Thanksgiving leftovers are perfect. That said, I’m aware that after a couple of days, you might grow weary of them. So instead of setting up a plate that imitates Thanksgiving, have a little fun: Use your leftover Thanksgiving dinner to make stuffed mushrooms.
I’m a sucker for these snackable morsels. The humble de-stemmed mushroom cap is the perfect shallow vessel to hold anything savory. When roasted, white button or cremini mushrooms become juicy containers, bursting with concentrated umami. On a regular day, I’ll pack mushrooms with a sausage and cream cheese mixture. But the days after Thanksgiving present an unusually delicious opportunity. If the filling is anything related to carbs, cheese, or meat, the mushroom base seems to magnify those flavors—and this is exactly where the outcast scraps of your leftovers will shine.
At the risk of sounding too optimistic: anything. Anything that made it to the Thanksgiving table is eligible to get chopped up and smooshed into a mushroom cap. I used leftover stuffing (the name says it’ll work), chopped turkey, and mashed potatoes. Superb. You could use mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, gravy, or Brussels sprouts—a combination of unlikely partners, or a single item with a bit of cheese. The post-Thanksgiving fridge is your oyster.
Pop out the stems of medium to large button or cremini mushrooms, you can do this easily by wiggling the stem. Chop up the stems for the filling, or save them for another use.
Dribble a teaspoon or so of cooking oil into your palms and rub the caps to coat the outsides in oil. Line them up on a plate (to transfer to the air fryer), or on a foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the caps with salt.
If you’re using leftovers that are already mushy or in small bits, like mac and cheese, stuffing, peas, or corn pudding, there’s no need to chop it—just add it to a bowl. If you have roasted veggies or turkey you want to use, then chop it up into small pieces. Combine the components in a bowl and mix them thoroughly. You want the filling to hold together at least a little. This is easy if you add a spoonful of stuffing or mashed potatoes to the mix. If you don’t have those, you can add an egg or cream cheese and a spoonful of bread crumbs.
Scoop spoonfuls of the mixture into the mushroom caps. Pack it down and heap it on top. Repeat with all of the filling or until you’ve filled all the caps.
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.
