13 Cozy Recipes You Can Make With Leftover Thanksgiving Stuffing

Find new ways to eat and use leftover stuffing with one of these simple recipes—great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Leftover Stuffing Waffles
Photo: Two Red Bowls

The words "leftover stuffing" might sound like an oxymoron. Does that actually happen? Well, yes, it occasionally does. And thank goodness—who doesn't want to keep eating your savory, herby Thanksgiving stuffing for a few days after the big holiday? The better news is there are as many leftover stuffing recipes as there are favorite methods of making this oh-so-popular Turkey Day side dish.

To preserve it properly, make sure you pack up your stuffing in an airtight container or resealable storage bag (push the extra air out of it before closing) within two hours of it coming out of the oven and hitting the table. Then place storage containers on the top shelf of your fridge where the temperature is the most constant. Here, it will stay delicious for up to four days—then follow our instructions for safely reheating leftover stuffing.

If you're not sure you'll be able to use it straight away, pop those containers in the freezer for about a month. Meanwhile, check out one of these delicious recipes for what to do with leftover stuffing.

01 of 13

Leftover Stuffing Waffles

Leftover Stuffing Waffles
Two Red Bowls

If your waffle iron hasn't been getting much use over the years, this is going to be a game-changer. Leftover stuffing pressed into a waffle gets a snappy, sweet burst when topped with leftover cranberry sauce.

02 of 13

Leftover Stuffing Baked Eggs

Leftover Stuffing Baked Eggs
Kitchen Konfidence

Break out your ramekins for this easy-baked stuffing-and-egg breakfast indulgence. The leftover stuffing goes in the oven solo first, to get it extra crispy, and the egg is cracked on top for a final few minutes in the oven.

03 of 13

Leftover Turkey Dressing Meatball

Leftover Turkey Dressing Meatball
A Zesty Bite

These addictive meatballs are especially good if you tend to pack your Thanksgiving stuffing or dressing with Italian sausage in the mix.

04 of 13

Leftover Stuffing Muffins

Leftover Stuffing Muffins
Budget Bytes

We love pinch-hitter dishes, and these grab-and-go leftover stuffing muffins are not only versatile (they make a great breakfast, lunch, or side dish option), but they use up extra Thanksgiving turkey and add in some great, healthy greens, too. If you want to slim these down a bit, simply sub out the tablespoon of cream or whole milk for nonfat or a tablespoon of plain nonfat yogurt.

05 of 13

Leftover Stuffing Balls

Leftover Stuffing Balls
Genius Kitchen

While many leftover stuffing ball recipes call for deep frying, we liked that this one used the oven instead, and made great use of leftover veggies, too.

06 of 13

Stuffing Hash

Stuffing Hash
Girl in the Little Red Kitchen

Have an extra sweet potato on hand? That, a few eggs, and some seasoning are all you need to throw together this addictive weekend-morning treat.

07 of 13

Thanksgiving Poutine

Thanksgiving Poutine
I Am a Food Blog

Poutine is that decadent French fry, cheese curd, gravy topped building of guilty pleasures that even typically apologetic Canadians aren't sorry for one bit. These days, poutine has traveled south, spreading across the United States like ladled gravy. This version makes clever use of leftovers, including the all-important stuffing—and, we think, makes a great accompaniment for a day-after-Thanksgiving movie marathon on the couch.

08 of 13

Acorn Squash Stuffing

Acorn Squash Stuffing
Taste of Home

Sprinkle these autumnal dinner add-ons with shaved parmesan and a little smoked paprika for a pretty, fragrant way to get your veggie fix and a heaping helping of your favorite side dish in this leftover stuffing recipe.

09 of 13

Breakfast Strata

Breakfast Strata
Helpful Homemade

Got Thanksgiving houseguests? This day-after leftover stuffing-centric one-pan dish will not only use up your leftovers to easily (re)feed a crowd (because who wants to be a short-order cook the morning after preparing such an epic meal?), the extra egg and cheese additions make it akin to a velvety, savory bread pudding.

10 of 13

Leftover Stuffing Casserole

Leftover Stuffing Casserole
Brooklyn Farm Girl

Make great use of your leftover stuffing with fresh or leftover veggies in this easy-peasy weeknight leftover stuffing casserole. Don't like broccoli? Green beans, spinach, chard, or kale work great, too!

11 of 13

Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Bites

Bacon Wrapped Stuffing Bites
Who Needs a Cape

Just try not to pop more than one of these crispy outside, soft inside, bacon-wrapped, leftover-stuffing morsels in your mouth—we're going to bet you can't.

12 of 13

Turkey and Stuffing Dumpling Soup

Turkey and Stuffing Dumpling Soup
Katie’s Cucina

It's absolutely worth it to make the homemade turkey stock in this recipe for leftover stuffing dumpling soup—it makes enough for the latter, but you can take the rest of the broth, freeze it, and use it for a future culinary endeavor. If you need to get dinner on the table quickly, a high-quality, pre-made turkey, chicken, or vegetable broth will do just fine.

13 of 13

Savory Stuffing Cakes

Savory Stuffing Cakes
Whole Foods Market

With great stuffing, you don't need to gild the lily. This recipe merely adds a beaten egg to bind all that savory goodness together so you can get the outside of these patties nice and crispy.

Was this page helpful?
Related Articles