It's late October here in Casablanca, Morocco, and while I'm a world away from home, my culinary heart is already back in Austin, Texas, planning my Thanksgiving menu. But let's be honest: the real holiday, the one culinary pros and home cooks really look forward to, is the day after Thanksgiving. It's the day of creativity, comfort, and the world's best leftovers. These Thanksgiving Stuffed Potato Skins are my family's all-time favorite "Day After" tradition. They take all the best parts of the feast-the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, the cranberry-and transform them into the perfect, cheesy, handheld, crowd-pleasing snack.
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My secret is to use a mix of the scooped-out potato flesh and your leftover creamy mashed potatoes in the filling. The fresh-baked potato adds a wonderful, fluffy texture, while the leftover mashed potatoes make the filling creamy and bind it all together.
A Hearty, Handheld Thanksgiving Feast
This isn't just a snack; it's practically the entire Thanksgiving plate loaded into a crispy potato skin. You get the savory, herby stuffing and turkey, the creamy potatoes, the sharp cheddar cheese, and then that perfect, sweet-tart pop from the cranberry sauce on top. They're the perfect, easy-to-make brunch or lunch for the day after the big feast, and they're a guaranteed way to make sure not a single delicious leftover goes to waste.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The Ultimate Leftover Hack: This recipe is specifically designed to use all your main Thanksgiving leftovers-turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes-in one delicious bite.
- Incredibly Fast: Since everything is already cooked, these are just an assembly job! They're ready from fridge to table in about 25 minutes.
- Perfect Flavour Combination: It's the entire Thanksgiving plate in one bite: savory, sweet, tart, cheesy, and comforting.
- Family-Friendly & Fun: These are handheld, cheesy, and a total crowd-pleaser for everyone, from kids to adults, on a lazy holiday weekend.
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to transform your leftovers. For the full list with precise measurements, see the recipe card at the end of the post!
- Potatoes: 6 large Russet (baking) potatoes, already baked and chilled.
- Leftover Mashed Potatoes: About 1 ½ cups of your favourite creamy mashed potatoes.
- Leftover Turkey: 1 ½ cups, shredded or diced.
- Leftover Stuffing: 1 ½ cups of your leftover herb or cornbread stuffing.
- Cheese: Shredded sharp white cheddar or a Mexican blend.
- Cranberry Sauce: Jellied or whole-berry cranberry sauce for the topping.
- Scallions: Thinly sliced, for a fresh, oniony bite on top.
- Seasoning: Salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make Thanksgiving Stuffed Potato Skins
This is all about assembly. The hard work (all that Thanksgiving cooking!) is already done.
Step 1: Prepare the Potato Skins
First, I preheat my oven to 400°F (200°C). I line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
I take my 6 cold, baked potatoes and cut each one in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, I carefully scoop out the inside of the potato, leaving about a ¼-inch thick wall all around. This creates 12 sturdy potato "boats." (I save all that scooped-out potato flesh!)
I place the 12 empty potato skins on the baking tray and sprinkle them lightly with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Mix the Leftover Filling
In a large mixing bowl, I combine the leftover mashed potatoes, the leftover stuffing, and the leftover turkey. I also add about half of the potato flesh I just scooped out, mashing it in with the other ingredients. (You can save the other half for another meal). I mix everything together until it's well combined.
Step 3: Stuff and Bake
I spoon this glorious turkey-stuffing-potato mixture evenly into the 12 potato skins, mounding it up.
I sprinkle the shredded sharp white cheddar generously over the top of each stuffed skin.
I bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the filling is piping hot and the cheese is melted, golden, and bubbly.
Step 4: Garnish and Serve
I remove the hot potato skins from the oven. To finish them off, I top each one with a small dollop of cranberry sauce and a sprinkle of fresh, sliced scallions. They must be served hot!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Using Hot Potatoes: Do not try to do this with hot, fresh-from-the-oven baked potatoes. They will be too steamy and delicate, and the skins will tear when you try to scoop them. Cold, chilled, leftover baked potatoes are essential.
- Scooping Too Much: If you scrape the potato skin too thin (right down to the paper), it won't be sturdy enough to hold the filling and will collapse into a flimsy mess. That ¼-inch wall is key!
- A Bland Filling: Your leftovers are already seasoned, but mixing them all together can dilute the flavour. Don't be afraid to taste the filling (Step 2) and add more salt, pepper, or even a pinch of dried sage if you think it needs it.
Tips and Tricks for Success
- Crispy Skins: For extra crispy skins, brush the outside (bottom) of the potato skins with a little melted butter or bacon fat before you fill and bake them.
- Shred Your Own Cheese: As always, a block of sharp cheddar that you grate yourself will melt 100x better than the pre-shredded bagged kind (which is coated in powders).
- The Broiler is Your Friend: If your filling is hot but your cheese isn't as golden and bubbly as you'd like, pop the pan under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Just watch it like a hawk so it doesn't burn!
- Get Creative: This is a "no-recipe" recipe. If you have 2 cups of turkey and 1 cup of stuffing, that's fine! The ratios are a guide, not a strict rule.
Variations
This recipe is the ultimate way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, but you can customize it!
- Sweet Potato Skins: This is amazing using leftover baked sweet potatoes and sweet potato casserole (one with a pecan crumble is even better!).
- Add Ham: If you have leftover holiday ham, dice it up and add it to the filling.
- Make it Spicy: Use a pepper jack cheese and add some chopped jalapeños to the filling.
- Gravy Drizzle: Skip the cranberry sauce and serve these with a small pitcher of warm leftover gravy for drizzling on top.
How to Serve
These are the perfect Thanksgiving weekend food!
- I love serving them as a main course for brunch or lunch on the Friday or Saturday after the holiday.
- They are the ultimate appetizer for watching the holiday weekend football games.
- Serve them with a side of extra cranberry sauce or leftover gravy for dipping, and a dollop of sour cream.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make Ahead: This is the best part! You can fully assemble the stuffed potato skins (stop right before the final bake), place them on the baking sheet, cover them tightly with plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready, just bake as directed (they may need 5-10 extra minutes).
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: The best way to reheat and keep them crispy is in an air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 5-8 minutes. You can also reheat them on a baking sheet in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe Notes / What I Learned
This recipe is all about transforming the "leftover" feeling into an "event." The final toppings are what make it feel special. The cold, tart bite of the cranberry sauce and the sharp, fresh crunch of the scallions are the perfect contrast to the warm, savory, cheesy filling. Don't skip them!
Nutrition Snapshot
Estimated Nutrition Per Skin (1/12th of recipe): ~210 calories · 14g protein · 22g carbs · 7g fat (This is a very rough approximation and depends entirely on the ingredients of your specific leftovers.)
Thanksgiving Stuffed Potato Skins
Equipment
- Baking tray
- Large mixing bowl
- Spoon
Ingredients
Group: Ingredients
- 6 baking potatoes (pre-baked)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 ½ cups leftover mashed potatoes or potatoes from the baked potatoes
- 1 ½ cups leftover turkey chopped or shredded
- 1 ½ cups leftover stuffing
- ½ cup shredded sharp white cheddar
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- Scallions chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Cut each (pre-baked) potato in half lengthwise.
- Scoop out the inside of the potato but leave a little so it's stable.
- Place the potato skins on a baking tray.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the mashed potatoes, stuffing and turkey.
- Spoon the turkey mixture evenly into the 12 potato skins.
- Sprinkle with the cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Top with the cranberry sauce.
- Sprinkle with the scallions.
- Serve!
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Can I make these with fresh potatoes?
Yes, but you must bake them first! Prick 6 Russet potatoes, rub them with oil and salt, and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 1 hour, or until tender. Let them cool completely (chilling them in the fridge is even better) before you proceed with Step 1.
Can I make these vegetarian?
Absolutely! Just use a vegetarian stuffing and substitute the turkey with a plant-based crumble, or just add more stuffing and mashed potatoes.
Can I freeze these?
Yes! You can freeze them after baking (but before adding the final cranberry/scallion toppings). Let them cool completely, freeze them on the baking sheet until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 20-25 minutes.
