Bubble and squeak always makes me think of Christmas Day. And my Dad. It was his speciality!
It was rare to find him in the kitchen, so it was more of an annual event! Half way through the evening on Christmas Day, he would disappear into the kitchen and an hour or so later would serve up hot, crispy bubble and squeak using up the leftover veggies from dinner earlier in the day. There was usually a lot of wine quaffing at the same time, so sometimes it took much longer 😉 but it was always a treat to savour.
We lost my Dad nearly 30 years ago, so bubble and squeak really does comes with many memories. It’s still one of my favourite post-Christmas dinner (or any roast dinner) dishes. A great way of using up leftover veggies, my version is a much lower fat version than Dad’s. He used to fry his in lashings of melted butter but I’ve found that the mix crisps up rather wonderfully just baked in the oven, no added fat needed. It makes the fully plant-based, low fat and of course it’s gluten free too.
To help get a good shape and prevent them from falling apart before being cooked, I use a burger mould like this one. It’s great as you can press the mix down firmly straight on the baking sheet – by the time it’s cooked, there’s no worries about structural collapse, which always used to happen in the days when I fried it in a pan.
I’ve found the best combination of veggies includes potato, Brussel sprouts and carrots, but of course you can use whatever you have. Potato and sprouts in particular caramelise beautifully in the oven, creating a crisp outer coating with a squidgy inside. Some veggies are wetter than others (like swede) so you may not need all the dairy-free milk or they could be too soggy.
If you have lots of leftover veggies, I hope you give this a go.It’s a great way of reducing food waste and of course it’s a cheap, tasty meal. I’ll be making these on Boxing Day as always, thinking about my Dad with love.
Enjoy!
Baked bubble and squeak
Equipment
- non-stick baking paper
- baking tray
Ingredients
- 350 grams cold cooked vegetables potato and/or cabbage and/or broccoli carrot Brussel sprouts etc
- 2 tbsp dairy-free milk of choice
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
- Chop the cold cooked vegetables into small pieces and place in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of dairy-free milk and the seasoning.
- Mash together until everything starts to stick. Add more milk if needed.
- Separate mix into 4. Using a burger mould or free hand, press out 4 separate patties on to the lined baking sheet.
- Bake in the oven for 20 minutes then carefully turn over and bake for another 10 minutes until firm and brown. Serve immediately.
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