leftover stuffing stuffed “meatballs” and gravy

Getting creative with leftovers is half the fun of post-Thanksgiving grub.

The holiday blues are certainly hitting me now. Thanksgiving is absolutely my favorite of the fall and winter hubbub, and now that it’s done and Christmas is whizzing into the radar like some sort of rabid hornet, I feel a little overwhelmed.

As I get older, I experience a harder time capturing the whimsy that was so potent in December. I spoke to my therapist to this effect, and we came up with a bit of a plan…including a full embrace of my recipe development with a huge emphasis on feel-good and fun. And, in some ways, banking these seasonal dishes until next year when a new Thanksgiving menu comes to light.

These Leftover Stuffing Stuffed “Meatballs” and Gravy were so fun to make, even more exciting to eat, and utilize some Thanksgiving leftovers that remain tucked in my fridge awaiting a face lift. Does not matter what kind of stuffing you’ve got, these meatballs are the perfect delivery driver. Slather them in an extra spoonful or five of my herby white wine gravy, and hello…Cooking can certainly be fun again even if you’re a touch burned out after the big turkey.

Whimsy is the name, and dinner is our game, so let’s get groovin’, pals.

Meat, Meet No Meat

I’ll have you know that I had a helluva hard time writing that heading out. I kept using the wrong meet/meat and resisted temptation to chuck my computer out the window.

Anyway. I’ve held onto my base chickpea meatball recipe for years and it barely changes aside from seasonings here and there. These are based off my Sage Parmesan balls from a few years ago. Still one of my favorite renditions.

In a food processor, blitz together chickpeas, walnuts (or another nut. Pecans and almonds work well in my experience, and if you have a nut allergy, use half the amount listed of sunflower seeds or pepitas), plain breadcrumbs, an egg, onion, garlic, sage, and parmesan. Of course, too, a pinch of salt and pepper.

A small tip: if your food processor is small or stubborn, pulse the onion by itself into small bits first before adding the rest of the ingredients. I’ve found in the past that the onion is the most difficult to mix in, and you don’t want to blitz your chickpea blend too much else it’ll become damp as fuck to work with.

Whiz the mix up until a coarse but cohesive dough forms. It should boast visible chunks but nothing so massive that you can’t get the particles to stick together well.

Scoop out a roughly 1 tablespoon sized ball of dough and flatten into a disc in your palm. Press in a teaspoon-ish of leftover stuffing. The type of stuffing does not matter, it could be homemade or boxed or whatever. You’ll use about 1 cup total.

Press the dough around the stuffing until fully covered, adding a pinch of meatball mix as needed to surround the bready shit.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the meatballs for 60-90 seconds per side, about 8-10 minutes total. Keep an eye on the heat of your burner, as you really don’t want to scorch your balls. No one likes scorched balls.

Move the cooked meatballs to a plate while you work on the gravy.

Good Gravy

Melt butter in the same skillet in which you cooked the meatballs. Swirl in minced garlic and some dried sage, then whisk in flour. The flour will thicken the gravy considerably when combined with the liquid we’re about to add.

Speaking of…Start with a heavy dose of white wine. Stream it in slowly and whisk until no visible clumps of flour remain. Pour in vegetable broth and apple cider. I love using the latter in my gravy but you can just add more broth instead if that sweet touch doesn’t interest you.

Finish with a blob of dijon mustard, and bring the whole shebang to a simmer. Add the meatballs back in and, basting the balls with the gravy every so often, warm the pan for a bit until the gravy is thick to your liking. Taste for salt and pepper. Keep in mind that it’ll become creamier as it cools, too.

Meatballs + gravy + leftover mashed potatoes = hell yes. Certainly an enviable meal prep that says “leftovers with style.” Or that’s what it says to me, I dunno. Sometimes I hear things wrong. I have pretty bad earwax.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

Balls to the kitchen wall:

Baked French Onion Chickpea Meatballs

Coconut Butter Chickpea Meatballs

30 Minute Mongolian Meatballs

Chickpea Meatballs Au Vin

Garlic Butter Chickpea Meatballs with Wild Rice Pilaf