lEFTOVER TURKEY, CRANBERRY SAUCE, GREENS, MASHED POTATOES, AND STUFFING GET A NEW LIFE WHEN SANDwiched between two layers of buttery, crispy puff pastry. Thanksgiving leftovers hot pocket | Me & The Moose #thanksgiving #leftovers #hotpocket #turkey #stuffing #mashedpotatoes #cranberrysauce

Toss some turkey between two sheets of puff pastry for a post-Thanksgiving (or any time!) treat that gives new life to those leftovers.

Is it slightly excessive to sandwich what is arguably the best and richest meal of the year between two sheets of puff pastry? Probably. But it’s worth it!

I initially called this a pithivier, which is a French dish with either a sweet or savory filling between two sheets of puff pastry. You then egg wash and score (make light cuts on) the top pastry sheet so that a pattern emerges while the pastry puffs during baking.

I, a semi-lazy American cook, take some liberties with my dish that make it more of a giant hot pocket or savory pop tart than the delicate French version. I don’t have time to refrigerate things, so my puff pastry doesn’t puff quite as much during baking. And I can’t seem to get the right scoring depth no matter how I try. I either cut too lightly and the pattern disappears or I go too deep and it makes actual cuts in the pastry. Either way, it tastes delicious, so I figured that calling it a hot pocket took the pressure off when scoring.

One note: It is imperative that you egg wash first, then score. Otherwise the pattern doesn’t emerge.

Thanksgiving leftovers hot pocket

Time: 50 minutes, mostly hands off
Yield: 6 large servings

2 sheets of puff pastry (mine were store-bought and pretty small, about 10x12, so if yours are larger, scale up the filling accordingly)
1 cup cranberry sauce
1 cup green veggies (whatever you had on your table is great- green beans, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, etc. Just don’t use lettuce or salad greens.)
1 cup shredded turkey meat (dark and/or light)
1 cup mashed potatoes (toss in any sweet potatoes or squash here)
1 cup stuffing
1 egg
1 Tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 425.

Lay out one sheet of puff pastry on a parchment-line baking sheet.

Leaving a 1-inch border around all of the edges, spread the cranberry sauce in an even layer. Then add the greens in an even layer, maintaining that plain border.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing and mix well. Spread this mixture in an even layer over the top of the cranberry sauce and greens and smooth it out as much as possible.

Top with the second layer of puff pastry and crimp the edges with a fork.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water until well combined. Brush lightly over the top of the pastry. You will have a lot of egg leftover.

Using a sharp knife, lightly score whatever pattern you like into the top of the pastry. If you go too deep, that’s fine! It will still taste amazing. And since we didn’t add a lot of liquid to the filling, you shouldn’t have anything leaking through the cuts.

Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan in the oven to ensure even browning. Bake for 10-15 minutes more, or until the pastry is a deep, golden brown.