Buzz
Leftover Thanksgiving food is ideal. However, I get that after a few days, you may start to feel a bit tired of the same meals. Instead of recreating the full Thanksgiving spread, get creative: Turn your leftovers into delicious stuffed mushrooms.
I can’t resist these bite-sized delights. The simple mushroom cap is a perfect base for any savory filling. When roasted, white button or cremini mushrooms turn into juicy pockets that are packed with umami. Normally, I’d stuff mushrooms with a sausage and cream cheese blend. But after Thanksgiving, there's a whole new opportunity to get creative. If your leftover filling includes carbs, cheese, or meat, the mushroom acts as a flavor amplifier—this is where your leftovers truly shine.
What can you stuff them with?
To be completely optimistic: just about anything. If it made it onto the Thanksgiving table, it’s fair game for chopping and stuffing into a mushroom cap. I used leftover stuffing (the name says it all), turkey, and mashed potatoes. Perfect. You could try mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, gravy, or Brussels sprouts—whether you mix them together or use a single ingredient with some cheese. Your post-Thanksgiving fridge is full of options.
How to create stuffed mushrooms with your leftovers
1. Prepare the mushroom caps
Remove the stems from medium to large button or cremini mushrooms by gently twisting and pulling them out. You can chop the stems for the filling, or save them for another recipe.
2. Coat the mushrooms with oil
Drizzle a teaspoon or so of cooking oil onto your hands and rub it over the mushroom caps to coat them. Arrange them on a plate (for easy transfer to the air fryer) or place them on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a little salt on top of the caps.
3. Prepare the stuffing
If your leftovers are already soft or in small pieces, like mac and cheese, stuffing, peas, or corn pudding, you don’t need to chop anything—just toss them into a bowl. For roasted vegetables or turkey, chop them into small chunks. Combine everything in a bowl and mix it well. You want the stuffing to hold together just a bit, which is easy to do by adding a spoonful of mashed potatoes or stuffing. If you don’t have those, an egg or cream cheese with a spoonful of breadcrumbs will work just as well.
4. Stuff the mushrooms
Spoon the filling into the mushroom caps. Press it down and pile it on top. Continue until all the caps are filled or you’ve used up the filling.
5. Cook ‘em
Air fry the mushrooms at 325°F for 10 minutes; you can also bake them in a conventional oven at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes, or until you see mushroom juices pooling at the bottoms.
Serve the stuffed mushrooms after they’ve had a few minutes to cool. These small bites packed with big umami energy will bring you a small reminder of Thanksgiving while bringing an entirely new vibe to our plate. Enjoy them as an appetizer or a full meal if you pair them with a salad and some bread.
