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.
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.
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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 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.
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.
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