Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (2024)

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Wondering what to do with leftover stuffing or what to do with leftover turkey? I'm very excited to share these Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls with you! Everything you love about Thanksgiving in one bite! Well, except for the dessert, but you certainly can have that after you devour these, if you have room, lol!

Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (1)

I really have no idea what to call these. Thanksgiving Balls? Stuffing Balls? I mean, sure you can make these when looking for Thanksgiving recipes for leftovers, or with leftovers from Christmas or Easter. Anytime you have leftover turkey really (with the fixin's).

We could call them Leftover Turkey Balls, however, they have stuffing in them so I thought do I add that into the title. All you need really need to know is that these Turkey Balls are a trifecta of deliciousness! These hit all the holiday food notes! Bite after bite!

You'll be grabbing a turkey breast occasionally throughout the year just to make these! I've made these balls using boneless turkey breast from my farmers market, and then making gravy with turkey wings I buy there as well. I have also made them from my smoked turkey and smoked gravy recipe leftovers and OMG next level!

Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (2)

Table of Contents

To sum up these Leftover Turkey Balls, make them, make them, make them!!

If you do Friendsgiving or any sort of Thanksgiving potluck, these would absolutely be a hit!

You can use store-bought gravy BUT If you make a killer gravy with fresh herbs like sage, tarragon, thyme, and Rosemary, I say make your own.

TIP - If you make gravy and love it, always freeze the leftovers when completely cooled. (I freeze mine in quart mason jars, leaving headspace)

Just combine equal parts mashed potatoes and stuffing and then add in as much or as little shredded turkey as you like. Feel free to season the mixture with black pepper. Other than that everything was already seasoned, so no need for more.

Ingredients

  • leftover turkey
  • stuffing
  • mashed potatoes
  • panko
  • gravy
  • butter/oil (or you can bake)
Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (3)

Instructions

  • This recipe couldn't be simpler when leftovers are around yet its one of those memorable foods that will have you making the mashed potatoes, stuffing and turkey JUST so you can make it again!
  • All you need to do is to combine equal parts mashed potatoes and stuffing and then add in shredded turkey meat.
  • Form the mixture into balls like making a meatball and bake them for 15 minutes just to firm up the exterior a bit. The inside is light and fluffy as a cloud. If your ingredients are cold you may need to bake longer.
  • Next, smother them in gravy and add a dollop of cranberry if you like and dig in!
  • OR even better in my opinion and the way I now make these. Form them into balls, roll in seasoned panko, pressing to get the panko to adhere and fry them up in a bit of butter/olive oil just to warm them through. The brown bits make these turkey balls even better!
Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (4)

Tips

  • Allow ingredients to come up to room temperature, makes these easier to form into balls.
  • Or heat the mashed potatoes up a bit, adding a bit more butter if necessary.
  • Same goes for stuffing, you can heat it up just a bit in the microwave, adding in a bit of broth if necessary (or water) to remoisten.
  • Crusting the leftover turkey balls in panko and frying them up a bit does make a delicious difference! The gastropub where I first had these, rolls them in Panko and then deep-fries them. Stunning!
  • If you need a homemade gravy without the drippings this is a good one.

What can I make with leftover mashed potatoes?

Besides making these Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls, You can make my "famous" Mashed Potato Pie, or my leftover Loaded Mashed Potato Skillet. My friend Caroline makes Irish Colcannon with leftover mashed potatoes.

What can I make with leftover stuffing?

Besides making these Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Stuffing Balls, I love placing stuffing in my waffle maker to make stuffing waffles and then top those with all sorts of stuff. I have even wrapped stuffing in bacon and made Stuffing Bombs. Yummo!

Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (5)

Let me know if you make the Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls OR if you come up with a better name for them. Maybe Gobble Balls?? Because, well turkey and you'll gobble them up...Haha!!

Enjoy!

More recipes for leftovers

  • The BEST Leftover Mashed Potato Recipe - Loaded Mashed Potato Skillet
  • Pulled Pork Stuffed Avocados
  • Mashed Potato Pie

Recipe originally published in November 2019, updated October, 2023 with tips & more.

Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (10)

Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls

Colleen Kennedy

What to do with leftovers?? Here is an amazing way to repurpose turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy! These gastro-pub style Turkey Stuffing Balls are SO good you will end up making them on purpose!

4.91 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 3 cups mashed potatoes
  • 3 cups stuffing
  • 1 ½ cups shredded turkey
  • Gravy
  • Optional: Black pepper
  • Panko (see notes)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a baking sheet lightly with cooking spray.

  • Warm-up your potatoes and stuffing so that they are easy to handle.

  • In a large bowl, combine potatoes, stuffing and turkey and season with black pepper if you like. (There should already be enough salt in the ingredients)

  • Form into balls, pressing down firmly as you would when making a snowball.

  • Place balls onto the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

  • Plate and coat with hot gravy.

  • Dig in!

  • See notes for the addition of panko and frying these balls up.

Notes

No real measurements are needed, simply combine equal parts mashed potatoes and stuffing and then add half the amount of shredded turkey.

As far as nutritional info goes, I really have no idea since everyone makes their stuffing and potatoes differently, its just an estimate.

Over the years as I make these, I now encrust the balls in seasoned panko and fry them up in a bit of butter and grapeseed oil in a nonstick pan. Just start with the ingredients at room temperature (or warm them up a bit) and form into balls and press panko on.

Then when ready to enjoy fry them up in a bit of butter/oil, as you would a crab cake and enjoy. If they are super soft, chill just a bit before frying.

Nutrition

Serving: 2gCalories: 448kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 19gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 29mgSodium: 1252mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g

Keyword Leftover turkey recip, Thanksgiving Balls, Turkey Balls

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Sue Ringsdorf says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (15)
    These meatballs are pretty AMAZING! I love how you can simply bake them in the oven using whatever you have. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, Colleen!

    Reply

  2. Laura says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (16)
    That board is beautiful. And I'm saving this recipe for all my Thanksgiving leftovers.

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      They really do great work!

      Reply

  3. Anne Lawton says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (17)
    Thanksgiving in a little ball of stuffing. I wouldn't wait for leftovers to make these!

    Reply

  4. Eileen Kelly says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (18)
    I love everything about this recipe. Such a great way to use leftovers and make an amazing dinner.

    Reply

  5. Carlos at Spoonabilities says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (19)
    Loving this recipe! This is like a heavenly bite of Thanksgiving at once. This is the kind of recipe I love because it's using leftover ingredients the day after thanksgiving. The appearance looks like Swedish meatballs!

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      Thanks! They are true comfort!

      Reply

  6. Terri says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (20)
    I am not only drooling over those turkey balls, I'm drooling over that gorgeous cutting board! I also have a thing for cutting boards 🙂

    Reply

  7. Ariella says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (21)
    What a great idea for re-purposing leftovers. Like how the measurements are flexible.

    Reply

  8. Caroline says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (22)
    What a great way to use up leftovers, including the mashed potatoes - so easy too!

    Reply

  9. Stephanie says

    Do you think you could freeze these?

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      I have not tried it however I can't see why not. Just freeze the gravy separate.

      Reply

  10. Ashlyn says

    Oh My Gosh!!!!!!!
    I realize this is from 2yrs ago, just hoping for a reply!!!
    Has anyone frozen these?
    (w/o gravy)?
    If so, what temp & how long?
    I'm the only one who would eat this,
    (I KNOW!!!) Therefore, don't want to make a little bit, nor a lot and they'd go to waste.

    Thank you SO MUCH, Colleen ❣

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      You can totally freeze these! Freeze balls on a plate or cookie sheet first for a couple of hours, and then package. Freeze gravy separately. Enjoy! I can't wait for November to make these again, everyone here is obsessed with them lol!

      Reply

  11. Ann says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (23)
    I made these the day after Thanksgiving. OMGOODNESS. They are the BOMB! I fried mine. Loved the crunchy crust. The inside was moist. I’m making these for Christmas dinner. My mouth is already watering, with delight. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      Woot!!Love hearing that Ann!

      Reply

  12. Lori says

    I was wondering if adding some dried cranberries would taste good. Or even maybe making a cranberry sauce Gravy? Anyone have any thoughts. I will be cooking my turkey in the next couple of weeks. It's just me and my husband so we will have lots of leftover turkey and would love to make these and freeze for future meals.

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      Dried cranberries would be tasty if you enjoy a pop of sweet. The balls are soft, so you would def have the texture of them apparent. If I were to make and freeze, I would assemble the balls and once thawed THEN roll in Panko and fry up. Cranberry sauce on the side is delish or a cranberry sauce gravy as you mentioned. Enjoy!

      Reply

  13. Patti says

    Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (24)
    Very good and easy to put together. I did mine in the air fryer. I did coat them in panko, sprayed them with a bit of avocado oil and preheated my air fryer to 380. I cooked the balls for 6 minutes then turned them over, sprayed again and color them for 6 additional minutes. They turned out great! I also ended up freezing extra uncooked balls for later.

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      Glad they worked in the air fryer! Thanks for your comment on your technique Patti!!

      Reply

  14. Marina says

    My Mom made these 40 years ago! She called them turkey balls. If she didn't have enough gravy she made a white sauce to hold them together. Then deep fried them. We loved them!!

    Reply

    • Colleen says

      Love that!!

      Reply

Insanely Good Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls (2024)

FAQs

Is it better to stuff the turkey or make the stuffing on the side? ›

Should I stuff my turkey? Stuffing cooked inside the turkey cavities is delicious, but it does slow down the cooking time and could be a potential health hazard if done incorrectly. For perfect no-worry results, opt for "dressing" instead – stuffing cooked alongside the bird instead of inside.

How to reheat stuffing balls? ›

How do I reheat these Stuffing Balls? From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot. From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.

What's the best thing to stuff a turkey with? ›

Alliums: Add quartered onions, shallots, leeks, or garlic cloves for a delicious, earthy aroma. Fruits: Insert quarters of apple, lemon, orange, lime, or even grapefruit to add moisture and brightness to the turkey. You can even go with dried fruit, like cranberries, to double down on the autumn vibes.

What animal does stuffing come from? ›

Some types of stuffing contain sausage meat, or forcemeat, while vegetarian stuffings sometimes contain tofu. Roast pork is often accompanied by sage and onion stuffing in England; roast poultry in a Christmas dinner may be stuffed with sweet chestnuts. Oysters are used in one traditional stuffing for Thanksgiving.

What is stuffing called when it's not in a turkey? ›

Some people insist that it should be called dressing when it hasn't actually been stuffed inside a bird. But many people insist on one term or the other regardless of how it's prepared or what's in it. The term dressing is most commonly used in the South, but it's popular in pockets throughout the US.

Does stuffing have to cool before putting in turkey? ›

Stuffing a turkey

The stuffing must be cool before use to prevent bacteria from developing. Spoon stuffing into neck. Don't pack in too tight as it will expand. Secure with a poultry skewer, tie legs together at the top of the drumstick.

Can you eat the stuffing from inside a turkey? ›

Bacteria can survive in stuffing that has not reached 165 degrees that could then cause food poisoning. After removing the bird from the oven, wait for 20 minutes before taking the stuffing out of the turkey's cavity; it will cook a little more this way.

What happens if you don't stuff a turkey? ›

One advantage of not stuffing the turkey and baking the stuffing separately is the turkey will take less time to get fully cooked. A 12 to 14 pound stuffed turkey will take 3.5 to 4 hours to bake while an unstuffed bird will take 3 to 3.75 hours at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can you reheat stuffing balls next day? ›

The chipolatas, bacon rolls, stuffing balls can all be pre-cooked before the meal and placed onto a single tray for reheating later. If you want to cook the potatoes off before and then reheat them later that will be fine.

Can you freeze stuffing balls once cooked? ›

Like we said, you can also freeze stuffing after it's baked. This option is better for freezing leftovers rather than prepping ahead. If you happened to make too much stuffing, you can portion the leftovers into food storage containers and pop in the freezer to enjoy during the days to come.

Can you freeze stuffing balls after cooking? ›

Yes, you can freeze stuffing balls for up to three months. Arrange them an inch or two apart on a baking sheet, cover, and flash freeze for a few hours or up to overnight. When they're frozen, transfer them to a zip-top freezer bag or another freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

What adds flavor to turkey? ›

Never pass up the opportunity to add flavor to turkey by stuffing the cavity with a simple aromatics mix. Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage along with a half lemon go a long way to add flavor, and stuffing it into the bird takes almost no time at all.

Why put an onion in a turkey? ›

Onion, celery and carrot: These chopped vegetables are placed inside the cavity. These help to add flavor and also keep the turkey moist as they steam. Other vegetables you can use are squashes or peppers.

Is it better to cook a turkey at 325 or 350? ›

Oven-Roasted Turkey

We recommend starting the turkey in a 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes before tenting the pan with foil and lowering the temperature to 350 degrees until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the bird.

What is traditional stuffing made of? ›

Classic stuffing made with bread cubes, seasonings, and held together with chicken stock and eggs. A holiday staple!

What is Pepperidge Farm stuffing made of? ›

MADE FROM: ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, SALT, SUGAR, YEAST, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: VEGETABLE OILS (CANOLA AND/OR SUNFLOWER AND/OR PALM), MOLASSES, SPICES, CELERY, ONION POWDER, CALCIUM PROPIONATE TO EXTEND FRESHNESS, MALTED BARLEY ...

What are sauerkraut balls made of? ›

These little nuggets are made of sausage, sauerkraut, onion, and seasonings. They get rolled up, coated in breadcrumbs, and then they're typically deep fried.

What is seafood stuffing made of? ›

A versatile stuffing mix made with toasted bread, sauteed onion and sweet bell pepper, tossed with crab and shrimp, and versatile enough for use in many different recipes.

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