The first dish to come to mind when using Thanksgiving leftovers is to make a sandwich. But if you're like me and am tired of leftover sandwiches, switch up with these Thanksgiving hot pockets! These hot pockets are incredibly easy to make with the help of store-bought pie dough. Since the ingredients are already cooked, all you have to do is stuff the pie dough and bake. You've already slaved over the turkey, save yourself work on the leftovers!
Thanksgiving Hot Pockets
Ingredients
- one 9-inch pie dough
- ½ cup turkey chopped
- ¼ cup gravy
- 2 tablespoon cranberry sauce
- ⅓ cup stuffing optional
- 1 egg whisked with 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Defrost the pie dough until soft enough to handle. Trim the edges to create a rectangle. Cut out 4 4x8 inch rectangles. Combine the turkey with the gravy and place in the center of two of the rectangles. Place other desired fillings on top of the turkey such as cranberry sauce and stuffing. Place the other rectangle pieces on top.
- Close the seams of the hot pockets by pressing a fork around the edges. Place hot pockets on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush on the egg wash and cut slits on top of each hot pocket. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly. Serve warm.
**Helpful tips and common mistakes
For the first time in many years, I didn't prepare Thanksgiving dinner this year. However, this didn't mean that I wasn't cooking a turkey for someone else! My client requested a turkey so I roasted a turkey breast to perfection. I have to admit, I was quite proud of the results. Even though I didn't brine the turkey, the breast was moist and juicy. To prevent waste, I took all the scraps from the bird and created Thanksgiving hot pockets.
If you want to make your own dough, kudos to you! I, on the other hand, wanted to make a quick snack so I opted for already made pie dough. One 9 inch pie shell will make 2-3 hot pockets.
What filling you prefer for the hot pockets is entirely up to you. Just like many other leftover dishes, this hot pocket is very versatile. I decided to stuff mine with stuffing, turkey soaked in gravy, and cranberry sauce. Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and wild rice stuffing would all work great as well.
Fully defrost the pie dough and roll it out. You can be creative and shape the hot pockets into circles or into half-moons to create an empanada-like shape.
I stuffed my hot pockets with the fillings, but once baked, the fillings will flatten out.
To seal the edges of the hot pockets, crimp the edges. Make sure to cut slits on top to allow the steam to escape and prevent the hot pockets from bursting.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes and you will have golden-brown hot pockets. The first time I attempted to make these, I used store-bought biscuit dough; however, I was unhappy with the results. By using the pie dough, the hot pockets had a buttery, flaky exterior while remaining moist inside. I was worried the hot pocket would be too dense with the stuffing, but the stuffing "melts" away, making the turkey and cranberry sauce the star ingredients. This was a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers to create a new dish!
For more leftover holiday recipes check out this double dip leftover turkey sandwich!
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