In almost no time at all, you can transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into an appetizer that will vanish before Black Friday! Fried Thanksgiving Leftover Balls pack in your favorite flavors from the holidays, from moist turkey to tender stuffing, to fluffy mashed potatoes, all in one single melty bite. Fried to crisp perfection, these golden-brown delights are hot and hearty in a way that no other leftovers can beat! Fried Thanksgiving Leftover Balls can easily become a new tradition to enjoy after your Thanksgiving meal, for both you and your guests!
Ingredients
- 2 cups stuffing, broken up
- 3/4 cup turkey, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
- 4 cups mashed potatoes, cold
- 1 cup flour
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cups panko crumbs
- 2 cups oil, neutral-flavored, plus more if needed
- 1 1/2 cups gravy, optional, for dipping
Directions
Step 1 –Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Step 2 –In a large bowl, mix the stuffing, turkey, parmesan, and parsley until well blended.
Step 3 –Form a 1 1/2-inch ball from this mixture and place it on the lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
Step 4 –Transfer the baking sheet with the balls to the freezer. Let the balls sit in the freezer, until firm, for about 30 minutes and then remove.
Step 5 –Take one of the balls and coat it completely in about 4 tablespoons of mashed potatoes.
Step 6 –Then gently coat the mashed potato-covered turkey ball in flour.
Step 7 –Dip the floured ball into the beaten egg, rolling it around until it is completely coated.
Step 8 –Dip the egg-coated ball in the panko breadcrumbs until completely coated.
Step 9 –Place the breadcrumb-covered ball back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
Step 10 –Repeat this process until all the balls are similarly coated in mashed potatoes, flour, egg, and breadcrumbs. You can set up an assembly line with stations for the ingredients to make this process more efficient.
Step 11 –In a medium-sized pan on the stove-top, heat the oil to 375 degrees F. You want enough oil to make sure the balls are completely submerged during the cooking process, so add more if it doesn’t look like the balls will be covered.
Step 12 –Place the second lined baking sheet within easy reach of the cooking oil. Once the oil is heated to 375 degrees F, carefully drop 2-3 balls at a time into the oil and fry until the balls are golden brown and crisp, for about 3-4 minutes. You’ll want to work in batches to avoid crowding them during cooking, as adding too many balls in at a time will cool the oil down, which could disrupt the cooking.
Step 13 –Once a ball has finished cooking, remove it from the oil with a slotted spoon and place it on the second lined baking sheet.
Step 14 –Continue this process until all of the balls are cooked.
Step 15 –Serve immediately with gravy!