Indeed recipes for it in this form run right up the mid-twentieth century. This recipe goes back as far as the mid-eighteenth century. The beef should be thinly sliced and fried up with chopped boiled cabbage in butter and some salt and pepper.

In The complete economical cook, and frugal housewife: an entirely new system, Mary Holland – in 1837 – describes a recipe that makes use of leftover boiled beef, not potatoes. It turns out it didn’t begin life as fried mashed potato patties, but as something quite different. It’s difficult to give a recipe for it as you just have to use whatever vegetables you have leftover from a nice roast dinner. Remove from the oven, fluff with a fork, cover again and cook for a further 20 minutes.Bubble and squeak is one of my favourite left-over foods. Place the required quantity of Bubble & Squeak in an ovenable covered dish and cook in the centre for 25 minutes. 4 Servings (8 discs): Heat on full power for 4 minutes, fluff the Traditional Bubble & Squeak with a fork, and then place back in a microwave and heat for 4.5 further minutes.

2 Servings (4 discs): Heat on full power for 2 minutes, fluff the Traditional Bubble & Squeak with a fork, and then place back in a microwave and heat for 2.5 further minutes.

1 Serving (2 discs): Heat on full power for 1 minute, fluff the Traditional Bubble & Squeak with a fork, and then place back in a microwave and heat for 1.5 further minutes.

Place the Bubble & Squeak on a microwaveable plate and cook on Full Power for: Ensure food is piping hot throughout before serving. Our cooking instructions are for guidelines only.

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