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What kinds of bite-sized appetizers can I whip up for New Year’s Eve using my Christmas remaining food that will still seem festive?

Party snacks needn't be elaborate, so New Year's presents a great opportunity to use up what's left. The main guideline is to stick to items to just one bite—no one wants to manoeuvre a fork. Guests are looking for a comforting taste of comfort food with a luxurious touch.

If you have a bit of smoked salmon left, layer it on blinis and crown it with affordable roe. Small patties are also just the ticket: Whether you've got remaining fish or flaked salmon, fold it through mashed potato, combine with fresh herbs, lemon, and caramelized onions, then coat in panko and fry until golden.

You could also have a ball with croquetas. Prepare the white sauce a few days ahead, then use remaining pork, poultry, or mushrooms for the filling. Blitz stale bread into crumbs to coat them, then cook until crisp. Savoury pastry mixtures are another perfect use for those crumbs, or use them as a coating for chicken pieces. For flavour, just add a bit of citrus zest and aromatic herbs, and they'll sing so much more. As an aside, croissants make superb crumbs, too.

One beloved treat at this time of year is a leftovers sandwich, and that doesn't have to stop after Boxing Day. Place some ham and turkey in an airtight container and freeze. While you're at it, set aside some cranberry sauce and honey ham glaze in the refrigerator. When needed, defrost the meat, then pop it in a hot oven with the reserved glaze for a brief period. Let it cool and slice thinly, then arrange on top of some artisan bread and assemble mini sandwiches with lots of tangy sauce. Slice into small squares for a winner.

Remaining poultry, meanwhile, could be turned into a spicy, crisp salad. There’s always a bit of turkey leg left over, and it's perfect for something full of flavour. Shred the meat, then crisp it slowly in a pan, and mix with remaining sauce thinned with lime juice, a dash of soy sauce and a little chilli oil. Garnish with fresh herbs and some sliced spring onion, and serve in small lettuce cups.

Transforming Leftover Vegetables

Vegetables, meanwhile, can be dressed up and ready to party with a big batch of fried potato cake. Combine all your leftover veg with fresh herbs, then season and incorporate flour. Stamp out portions to roughly the size of blinis, then keep in the icebox. Reheat in a preheated oven for a few minutes and top with whatever you like—perhaps sliced beef and grated horseradish. A good tip, though: save a stash for a late breakfast the next day.