Leftover stuffing and mashed potatoes tucked into crispy bacon cups and baked to golden perfection in just 30 minutes — a simple, delicious way to revive Thanksgiving leftovers.
Why Make This Recipe?
- Easy: Just 5 minutes of prep — perfect for busy holiday days or when you want a quick snack between movie breaks.
- Transforms leftovers: Turns the same post-holiday meals into a fresh, flavorful bite so you won’t get bored of repeats.
- Hearty appetizer or snack: Great for parties or a satisfying solo treat.
- Bacon cups: Crispy, savory, and irresistible.
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon: Use 18 slices for 12 cups (about 1.5 slices per cup). Thick-cut bacon works best to hold the filling.
- Stuffing and mashed potatoes: Reserve about 3 cups of each from your leftovers, or make them fresh if you prefer. No need to reheat — they warm during baking.
- Extra leftovers: Add diced turkey, corn casserole, or finish with cranberry sauce or gravy if you like.
- Garnish: Freshly cracked black pepper and chopped parsley are optional but recommended for color and brightness.
Step by Step Photos
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and press a slice of bacon along the sides of each cup.
- Cut 6 slices of bacon into quarters and place two pieces across the bottom of each tin to cover the base.
- Fill each bacon cup about half full with stuffing (about 1/4 cup per cup). No reheating needed.
- Top each cup with about 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, filling to the rim. Season with salt and fresh black pepper if desired.
Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until the bacon is crispy and the potato tops are slightly browned. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Leftover gravy or cranberry sauce make great accompaniments.
Store leftover bacon cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (shorter if the original leftovers were already a few days old). Reheat in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until warmed through.
FAQs and Expert Tips
- Shopping: This recipe is meant to use leftovers, so you typically only need a pack or two of bacon. If you don’t have leftovers, prepare or buy stuffing and mashed potatoes.
- Substitutions: Mix in or top with other leftovers like corn casserole or diced turkey. Cranberry sauce or gravy make excellent finishes.
- Prep: No reheating necessary for fillings; the bacon is placed in raw so the cups form and bake together.
- Cooking: Bake 30 minutes at 350°F or until the bacon is fully cooked and the potatoes are lightly browned on top.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.
- Freezing: Cool completely, remove cups from the tin, freeze on a wax-paper lined sheet until solid, wrap individually in foil, and keep up to 1 month.
- Reheating: If refrigerated: microwave about 45 seconds. If frozen: thaw overnight in the fridge and microwave, or reheat in a muffin tin at 350°F for about 15 minutes until warmed through.
No — start with raw bacon so you can form cups that hold the filling while baking. Thick-cut bacon holds its shape best, but other cuts will work.
Nope. Scoop cold leftovers into the bacon cups — they’ll heat through in the oven.
Yes. Diced turkey, corn casserole, or a drizzle of gravy or cranberry sauce are all excellent additions. Just avoid overfilling the cups above the rim.
Related Recipes
- Potato Stuffing
- Mashed Cauli-Potatoes
- Thanksgiving Bacon Explosion
- Rosemary and Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes
What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut or crumble? Share your tweaks and feedback in the comments!
Recipe Card
Thanksgiving Leftover Bacon Cups
- Author: Caitlin
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 bacon cups
- Category: Appetizer, Thanksgiving
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Holiday
Description
Leftover stuffing and mashed potatoes tucked into crispy bacon cups and baked to golden perfection in just 30 minutes — a simple, delicious way to revive Thanksgiving leftovers.
Ingredients
- 18 slices of bacon (preferably thick cut)
- 3 cups leftover stuffing
- 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and line each cup with a slice of bacon.
- Cut 6 bacon slices into quarters and place two pieces across the bottom of each tin to cover the base.
- Fill each bacon cup about half full with stuffing (about 1/4 cup).
- Top with about 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, filling to the rim. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until bacon is crispy and potato tops are lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Shopping: This recipe is designed to use up leftovers; plan to buy only a pack or two of bacon if needed. If you don’t have leftovers, prepare or purchase stuffing and mashed potatoes.
Substitutions: Add diced turkey, corn casserole, or top with cranberry sauce or gravy as desired.
Prep: No need to reheat fillings; bacon is placed raw so everything bakes together.
Cooking: Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until bacon is cooked through and potatoes are slightly browned.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Freezing: Cool completely, remove from the tin, freeze on a lined sheet until solid, wrap individually in foil, and store up to 1 month.
Reheating: If refrigerated: microwave about 45 seconds. If frozen: thaw overnight in the fridge and microwave or reheat at 350°F for about 15 minutes.