Give your Thanksgiving leftovers a delicious makeover with Leftover Stuffing Pinwheels! Flaky puff pastry encases a flavorful filling of savory stuffing, creamy brie, sharp cheddar, and a hint of sweetness from fig spread. They’re easy to assemble — thanks to store-bought puff pastry — and bake up into beautiful golden spirals, making a crowd-pleasing side dish for soups, salads, or hearty mains. Whether you’re hosting a post-holiday gathering or just craving something cozy, these pinwheels are a must-try!
Why I love these pinwheel rolls, and hope you will, too
Unlike most of the year, leftover food from Thanksgiving is a very welcome thing. I’m always happy to extend the day’s feast for a few more meals, to enjoy the iconic mix of dishes that are generally not served together the rest of the year.
I don’t mind recreating the T-Day meal later over the weekend, but it’s also fun to reimagine creative twists to keep things interesting. I’m always in cooking mode over the holidays, so it’s an enjoyable process to make new dishes out of old.
And, my extra attention on the leftovers means that less of it will go to waste (you know how leftovers always seem to make their way to back of the fridge!).
Reasons this recipe is a hit at Casa SoupAddict:
- Delicious Use of Leftovers: This recipe transforms leftover Thanksgiving stuffing into a completely new and different side dish: biscuits!
- Easy to Make: Using store-bought frozen puff pastry keeps the preparation quick and simple.
- Creative and Versatile: Combines sweet and savory flavors with stuffing, brie, sharp cheddar, and fig spread for unique autumn-inspired flavor.
- Perfect Side Dish: These pinwheels pair beautifully with soups, salads, or hearty mains, making them versatile for any meal.
- Customizable: Swap out cheeses, add cranberry sauce, or experiment with different spreads to suit your taste preferences.
- No Food Waste: A practical and delicious way to repurpose leftovers and reduce waste after a big holiday meal.
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
Leftover stuffing — These pinwheels are a great use for leftover stuffing from your holiday meals. But there’s nothing saying that you can’t just make a fresh batch of stuffing — boxed is perfectly okay — and bake up the rolls anyway! How many times have I done that? (Waggles fingers.) Lots!
Cheeses — I used brie slices and shredded sharp cheddar in this pinwheels, but I’d like to emphasize that the brie is optional. During the holidays, you might have random ingredients laying around in your fridge — I know I do — and I happened to have a half wheel of brie, so in it went! If you’re skipping the brie, just add lots of cheddar.
Remember that cheese is at its best when it’s grated freshly off the block. Bagged cheese shreds have preservatives to prevent caking and mold, as well as fillers such as cellulose. Ounce per ounce, it just doesn’t taste as good as fresh.
Puff pastry — I enjoy making fresh dough as much as the next happy bread baker, but I also greatly appreciate the convenience of frozen puff pastry. It’s so versatile, and you can do many cool things with it, including this summery tomato tart. In the U.S., puff pastry is usually sold in boxes with two sheets, both folded frozen. One sheet makes about eight rolls.
Fig spread/jam — I love the light sweetness of fig spread, and I use it often in my holiday appetizers. Can you substitute leftover cranberry sauce? Yes, with a caveat: Cranberry sauce is very messy and loves to stain everything bright pink. Drain or pat the sauce with paper towels before spreading them on the pastry, and be prepared for pink pastry no matter what you do (although you could try sandwiching it between the stuffing the cheese).
Cook’s Notes
- Be sure to let the puff pastry thaw to the point where it can be easily bent, but not so much that it’s a sticky mess. It does not need to be rolled out with a rolling pin; only unfolded.
- In case you didn’t see my comment in the section above, note that the brie is optional. It’s a bit pricey so don’t feel like you have to buy a whole wheel just for this.
- For an extra decadent touch, brush melted butter over the rolls while still hot out of the oven, and sprinkle with a pinch of finishing salt (e.g., a flaked salt)
How to Make Leftover Stuffing Pinwheels
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the rolls.
Prep notes:
- Remove one sheet of puff pastry from the freeze and let it set on the counter for about 30 minutes prior to starting the recipe. Leave the pastry folded while it warms up (otherwise, it will crack).
- Slice the brie wheel, still chilled, into thin slices.
- Grate the cheddar cheese.
- You can use leftover stuffing straight out of the fridge. Or, cook a new batch fresh while the puff pastry thaws and let it thoroughly cool.
- Prepare the egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together one egg and one tablespoon of water until combined.
Step 1: Position the sheet of puff pastry and spread the layer of fig jam
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll be working on this surface.
When the puff pastry is pliable, carefully unfold the sheet and center the pastry on the parchment paper, flattening it with the long edge (if it’s rectangular rather than square), next to you.
Spread the fig jam across the pastry.
Step 2: Layer the stuffing and cheeses
Lay the brie slices in rows across the puff pastry. You do not need to have a solid layer of brie. It will distribute itself after it’s melted during baking. Use the photo above as a guide.
Spoon the stuffing in a thin layer over the brie, leaving a 1″ space along the edge of the pastry farther away from you.
Sprinkled the grated cheddar over the stuffing.
Step 3: Roll up the pastry and freeze
Starting with the long edge closest to you, begin rolling up the pastry away from you in a medium-tight cylinder. If the puff pastry is a little stubborn, lift up the edge of the parchment paper as a sort of “helper” to continue rolling the pastry. Take your time. It’s better to be slow and get the roll right, then have to deal with the mess of trying again.
When the cylinder is complete, reposition the roll in the center of the parchment paper. Carefully lift the roll and place it sitting level in the freezer. Chill for 10 minutes — this will help with clean slices.
Step 4: Slice the roll, brush with an egg wash, and bake
When the roll is chilled and firm (but not frozen), position the roll with the parchment paper back on the baking sheet. Use a sharp knife and cut the roll into 1″ slices.
Arrange the slices on the parchment paper, and brush with the egg wash. Bake until golden.
Storing
These Leftover Stuffing Pinwheels are best consumed right after baking, so that the bread doesn’t get too soggy from the stuffing.
I hope these pinwheels provide a happy alternative to reheating leftover stuffing for dinner. If you’d like more ideas for dealing with holiday leftovers, browse my collection of Thanksgiving Leftovers recipes.
Leftover Stuffing Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 frozen puff pastry sheet
- 8 ounces fig spread or jam
- 1/2 wheel creamy brie cheese sliced into thin strips
- 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
- 2 cups leftover stuffing (or cooked fresh and cooled)
- 1 egg (plus 1 tablespoon water for the egg wash)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Remove one puff pastry sheet from the freezer and let warm up for 30 minutes at room temperature. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll want to work on the parchment paper.
- When the puffy pastry is pliable — when it can bend without cracking — center the pastry on the parchment paper and unfold. Puff pastry is usually slightly rectangular; place the longer side horizontal to you (so that the longer sides are at the top and bottom from your POV).
- Spread the fig jam over the pastry. Arrange the brie slices over the fig jam. It does not need to be a solid layer, because the brie will distribute itself as it melts.
- Distribute the stuffing over fig jam, leaving a 1 inch clear space at the top edge. (This will help keep the stuffing from leaking out of the side of the roll.)
- Sprinkle the grated cheese over the stuffing.
- Starting with the bottom edge of the pastry (i.e., the edge closest to you), roll the pastry from bottom to top into a long a roll. Use the parchment paper to lift and help roll the pastry when necessary. Recenter the roll on the parchment paper, with the seam underneath the roll.
- Bring the top and bottom edges of the parchment paper up together and lift the roll evenly, transferring it to the freezer. Take care to not let the roll bend and crack as you’re moving it. Leave the roll in the freezer for 10 minutes (this will make cutting easier).
- After 10 minutes, transfer the roll back to the baking sheet. Use a very sharp knife to cut 1-inch slices from the roll, wiping the knife clean between cuts. You’ll get 8 or 9 slices from the roll.
- Arrange the slices on the parchment paper, about an inch apart.
- Brush the tops and sides of the pinwheel slices with the egg wash.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden.