There’s nothing I dislike more than holiday leftovers going to waste, so I turned mine into this festive Holiday Leftovers Wreath! I used turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and cranberry sauce—just about everything I had on my Thanksgiving table, and being the cheese-lover that I am, I added mozzarella. Then I wrapped it all up in buttery crescent dough and baked it until golden brown and perfectly warmed through.
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Easy holiday leftovers wreath Recipe
I love Thanksgiving leftovers almost as much as the meal itself. Sure, everyone knows about the classic leftover turkey sandwich, but let me introduce you to a more grown-up way to repurpose leftovers with this Holiday Leftovers Wreath. Imagine all your favorite Thanksgiving flavors wrapped up in warm, flaky crescent rolls. It’s upgraded with a little mozzarella cheese because, for me, everything’s better with cheese.
Layer your favorite leftovers on the crescent rolls, shape them into a wreath, brush with an egg wash, and bake until perfectly golden. In about 20 minutes, you’ll have a fun, festive dinner that’s guaranteed to impress. It’s cozy, creative, and the best way to turn leftovers into something new and delicious.
Recipe Success Tips
- Substitute the turkey. If I don’t have any leftover turkey, I’ll use chicken or ham.
- Add other leftovers. Feel free to add any other leftovers, such as a casserole or even mac and cheese. Just make sure not to overstuff the crescent dough, or it may be difficult to wrap the dough around the filling.
- Use your favorite cheese. I LOVE cheese! I chose mozzarella, but you can add whatever you enjoy. Cheddar, feta, provolone, or Swiss would also be great.
- Egg wash options. I wanted to use an egg wash on the wreath for that extra golden shine. You can also brush it with milk or melted butter instead.
Holiday Leftovers Wreath
Cost $12.52 recipe / $2.09 serving
Ingredients
- 2 cans crescent rolls (8 oz. each, $3.96)
- 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes (200g, $0.62)
- 1 cup leftover stuffing (200g, $0.32)
- 1½ cups leftover turkey (chopped, (215g) $4.22)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese (grated, (100g) $0.83)
- ¼ cup leftover cranberry sauce (90g, $0.56)
- 1 egg (whisked, $0.16)
- 1 cup leftover gravy (8 oz. $1.85)
Instructions
- Gather and prepare all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place a large sheet tray or pizza stone into the oven while it preheats.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cutting board, then place a small bowl about 5 inches in diameter into the center of the paper.
- Roll out the crescent rolls and place the thicker ends around the bowl, overlapping the bottoms, creating a starburst shape. You may need to readjust to place them evenly.
- Once situated, remove the bowl, and press the overlapping dough to create a smooth, flat surface.
- Evenly distribute the mashed potatoes around the wide end of the crescent rolls. Follow with the stuffing, then the turkey.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the turkey. Lastly, gently spoon the cranberry sauce on top of the cheese.
- Artfully bring the pointed ends of the crescent rolls over the filling, tucking in the center to help secure. Continue until the wreath is complete.
- Using a pastry brush, egg wash the crescent rolls.
- Using oven mitts, take the hot sheet tray out of the oven and carefully place it next to the parchment paper with the wreath on it. Gently slide the parchment onto the hot sheet tray. Place it back in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Remove the tray from the oven and let the wreath cool for 5 minutes. Reheat the leftover gravy and pour it into the small bowl. Place in the middle of the wreath and enjoy!
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Equipment
- 1 Large Sheet Tray (15×12) or Pizza Stone
- 1 Pastry Brush
Nutrition
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Gather the ingredients and prep everything: Preheat the oven to 375°F and place a large cookie tray or pizza stone into the oven so it gets warm while the oven preheats. This will help the bottom of the wreath get nice and crispy.
Take a sheet of parchment paper and place it on a large cutting board. Then, take a bowl that measures about 5 inches in diameter and place it in the middle of the paper.
Lay out the crescent roll dough: Take the crescent rolls and roll them out so that the wider end is around the edge of the bowl. Overlap them to create a starburst shape.
Flatten the dough: Once you have all the dough strips placed around the bowl, remove the bowl and press down on the dough to create a smooth, flat surface.
Layer on the leftovers: Take 1 cup of leftover mashed potatoes and evenly distribute them around the circular portion of the dough. Continue layering with 1 cup of stuffing, then 1½ cups of turkey.
Add cheese: Sprinkle 1 cup of mozzarella cheese on top of the turkey.
Add the cranberry sauce: Lastly, gently spoon ¼ cup of cranberry sauce on top of the cheese.
Wrap the leftovers: Bring the pointed ends of the crescent rolls over the filling, and tuck them into the center so the filling doesn’t ooze out when it bakes.
Brush with the egg wash and bake: Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the crescent roll dough.
Using oven mitts, take the hot baking sheet tray out of the oven and carefully place it next to the parchment paper-lined cutting board with the wreath on it. Gently lift and slide the parchment onto the hot baking tray. Place it back in the oven and let it cook for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool and serve: Remove the wreath from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Reheat 1 cup of leftover gravy and pour it into the small bowl you used to create the dough circle. Place it in the middle of the wreath and dig in.
how to store leftovers
How long the wreath leftovers will last depends on how old the holiday leftovers were when you made the wreath. Thanksgiving leftovers last about 4 days, so adjust accordingly after making the wreath. It may get a little soggy because of the cranberry sauce. I recommend reheating it in an air fryer or oven to help avoid even more sogginess from the microwave.
Serving suggestions
If you’re serving this as a snack or appetizer, it’ll serve closer to 8 people. I chose a larger serving (6) to feed as a meal. To start my meal, I’d prepare a simple side salad, a green bean salad or sometimes, I’ll go for a heartier butternut squash salad. For sides, I always love serving a green bean casserole.
