Thanksgiving brings family, friends, and a table full of delicious dishes. But what happens when the meal is over and the leftovers take over your fridge? Instead of reheating the same plate over and over, why not remix those flavors into something fun, convenient, and bite-sized?
Enter the Thanksgiving Leftover Muffin Tin Hack! This recipe transforms your holiday leftovers into portable snacks or mini meals, complete with a walnut crumble topping for added crunch and flavor. Whether you’re looking for a creative way to enjoy leftovers or planning ahead for post-Thanksgiving meals, this idea is all about flavor, efficiency, and reducing food waste.
Why You’ll Love This Hack
- Creative Use of Leftovers: Layer turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggies, or even mac and cheese into wonton wrappers to create perfectly portioned bites.
- Crunchy Walnut Topping: Walnuts are the star here, adding texture, flavor, and a nutritious boost. Toss them with honey, fresh herbs, and seasonings for the perfect topping.
- Easy and Customizable: Mix and match fillings based on what you have in the fridge. Add cranberry sauce for a sweet touch, or drizzle with gravy for extra indulgence.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: These little bites can be baked ahead of time for quick snacks or lunches during the post-Thanksgiving bustle.
How to Make It
When Thanksgiving rolls around, or any time you’re craving a fresh way to repurpose leftovers, this recipe is your go-to solution.
Ingredients:
- 12 wonton wrappers
- Cooking oil or spray
- Thanksgiving leftovers (mashed potatoes, green beans, turkey, cranberry sauce, etc.)
- 1 cup California walnuts, chopped
- ¼ C Honey
- ¼ tsp Sea salt
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- 1 Tbsp Rosemary, chopped
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking oil or spray. Place the wonton wrappers into the prepared muffin cups.
- Make the walnut crumb topping: Add the chopped walnuts, honey, sea salt, black pepper, and chopped rosemary to a small bowl and stir until well combined.
- Next make the leftover cups. Start by adding a bit of mashed potatoes, then green beans, then turkey, and then a spoonful of cranberry sauce.
- Top each cup with a bit of the walnut crumb topping.
- Bake the cups at 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Pro Tip: Get Creative!
This recipe is super customizable. Use leftover pie dough if you don’t have wonton wrappers, swap out mashed potatoes for mac and cheese, mix in some gravy, or try sweet potato casserole for a sweeter take. Whatever your flavor combo, walnuts add a versatile crunch to elevate the dish!
Now you’re ready to turn those leftovers into a new family favorite. Grab your muffin tin and get creative—because Thanksgiving leftovers never tasted this good!
