IT IS one of the biggest challenges of Christmas.

How to deal with those leftovers and ensure that our festive menu doesn’t include waste.

According to Love Food Hate Waste, a national campaign that aims to get people to reduce their food wastage, British households waste a whopping 7.2 tonnes of food each year.

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 making your family say they never again want to see another piece of turkey, chicken, ham and so on.

Here are a few basic ideas to deal with some of those leftover goodies.

PCheck your cheeses for freeze-ability. Stilton, for example, tastes terrific straight from the freezer.

P Heat leftover mincemeat in a pan and spoon over ice cream for an indulgent winter pudding.

PTransform day-old sprouts and roast potatoes into a tasty mash by whizzing them in the food processor with a little parmesan and cream.

P 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.

P 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.

Or why not try making this festive tortilla?

It serves four and you will need: 175-225g roughly chopped, 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

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.