Everything you love about thanksgiving dinner, all wrapped up in flaky empanada dough for a fun twist on leftovers. Dip these thanksgiving leftover empanadas in gravy for an extra kick of festive flavor.
This post is sponsored by Foster Farms.
Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas are your answer to leftovers! When it comes to thanksgiving leftovers, you can only make so many sandwiches before you get a little tired of them. I love to try different ways to use up thanksgiving leftovers, like my Turkey Pot Pie and these delicious Thanksgiving Leftovers Empanadas.
The best part of this recipe is the flexibility. Whatever your thanksgiving leftovers look like, you can adapt this recipe to use what you have.
What You Need To Make Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas
- Turkey
- Mashed Potatoes
- Peas
- Gravy
- Cranberry Sauce
- Empanada Dough – my recommended empanada dough is this one.
- Egg
- Parsley
How to Make Leftover Empanadas
- Begin by preheating the oven to 375° while you prepare the empanada filling.
- Combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl and mix well to fully combine everything. You want the mixture to hold together easily, without crumbling or falling apart.
- Next, lay out defrosted empanada dough rounds with their plastic liners still attached. Keeping the liner attached ensures they don’t stick together and makes them easier to work with.
- Working with one dough round at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling onto one side of the dough round, avoiding the rim.
- Fold the dough over and pinch the seams together to seal the empanada.
- To create the crimped edge, pinch the dough together while slightly pulling away from the empanada, creating a small tab of dough. Take the dough tab and fold it over itself, creating a crimp. Repeat this process all the way around the empanada until the entire thing is crimped. For an easier crimp, use the tines of a fork to press down on the dough edge, creating a seal.
- Once all of the empanadas have been filled, make your egg wash by adding a splash of water to the scrambled egg. Then, using a pastry brush or your finger, coat the outside of the dough in egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with salt and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then raise the heat to 450° and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve with warmed gravy for dipping.
Questions About the Empanadas
Can these thanksgiving leftover empanadas be made with a different meat, or without meat all together?
Absolutely! To make these empanadas vegetarian, omit the turkey & add stuffing or more mashed potatoes instead. You’ll also want to swap the gravy for a vegetarian gravy. If you wanted to change the meat, just sub any other protein for the turkey!
Can the empanadas be frozen if I make extra?
Empanadas freeze really well. Once they are assembled, flash freeze them for 1 hour, then transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Bake from frozen and add a few extra minutes to the cook time.
Thanksgiving Leftover Empanadas
Everything you love about thanksgiving dinner, all wrapped up in flaky empanada dough for a fun twist on leftovers. Dip these thanksgiving leftover empanadas in gravy for an extra kick of festive flavor.
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Servings: 16 empanadas
Calories: 135kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded Turkey
- 1 cup Mashed Potatoes
- ½ cup Peas
- ¼ cup Gravy plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons Cranberry Sauce
- Kosher Salt
- Black Pepper
- 1 package Prepared Empanada Dough
- 1 Egg scrambled
- ¼ cup chopped Fresh Parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°.
- In a medium bowl, combine turkey, mashed potatoes, peas, gravy, and cranberry sauce. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Lay out your defrosted empanada dough on a clean surface, with the plastic liner still attached to the bottom (this will make it easier to fold later on and prevents them from sticking to anything).
- Drop a heaping tablespoon of the filling on one half of the dough round, avoiding the edge. To close the empanada, fold the dough in half, closing the circle, and pinch the edges together. To create the crimped edge, pinch the dough together while slightly pulling away from the empanada, creating a small tab of dough. Take the dough tab and fold it over itself, creating a crimp. Repeat this process all the way around the empanada until the entire thing is crimped. For an easier crimp, use the tines of a fork to press down on the dough edge, creating a seal.
- Once all of the empanadas have been filled, make your egg wash by adding a splash of water to the scrambled egg. Then, using a pastry brush or your finger, coat the outside of the dough in egg wash. Sprinkle the tops with salt and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then raise the heat to 450° and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
- Serve with warmed gravy for dipping.
Nutrition
Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 146IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 1mg
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