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.
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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.
5 Star Review
“These were so delicious! I’ll be making these every year after Thanksgiving from now on!”
— Becky —
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, soaks through 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 stacked with 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, try the 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
- Combine the stuffing, egg, and cheese together in a bowl until evenly moist.
- Shape into patties.
- Fry in a skillet with olive oil until crisp on one side.
- Flip, and cook until golden on the other side.
- Remove to a plate, then fry eggs (if desired), and top 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 best tool 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While stuffing recipes like this Crockpot Wild Rice Stuffing are delicious, they don’t lend themselves well to stuffing cakes since they will not fry and hold their shape as well as traditional bread-based stuffing.
Probably. I have not tried making stuffing cakes using a stuffing made with gluten free bread but I imagine it would work. If you try it, please let me know your results.
Topping stuffing cakes with fried egg is totally optional. Beaten eggs, on the other hand, are necessary for mixing together with the leftover stuffing so the cakes hold their shape. An alternative binding ingredient you could try experimenting with, however, is a flax egg.
Leftover Stuffing Cakes
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Ingredients
For the Stuffing Cakes
- 2 cups leftover stuffing
- 1 large egg lightly beaten
- ½ cup freshly grated mozzarella, cheddar, or similar melty cheese
To Cook and Serve
- 2 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 5 large eggs
- Salt and pepper
- Optional toppings: cooked bacon; Canadian bacon or ham; leftover gravy; hollandaise sauce; sautéed spinach or mushrooms; chopped fresh herbs such as thyme, rosemary, parsley, or chives
Instructions
- Place the stuffing in a large bowl, gently breaking up any large clumps. Add the egg and stir to combine, making sure that all of the stuffing is evenly moistened. Stir in the cheese.
- Portion 1/3 cup of the stuffing mixture into your hands and shape into a patty that is about 3 inches wide and 1/2-inch thick. Repeat for the remaining mixture. You will have about 5 patties total.
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Gently fry the cakes on each side until the patties are lightly crisp on the outside and warmed through, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Transfer the cakes to a paper towel-lined plate and cover with foil to keep warm while you prepare the eggs.
- With a paper towel, lightly and carefully wipe the skillet clean, then heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil in the skillet. Fry the eggs until the yolk is nearly set, about 2 minutes per egg. Top the cakes with any desired add-ons (bacon, sautéed spinach, gravy, etc.), a fried egg, salt, and pepper. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- 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.
