Thanksgiving Leftover Bacon Cups Recipe: Quick Holiday Appetizer

Leftover stuffing and mashed potatoes tucked into crispy bacon cups and baked to golden perfection — ready in just 30 minutes. A simple, delicious way to reinvent Thanksgiving leftovers.

Why Make This Recipe?

• Easy: Only about 5 minutes of hands-on prep. Perfect for busy holiday mornings or when you want a quick snack while watching holiday movies.
• Transforms leftovers: If you’re tired of the same meals for several days, these bacon cups make leftovers exciting again.
• Great appetizer or snack: Hearty and flavorful — ideal for parties, gatherings, or a satisfying treat between meals.
• Bacon cups: Need we say more?

Ingredient Notes

• Bacon: Use about 18 slices for 12 cups (roughly 1.5 slices per cup). Thick-cut bacon works best to hold the filling.
• Stuffing and mashed potatoes: Reserve about 3 cups each of stuffing and mashed potatoes. No need to reheat — they warm in the oven.
• Optional add-ins: Mix in diced turkey, corn casserole, or finish with cranberry sauce or gravy for extra flavor.
• Garnish: A sprinkle of fresh black pepper and chopped parsley brightens the finished cups.

Step by Step Photos

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray and line each cup with a slice of raw bacon, forming a cup shape.
2. Cut 6 additional slices of bacon into quarters and place two small pieces in the bottom of each muffin cup to fully cover the base.
3. Fill each bacon cup about halfway with stuffing — roughly 1/4 cup per cup. No reheating necessary.
4. Top each cup with about 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, filling to the rim. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper if you like.

Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the potato tops are lightly browned. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Leftover gravy or cranberry sauce makes a tasty accompaniment.

Store cooled leftover cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (shorter if the original leftovers were older). Reheat in the microwave for about 45 seconds or until warmed through.

FAQs and Expert Tips

• Shopping: This recipe is designed 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 to fill the cups.
• Substitutions: Customize with diced turkey, corn casserole, cheese, or a finishing drizzle of gravy or cranberry sauce.
• No reheating required: Add cold leftovers directly into the raw bacon cups; everything heats through during baking.
• Cooking time: Bake 30 minutes at 350°F, or until the bacon is cooked through and the potato tops show light browning.
• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.
• Freezing: Cool completely, remove from the tin, freeze on a lined sheet until solid, then wrap individually in foil and freeze up to 1 month.
• Reheating: From refrigerated: microwave about 45 seconds. From frozen: thaw overnight in the fridge, then microwave or reheat in a muffin tin at 350°F for about 15 minutes until warmed through.

What do you think? Did this recipe make the cut or did it crumble? Share your results and any tweaks you tried in the comments below.