Thanksgiving Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Muffins

Use up your leftover turkey and stuffing in these quick and easy muffins. This dish is a quick and easy way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. This easy recipe transforms turkey and stuffing into muffins that are perfect with a drizzle of leftover gravy.

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For a few years, my family went out to a restaurant instead of having Thanksgiving dinner at someone's house.

I hated this plan. I mean, it was the bummer of my entire year.

The reason that I hated the restaurant plan was that there were no leftovers. I love having leftover turkey and leftover stuffing and leftover green bean casserole and leftover cranberry sauce and leftover cranberry salad.

Despite my love of leftovers, my family gets tired of eating Thanksgiving dinner over and over and over. I have, in the past, made turkey enchilada casserole and turkey salad and turkey quesadillas and turkey wraps. These are all good.

But then, I thought, what if I cooked the leftover turkey and stuffing together? How amazing would that be?

It's not the same as eating Thanksgiving dinner over again because it's mixed together and baked. The flavors are there, but the consistency is entirely different.

What is a turkey and stuffing muffin?

A turkey and stuffing muffin is sort of like the little sous vide egg bites that you can get a Starbucks. (Or similar to these sausage egg muffins.) Except these have leftover roast turkey and stuffing mixed into the eggs instead of bacon, spinach, or mushrooms.

Turkey and stuffing muffins are a perfect way to eat Thanksgiving leftovers in a whole new way. They're a great hand-held breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. I love to serve them with leftover gravy, but you could also add a dollop of leftover cranberry sauce for a sweet garnish.

Why these are the best Thanksgiving leftover muffins

This is a simple recipe that primarily uses your Thanksgiving (or Christmas) leftovers. There aren't a bunch of extra ingredients.

These simple leftover turkey and stuffing muffins taste great! They're similar to Thanksgiving dinner but when you mix it all together, it tastes totally different and gives new life to those tired leftovers.

What you'll need to make leftover turkey and stuffing muffins

Equipment

This recipe requires standard kitchen equipment including a mixing bowl. You will also need a muffin pan.

Ingredients

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

• Leftover stuffing - You can use any kind of stuffing in this recipe, including my chestnut stuffing and my cornbread veggie stuffing. Both are delicious, but so is regular old boxed stuffing. Use whatever stuffing you have.
• Leftover roast turkey - This should be shredded or cut into bite-sized cubes.
• Eggs - The eggs and milk bind the stuffing muffins together. If you don't use eggs and milk, you will just have loose stuffing and turkey mixed together in a muffin pan, and they will fall apart when you try to take them out.
• Milk
• Salt & pepper - Just to season the egg mixture.
• Turkey gravy - You can use leftover gravy if you have it or make fresh.

How to make easy turkey and stuffing muffins with Thanksgiving leftovers

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Spray muffin pan thoroughly with cooking spray. These muffins tend to stick, so be generous with the butter or non-stick spray.
3. Add the turkey and stuffing to a large mixing bowl.
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4. Stir the stuffing and turkey together until well combined.
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5. Crack the eggs into a separate mixing bowl.
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6. Whisk the eggs and milk together with a couple pinches of salt and pepper.
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7. Fill the wells of the prepared muffin pan, but don't pack the mixture down. You want spaces for the egg mixture to fill in. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the stuffin muffins, carefully pouring it over the top of the stuffing mixture. Don't fill the wells more than half way with egg. (If you run out of egg, whisk together one more egg with a splash of milk and a dash of salt and pepper.)
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8. Bake muffins for 20-25 minutes until golden brown on top.
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9. Cool in muffin pan for 10 minutes, then run a sharp knife all around each cup to release.
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10. Drizzle with gravy to serve.
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Tips for the best turkey and stuffing muffins

Make sure your stuffing isn't too dry. If it is really dry, the muffins won't hold together as well. If you think it's too dry, mix it up with a splash of turkey stock or chicken broth. You don't want the stuffing to be soggy though; just moist enough to stick together.

Make sure you grease the muffin tin really really well. These muffins like to stick in the pan. I butter and rubbed the stick all over the edges, sides, and bottom of the wells in the muffin pan. You could also use cooking spray or shortening to grease the wells.

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Stuffing muffin variations

These stuffing cups are so simple and classic, and they can be made from a whole lot of different holiday leftovers.

Vary the meat - You could try cubed ham or chicken, or even roast beef. Crumbled and cooked sausage would be amazing, too. Oh, and crumbed bacon? Is there any savory food that is not improved with bacon? I don't think so.

Add potatoes - I wouldn't add mashed potatoes, but you could add cubed white or sweet potatoes to the stuffing mixture. Or even frozen (and thawed) hash browns.

Add vegetables - Cubed or shredded beets or carrots, or squash, corn, or mushrooms would be delicious mixed into the muffins.

Add greens - I'm not a huge fan of cooked greens, but if you are, you could add spinach, collard greens, kale, or whatever you have.

Add cheese - A handful of shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese mixed in with the turkey and stuffing would add a delicious new flavor.

Replace the gravy with cranberry sauce - I prefer these muffins with a drizzle of turkey gravy, but if you have leftover cranberry sauce, a dollop of leftover cranberry sauce would also be really good on top of the muffins.

How to make a turkey and stuffing casserole

You can easily make these Thanksgiving leftover muffins into a Thanksgiving leftover casserole. All you have to do is take that yummy turkey and stuffing mixture in step 4 and pile it into an 8x8 casserole dish. Pour the egg mixture over top, cover with foil, and bake at 350ºF until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF (the temperature at which eggs are safely cooked). It will probably take 30-35 minutes, but watch the temperature to know for sure when it's done. Once it's reached about 150ºF, remove the foil and let the top get crispy.

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Storing leftover turkey and stuffing muffins

Storage is easy. If you store them in an airtight container, these muffins will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

However, you can also freeze them. Place the muffins on a baking sheet in the freezer for a few hours. When the muffins are frozen on the outside, transfer them to an airtight container or a plastic freezer bag. They will stay fresh for about 3 months, a little longer if you wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before putting them in the bag.

To serve frozen muffins, simply pop them in the microwave for a minute or bake in a 350ºF oven for 15 minutes or so.

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THE REST OF OUR THANKSGIVING MENU

We don't get creative with our Thanksgiving menu. We like routines. We like the comfort of the same old food.

• Roast Turkey
• Creamy Crockpot Mashed Potatoes
• Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Roasted Vegetable & Cornbread Stuffing
• Old-Fashioned Chestnut Stuffing Recipe
• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Casserole
• Traditional Green Bean Casserole
• Fluffy Cranberry Fruit Salad with Pineapple
• Homemade Orange Cranberry Sauce
• Praline Pumpkin Pecan Pie
• The Worlds' Best Pecan Pie
• Couldn't Be Easier Cherry Pie
• No Churn Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

And for the leftovers, try one of these delights:

• Turkey & Stuffing Muffins
• Turkey Enchilada Casserole
• Turkey Salad
• Turkey Quesadillas

You can read more about my easy and traditional Thanksgiving menu.

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