Transform your leftover turkey and cranberry sauce into these delicious Turkey Phyllo Rolls with Cranberry & Cheese, and find out just how amazing even those leftovers could taste!
I’m so psyched to share this recipe with you guys today, because this is one of our absolute favorite leftovers recipes. It’s such a phenomenal way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers (or even Christmas leftovers) in a completely transformed and delicious way.
And these are perfect as appetizers for a small Thanksgiving menu too.
Thanksgiving leftovers
We don’t usually prepare a full turkey for Thanksgiving, it’s typically a slow cooked turkey breast or oven roasted turkey breast, or even a slow roasted turkey roll or sous vide turkey roll for something a little more fancy. And yet, there’s always leftovers!
Last time, I shared this cheesy savory bread pudding, that’s also a great way to use up your leftover Thanksgiving turkey, sausage stuffing, cranberries and cranberry sauce, and whatever else you want to throw in there.
These Turkey Phyllo Rolls (turkey filo rolls) on the other hand are even easier to make (I’m talking ridiculously easy), and are honestly even better!
Filo (or phyllo) pastry is a little bit of white whale for me. I want to make it SO BAD, and I keep making plans, but still haven’t gotten around to it.
I have made rough puff pastry, choux pastry and croissants before. And this is definitely another pastry skill I would like to have under my belt. It hasn’t happened yet, but it soon will. In the meantime, we can totally rely on store-bought filo dough, frozen and ready to be used. 🙂
Turkey phyllo rolls
These turkey phyllo rolls come out seriously fantastic. Imagine that light, super crispy, flaky pastry, encasing sweet cranberry chutney or thick cranberry sauce, some herbs, cheddar cheese and roast turkey and then baked to a perfect crispness. Mmmmm perfecto!
These are great as quick and easy appetizers, snacks or a light meal.
Seriously that filo pastry is the real deal. Which is why it works well with leftovers. You just place your fillings on the pastry sheet, wrap ’em up and bake. Endless possibilities.
In this recipe, I used turkey, a dollop of cranberry chutney (or thick cranberry sauce), herbs and cheddar cheese. But they are really versatile, so go ahead and substitute them with leftovers of your holiday spread.
There’s no better way to extend that holiday cheer to the Friday after, and maybe even the weekend. 🙂
And you know, even if you don’t have any leftovers, I would probably just get everything fresh JUST to make these, because these are so worth it! They are easy to make and packed with great flavor and texture.
And here’s fair warning – you most likely will NOT be able to stop at one. They are quite addictive. And since they have cranberry sauce inside, you won’t need a dipping sauce either.
And that makes these turkey filo rolls, Tom Haverford approved! Brownie points if you get the reference. 😉
Delicious turkey roast and cranberry is a great flavor combo to begin with, but when you add to that the sharpness of cheddar and the freshness of herbs to balance that sweetness, you turn these turkey filo rolls into a legit home run.
So make sure your holiday feast is big enough this Thanksgiving or Christmas, so that you have enough leftovers just to make these the following day. And if you’re anything like me, you might end up liking these even better! But don’t worry, it’ll be our secret. 😉
Recipe
Turkey Phyllo Rolls (Filo Rolls)
US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results whenever available.
Common Measurement ConversionsIngredients:
- 20, 9 x 14 inch filo sheets ½ of a packet
- Chunky shredded leftover turkey or chicken pieces about 2 cups and a bit, for 10 rolls Alternatively, you can poach ½ of a turkey breast or 1 large chicken breast and shred it into chunks
- 10 cheddar cheese batons 1 cm thick and 7-10 cm long
- Cranberry chutney homemade or store-bought, or thick cranberry sauce
- Parsley leaves
- Melted butter as needed
Instructions:
- Cover the filo sheets with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- On our work bench/surface, carefully place one filo sheet and brush it with some butter. Then place another sheet of filo on top.
- Close to one of the shorter edges of the filo sheet, spread some cranberry chutney, then place some cheese on top, a few leaves of parsley (or any other herb you like), and a generous amount of meat. You should not require any seasoning, since the leftover meat and sauce should be seasoned well. Otherwise sprinkle some salt and pepper.
- Brush butter along the long edges of the sheet, and on the surface to ensure the dough sheet sticks together as it’s rolled up.
- Next roll the dough sheet over the filling. Fold over the long edges once towards the center and make sure the edges stick. Then brush these folded edges with melted butter and roll up the dough sheet as shown in the gif above. Making sure all the edges stick. Place the roll on your prepared baking tray and keep it covered. Repeat with the rest of the dough sheets, until you have 10 rolls.
- Brush the top of the filo rolls with some melted butter, and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown (time varies for each oven, so keep an eye on those rolls!).
- Serve warm or at room temperature, while still crisp.
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
More Thanksgiving leftover recipes
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