Need a recipe idea to help use up any Thanksgiving or holiday dinner leftovers? How about taking your favorite flavor combinations and stuffing them into puff pastry dough for an incredible fried dough twist on leftover Thanksgiving food fare! We’re sharing how to make air fryer hand pies using Thanksgiving leftovers. Get the full recipe down below!

Air Fryer Hand Pies Recipe Using Thanksgiving Leftovers

Got leftovers and no ideas about what to do with them all? No worries, we got you- because we’re taking leftovers and puff pastry and creating a great way to reshuffle the boring leftovers into something fun and delicious! We tried our hand at these pies a few years ago, and they were a big hit with the family. You can find our take on turkey hand pies over on our sister blog, Fresh Outta Time.

This recipe idea/hack works well with lots of different leftovers! Here, I used leftovers from Thanksgiving. But you can use leftover rice, potatoes, or even pasta dishes like spaghetti, chicken Alfredo, or lasagna to create a new take on what’s possible when it comes to breathing new life into boring leftovers.

Here Is What You Need To Make Our Air Fryer Hand Pies:

Thanksgiving Leftovers. For this recipe, we used leftover dressing, turkey, and cranberry sauce. However, you can use your favorite Thanksgiving combinations like sweet potatoes, mac-n-cheese, greens, or ham! Or whatever flavor combo makes you smile!

Veggies. I had some leftover bell peppers, onions, and celery and sautéed them using Bertolli Cooking Olive Oil and added them to the mix as well.

Cheese. I used an Italian blend of asiago, provolone, and parmesan to add a bit of savory and cheesy fun! But feel free to add whatever cheese you have on hand, like sharp or white cheddar.

Puff Pastry. I used puff pastry dough found in the frozen section of the grocery store. But by all means, if you have the time to whip up homemade pastry dough, then who am I to stop you?

Thanksgiving Leftovers Hand Pies

Air Fryer Ingredients:

Makes 4 Servings

1 puff pastry sheet cut into four squares
1 tablespoon of flour, spread on a clean surface to keep the puff pastry from sticking to the surface of the counter.
1 cup mirepoix (onion, peppers, celery) diced, chopped, and sliced
sea salt to taste
freshly cracked black peppercorns to taste
2 tablespoons cooking olive oil
1 cup leftover dressing or any other carb like rice, potatoes, or a pasta dish
1/2 cup turkey chopped or other protein, or go meatless
4 teaspoons cranberry sauce
4 tablespoons grated or shaved cheese, I used an Italian mix of asiago, parmesan, and provolone

Directions:

Preheat air fryer to 350°F 2. Place a skillet over med-high heat and add one tablespoon of cooking olive oil; when the oil is hot, sauté the onion, peppers, and celery mixture.
Sauté until the onions are softened, in about four to five minutes.
Next, add the chopped leftover turkey, and allow it to heat through.
Add a cupful of dressing; make sure to break apart any large clumps of dressing.
Using a baker’s brush, coat the puff pastry squares with Bertolli cooking olive oil and scoop two tablespoons of the dressing mixture into the center of each puff pastry square.
Add a tbsp of grated cheese, and add a teaspoon of cranberry sauce.
Grab a corner of the puff pastry, fold it over to touch the opposite corner, and gently press the edges together. Use the tines of a fork to make decorative edges.
Brush the tops of the puff pastry with the remaining oil and cook in the 350°F preheated air fryer for eight minutes, then turn the hand pies over and air fry for an additional three minutes.
Remove from the air fryer and serve with cranberry dipping sauce.

Can I deep fry hand pies?

Absolutely. Hand pies, in addition to deep-frying, can also be baked and prepared in the air fryer.

Can I freeze hand pies?

You can freeze both baked or unbaked hand pies. For the unbaked hand pies, do not cut slits in the dough. After they have thawed out, just before cooking, cut slits into the hand pies and deep-fry, bake, or air fry. Unbaked hand pies will keep in the freezer for three months; cooked hand pies will keep in the freezer for 4-5 months.

What can I use to ensure the hand pies brown when they are cooked?

Brush the hand pies with egg wash, a mixture of water, and eggs. Or brush both sides with olive oil. You can also use almond milk, soy, or rice milk. Agave, honey, or maple syrup work well too!

Now that you have the recipe, you’ve got another easy way to remix leftovers by giving them new life in the form of golden brown hand pies. Or add breakfast staples like bacon, cheese, eggs, and hashbrowns for a portable breakfast treat. The possibilities are endless!