Thanksgiving Appetizers -- The Week the Leftovers Became Something More

Week after Thanksgiving. Ordinary time again. I am back in my apartment with four containers of leftovers from Gloria, which is the best part of Thanksgiving by this metric. Turkey and dressing reheated with a little extra broth is one of those things that is better the second day. The flavors settle into each other overnight.

I have my final exam and final paper for Calhoun this week. I submitted the paper Monday, the one on attachment in children with early instability. It is the best writing I have done in a long time, maybe ever, because I was writing about something I understood from both directions, from having been the child and from caring for children now. Dr. Watkins emailed me back within a day and said this is exceptional work and I want to talk to you after the final. I sat with that email for a while before I replied.

In the kitchen this week I made turkey soup from the Thanksgiving carcass that Gloria sent home with me. You simmer the carcass for hours with aromatics, then strain and use the resulting broth as the soup base with vegetables and whatever turkey meat you pick off the bones. It tastes like Thanksgiving distilled into liquid form, deeply savory and comforting. I ate it for four days and was not tired of it.

Final exam Thursday. I felt prepared in a way I have not felt prepared for things in a long time. Prepared as in: I know this, I have done the work, and the work was the right kind. We will see Thursday evening how the test agrees with my confidence. I am trying to trust my own assessment.

The turkey soup carried me through the week—four days of it, and I wasn’t tired of it once—but what surprised me was how easy it was to keep pulling from those same Thanksgiving flavors in smaller, simpler ways. These appetizers came together the same way the soup did: starting with what Gloria sent home, working with what was already there, not overcomplicating it. After a week of doing hard things and trusting myself to know what I know, it felt right to cook the same way.

Thanksgiving Appetizers

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked turkey, shredded or finely chopped
• 1 cup leftover stuffing or dressing
• 1/2 cup leftover mashed potatoes
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 package (15 count) mini phyllo shells, or 15 small crackers
• 2 tablespoons turkey gravy, warmed (optional, for drizzling)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven. Heat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange phyllo shells or crackers in a single layer.
2. Make the turkey filling. In a medium bowl, combine shredded turkey, cream cheese, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and parsley. Stir until well combined and creamy.
3. Prepare stuffing bites. Scoop leftover stuffing into roughly 1-inch balls using your hands or a small cookie scoop. Place them on one side of the prepared baking sheet. Press lightly to flatten into small rounds.
4. Fill the shells. Spoon or pipe the turkey mixture into each phyllo shell, filling just above the rim. Place filled shells on the baking sheet alongside the stuffing rounds.
5. Add cranberry topping. Top each filled shell with 2–3 dried cranberries. Dot the mashed potatoes over the stuffing rounds and press lightly.
6. Bake. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the phyllo edges are golden and the stuffing rounds are heated through and lightly crisp on the outside.
7. Finish and serve. Remove from oven and let rest 2 minutes. Drizzle lightly with warm gravy if desired. Arrange on a platter and serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 185 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 16g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 310mg