Leftover Stuffing Cakes (2024)

You know your family takes Thanksgiving seriously when you have a detailed meal plan in place for the leftovers. Let’s start with breakfast: Leftover Stuffing Cakes.

Stuffing cakes are one of the best recipes for leftover Thanksgiving stuffing.

They feel particularly appropriate for Thanksgiving leftovers because, like the Thanksgiving meal itself, the sum of the recipe is greater than its parts. (Here are my favorite Thanksgiving side recipes.)

Individually, the components themselves are pleasant enough—savory, herby stuffing; gooey cheese; an all-purpose fried egg—but together, they form something far more meaningful.

Moist and cheesy on the inside, delightfully crispy on the outside, and topped with a runny egg that forms a decadent “sauce” that, once unleashed, soaksthrough the golden crust of each stuffing cake is pure Thanksgiving leftover BLISS.(This Turkey Salad is another scrumptious Thanksgiving leftovers recipe.)

The stuffing cakes (or my Stuffing Muffins) are fabulous topped with the egg alone, but I imagine they would be especially marvelous stackedwith a few strips of bacon, sautéed spinach, or a smother of leftover gravy for a Thanksgiving twist on sausage and biscuits.

For a Thanksgiving-style egg Benedict, trythe stuffing cakes with hollandaise sauce.

How to Make Leftover Stuffing Cakes

The flavor of these leftover stuffing cakes will change depending upon the particular stuffing recipe your family makes (and thus has leftover), but I can’t imagine a combination that wouldn’t be phenomenally transformed into a crispy breakfast stuffing cake with an egg on top.

The Ingredients

• Leftover Stuffing. Whether you make a Chestnut Stuffing, Cornbread Stuffing, or even (gasp!) a boxed stuffing mix, you’ll love the leftovers just as much (dare I say more?)in cheesy, savory breakfast form.
• Beaten Egg. Binds everything together so the stuffing cakes hold their shape while frying.
• Mozzarella. Shredded mozzarella (or any cheese you have on hand) adds an ooey-gooey, cheesy factor to these savory little cakes.
• Fried Eggs. I like to top stuffing cakes with a fried egg (runny yolk included) but you could try topping the eggs with poached or scrambled eggs too.
• Toppings. Crisp bacon, sausage patties, leftover turkey, Grilled Portobello Mushrooms, sauteed greens, or fresh herbs are all delicious topping ideas for these leftover stuffing cakes. You’re only limited by your imagination!

The Directions

1. Combine the stuffing, egg, and cheese together in a bowl until evenly moist.

2. Shape into patties.

3. Fry in a skillet with olive oil until crisp on one side.

4. Flip, and cook until golden on the other side.

5. Remove to a plate, then fry eggs (if desired), andtop the stuffing cakes choice of toppings and cooked eggs. ENJOY!

Storage Tips

• To Store. Leftover stuffing cakes may be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• To Freeze. Freeze stuffing cakes in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and the crisp back up in a skillet until heated through.

Tools Used to Make This Recipe

• Cast-Iron Skillet.This one here is a bargain buy.
• Fish Spatula. Don’t let the name fool you—this is the besttool for flipping and lifting fried eggs.
• Nested Mixing Bowls. A set of mixing bowls like this ensures you have the right sized bowl for any job in the kitchen.

More Hearty Breakfast Recipes

• Vegetarian Breakfast Casserole
• Crockpot Egg Casserole
• Overnight French Toast
• Ham Sweet Potato Frittata