those Christmas Day leftovers. And it comes from the queen of cooking herself – the one and only Dame Mary Berry.
British Chefs Table explains: “Mary Berry’s Bubble and Squeak is a British dish made from leftover mashed potatoes and vegetables, optionally combined with meats. It’s pan-fried to create a crispy exterior and served with a fried or poached egg.”
So why not grab the ingredients listed and follow the instructions below to give the dish a go?
Ingredients
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, or vegetable oil

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1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 pound mashed potatoes, about 2 cups
1 cup leftover vegetables (cabbage, kale, peas, cooked swede, cooked carrots, and/or cooked Brussels sprouts), finely chopped
Bacon, leftover roast, bangers, and/or ham, chopped, optional
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fried or poached eggs, for serving, optional
Method
First up you need to melt your butter into a large frying pan over medium heat. Remember to take care to prevent browning.
Next stir in the finely chopped onion and cook over low heat for three minutes or until the onion is tender and transparent.
Gather together the rest of your leftover chopped vegetables and mashed potato, lower the heat slightly and stir them in.
It’s now time to add your favourite chopped meat but you can skip this step if you’re cooking a veggie version.
For 10 minutes stir continuously to make sure that everything is properly warmed through.
Press the mixture into the pan at regular intervals to brown it – and then turn it over to repeat.
Keep pushing the veggies down onto the bottom of the pan for one minute with a spatula.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
And don’t forget to add a fried or poached egg on top before serving.
The final step is simple – just enjoy your meal.