Leftover Stuffing Meatballs and Marinara

Leftover stuffing is great for a few meals after Thanksgiving. (Even Julia Child relished stuffing sandwiches the day after!). But stuffing tends to go from marvelous to meh in just a few days. Don’t pitch the last of that bready goodness, though, for it’s got another meal to contribute to: meatballs!  

I know it sounds odd, but hear me out. Traditional meatball recipes use breadcrumbs to plump up meatballs and help the ingredients bind together. Since stuffing is essentially breadcrumbs, onions, and herbs, it’s a natural fit for meatball-making. The sage in stuffing melds with the bold flavors of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, Parmesan cheese, and tomato paste in this recipe, so no one even will guess they’re eating leftovers. 

Just about any stuffing can be used for these meatballs, from your grandmother’s homemade stuffing to store-bought cornbread dressing. (Although oyster dressing might be a little out of place). The fine texture of most packaged stuffing mixes means you can likely add it as is, but if you’ve got leftover homemade stuffing with large chunks of bread, celery, or other hard ingredients, it’s best to pulse them in a food processor into small bits that will blend more easily with the ground meat. 

Over-stirring ground meat can result in tough meatballs, so I like to mix the stuffing, egg, cheese, and seasonings before adding the meat. And instead of fussing with browning the meatballs on the stove, I bake them. They’ll brown nicely and once bathed in sauce, no one will know the difference. 

Since the idea here is to use up leftovers, I make a double batch of meatballs. They freeze well and, when simmered in sauce, reheat from frozen in about 20 minutes, so they’re a Thanksgiving gift that keeps on giving.