Thanksgiving Leftovers: Cornbread Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms

Thanksgiving Leftovers:  Cornbread Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms came to me in a dream.  Not really (because I never remember my dreams), but I’ve been thinking of relatives recent past and long past during this holiday season.  That’s when I miss my loved ones most – during the holidays.

My grandmother, Dorothy, didn’t like to cook.  But, some of the things she did like to cook, she cooked well.  And, stuffed mushrooms was one of those things that she did well.  And, I was thinking of her recently and it came to me – why not use leftover cornbread stuffing from Thanksgiving to make a version of her stuffed mushrooms!

I have a confession to make:  I love Thanksgiving leftovers sooooo much that I always make sure that I make enough of the different dishes (including an extra turkey), so that we have Thanksgiving leftovers for weeks!  And, we have a boat load of leftover stuffing; one of our favorite things.

But, that doesn’t mean I want to eat the same meal (turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.) every single night!  What I love about Thanksgiving leftovers are the endless possibilities using leftovers on-hand to create entirely different meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  But, a meal with short-cuts because much of the preparation and cooking is already done!

This particular Thanksgiving leftover – cornbread stuffing made into stuffed mushrooms – isn’t really a good example of a “short-cut” however, because the cornbread stuffing is only replacing a simple ingredient (torn up bread), but they are really delicious!  The cornbread stuffing lends a different dimension to my grandmother’s original recipe, both savory and sweet.

I wanted to use this dish towel in these pictures because it reminded me of my grandmother.  Always properly dressed, I rarely saw her in pants.  Born in 1904, she dressed beautifully everyday and I rarely saw her in blue jeans.  Only a few times when she was working in her garden.

Here’s a close-up of these Thanksgiving Leftovers:  Cornbread Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms.  They only have 5 ingredients; 6 if you count the ground black pepper.  They are easy to make and are a perfect appetizer for a holiday gathering, an afternoon tea, a bridal luncheon, etc.  I serve them as a side dish for dinner.  Plan on 2 apiece, if serving for dinner – your mushroom lover’s will want more than one!

The hardest part about making these stuffed mushrooms is cleaning them.  I use a dampened paper towel to wipe each mushroom clean, then twist out the stem and set aside, trim the mushroom cap around the edges to make more room for the stuffing, then finely mince the mushroom stems and the trimmings from the mushroom caps.  I do this by hand because I like to cook and don’t mind doing things the hard way, but you could put the mushroom stems and trimmings into a mini food chopper and give it a whirl – just don’t over-process the stems or you’ll have mushroom paste!

BTW – don’t you just love my “Fork It Over” serving fork?  I’ve had this one, made by the Mud Pie Company, for several years.  While I’m not sure this one is still available, here’s a similar one available on Amazon:

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Disclaimer:  the links above (in the photo, too), will take you to Amazon’s site.  Toot Sweet 4 Two is an Amazon affiliate and if you purchase this product using these links, I will earn a small commission.  This does not increase the cost to you and I thank you for helping to keep content free on Toot Sweet 4 Two!

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Then you just mix the minced mushroom stems and pieces with shredded cheese, cornbread stuffing, melted butter and ground black pepper, stuff them into the prepared mushroom caps and stick them in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes – YUM!

Did I mention that you can make these ahead of time?  Make them a day or two ahead of time and don’t bake them.  Store them, covered, in the refrigerator and then about 30 minutes before baking them, take them out of the refrigerator to come to room temperature.  Then bake and enjoy!

Pin this collage – Thanksgiving Leftovers:  Cornbread Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms – to your Pinterest board!  Thanks for sharing!

Here’s the recipe for Thanksgiving Leftovers:  Cornbread Stuffing Stuffed Mushrooms…

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Throwback Thursday – a blast from the past!  Other Thanksgiving leftovers recipes from Toot Sweet 4 Two’s archives:

Leftover Cranberry Bliss Cookie Bars – made from leftover cranberry sauce!

Leftover Stuffing Meatloaf Pie

Leftover Turkey Pull-Apart Pot Pie (a really old post with photos taken with an iPhone; but the recipe is delish!!!)

Tootles,