These delectable turkey balls are the perfect dish for repurposing leftover Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter meals. They’re made with a combination of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and shredded turkey that’s formed into balls, which can be baked or fried to achieve the perfect texture.
Though the name can be a bit confusing because of the mixture of ingredients, some refer to them as Thanksgiving Balls or Turkey Meatballs. Nevertheless, no matter what you call them, they are a mouthwatering treat that will quickly become a favorite dish any time of the year.
No binding ingredient, such as an egg, is necessary for preparing these balls. Simply mix equal parts mashed potatoes and stuffing and add in as much shredded turkey as you desire. Season with black pepper, but no more since everything is already seasoned.
For the perfect texture, shape the mixture into balls and bake for 10-12 minutes, which firms up the exterior while keeping the inside light and fluffy. Top with gravy and cranberry for a delectable taste.
If you prefer fried balls, coat them in seasoned panko and fry them in butter or olive oil to achieve a warm, crispy texture. The browned bits give the turkey balls an irresistible flavor.
These balls are perfect for potlucks, Friendsgiving, or any event. You can either make your own gravy or use store-bought and add fresh herbs like sage, tarragon, thyme, or rosemary.
For preparing the balls, let the ingredients warm up to room temperature, heat up the mashed potatoes and stuffing, add a little more butter if needed, and re-moisten the stuffing with broth or water. To make the balls more delicious, crust them in panko and fry them up.
Besides making turkey stuffing balls, other ways to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers include making mashed potato pie, a leftover loaded mashed potato skillet or Irish Colcannon with leftover mashed potatoes. You can also put stuffing in a waffle maker to create stuffing waffles or wrap stuffing in bacon to make stuffing bombs.
To make the turkey stuffing balls, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Warm up the potatoes and stuffing to make them more manageable. In a large bowl, mix potatoes, stuffing, and turkey, season with black pepper, and form into balls. Place the balls on the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.
In summary, the recipe for leftover turkey stuffing balls is an excellent way to reuse Thanksgiving leftovers. They’re simple to prepare and guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.
Leftover Turkey Stuffing Balls
Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed potatoes
- 3 cups stuffing
- 1 1/2 cups shredded turkey
- Gravy
- Optional: Black pepper
- Panko
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and lightly spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
- Warm up your mashed potatoes and stuffing so they’re easy to handle.
- In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, stuffing, and turkey, and add black pepper if desired.
- Form the mixture into balls, pressing down firmly, and place them on the baking sheet.
- Bake the balls for 10-12 minutes, until firm on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside.
- Plate the balls and coat them with hot gravy.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutritional information is hard to estimate since everyone makes their stuffing and potatoes differently.
For an extra tasty twist, try encrusting the balls in seasoned panko and frying them up in a bit of butter and grapeseed oil. Just form the balls at room temperature or warm them up slightly, press panko on, and chill them slightly if they’re too soft before frying.
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