Leftover Turkey Cranberry Rolls and Gravy is what I came up for cheap Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmies that go with it. If your trying to save money this is the way to go.
Soft dough made with cornmeal and sourdough discard wraps around turkey and cranberry sauce, then baked until golden brown. A spoonful of warm gravy over the top turns each roll into cozy comfort food.
My Total Cost from Florida
Price may vary from location 2026
The total cost is $38.50 which is $6.42 per person. Let's face it, cheaper then anything else out there that is pre-made. For the purpose of this time a year I used ground turkey for this recipe.
- Dough to make $6.00
- Ground Turkey & Spices $12.00
- Gravy: $2.00 I bought a packet
- Green Beans: $6.00
- StoveTop Stuffing: $2.50
- Apple Pie: $5.00
- Pumpkin Souffle: $5.00
Total: $38.50
I do this every year and the this year more then ever I know we are all hurting with grocery prices. These homemade rolls may look like sourdough cinnamon rolls but they are filled with turkey cranberries and lets not forget gravy poured on top. This thanksgiving menu will feed 6 people with a side of stuffing and green beens. So let's get started!
Why These Rolls Belong on Your Leftovers Menu
- They use several leftovers together. Turkey, cranberry sauce, and gravy all have a purpose here.
- The filling is flexible. Use breast meat, dark meat, or a mixture of both.
- They make 12 generous rolls. Serve a batch at the table or portion baked rolls for meal prep.
- They welcome a few finishing touches. Fresh herbs or freshly chopped parsley add color just before serving.
For anyone who enjoys baking, this may be the most delicious way to turn holiday leftovers into a fresh pan of comfort food. So let's get going!
Turkey Cranberry Rolls with Gravy
Turn Thanksgiving leftovers into turkey cranberry rolls with gravy. Make savory homemade rolls with sourdough discard, cornmeal, and cooked turkey.
Yield: 12 rolls
First rise: Approximately 1–1½ hours
Second rise: Approximately 45 minutes
Bake: Approximately 40–45 minutes at 350°F
Rest: 15 minutes
Dough
- 1 cup of broth, chicken or turkey will do
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- ½ cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour,½ cup plus a little more for the work surface if needed
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Filling and finishing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, soft
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- 2 cup chopped cooked turkey, I used ground turkey for this recipe
- 1 cup Stovetop Stuffing
- Prepared gravy, warmed, for serving
- Freshly chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
Mix the wet ingredients
In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the chicken broth, buttermilk, sourdough discard, cooled melted butter, and instant yeast on low speed.
Add the dry ingredients
Gradually add the flour, cornmeal, poultry seasoning, and salt. Mix until a dough forms, then knead at the speed recommended for bread dough by your mixer manufacturer. The original recipe allows about 15 minutes; begin checking sooner and stop when the dough is cohesive, supple, and slightly tacky. If the dough is very sticky, let it rest briefly before adding extra flour a tablespoon at a time.
Let the dough rise
Gather the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and cover. Choose a warm spot for the first rise and let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately 1–1½ hours.
Prepare the filling and pan
Use 1 tablespoon of the melted filling butter to grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix the mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, stuffing and chopped turkey in a small bowl. Refrigerate the filling until the dough is ready to shape.
Roll out the dough
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 16×12-inch rectangle. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the soft butter. Spread the turkey mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the far long edge.
Shape the rolls
Starting with the long side closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Gently pinch the seam closed. Cut into 12 equal pieces and arrange them cut side up in the prepared baking dish, start with 3 rows.
Allow the second rise
Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest until the rolls are puffy and nearly doubled, approximately 45 minutes. Keep the filled rolls total time out of refrigeration under 2 hours before baking, or under 1 hour if the room is above 90°F. Do not leave them in a hot proofing space.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Bake for approximately 40–45 minutes, until golden brown and the dough in the center rolls is cooked through. Check that the turkey filling reaches at least 165°F with a food thermometer. If the tops brown before the centers are done, loosely cover with foil and continue baking as needed.
Rest and serve
Let the rolls rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Spoon hot gravy over the top of the roll just before serving.
Tips for Shaping and Serving
The best way to keep the filling evenly distributed is to chop the turkey into small pieces. A knife gives you the most control, although a food processor can help with a few short pulses. Stop before the meat becomes a paste.
For clean spirals, roll the log snugly without squeezing out the filling. A sharp knife makes cutting easier. If you prefer to line the baking dish, use parchment paper with a little overhang to help lift the rolls after baking; use oven-safe parchment according to its package directions.
Serve these rolls with green beans, roasted sweet potatoes, or a crisp salad with red onion. A mug of hearty soup alongside a roll makes a satisfying quick lunch once the rolls are baked. Add gravy at serving time so everyone can choose how much they like.
Why These Rolls Belong on Your Leftovers Menu
- They use several leftovers together. Turkey, cranberry sauce, and gravy all have a purpose here.
- The filling is flexible. Use breast meat, dark meat, or a mixture of both.
- They make 12 generous rolls. Serve a batch at the table or portion baked rolls for meal prep.
- They welcome a few finishing touches. Fresh herbs or freshly chopped parsley add color just before serving.
For anyone who enjoys baking, this may be the most delicious way to turn holiday leftovers into a fresh pan of comfort food.
Ingredients and Helpful Notes
The dough
Chicken broth, buttermilk, sourdough discard, and melted butter form the base of the dough. Instant yeast provides the rise, so the discard does not need to be an active starter. All-purpose flour and cornmeal give the rolls their structure, while poultry seasoning and salt provide savory flavor.
Use cooled melted butter and room-temperature buttermilk. The mixture should not be hot when it meets the yeast. This draft assumes a pourable sourdough discard maintained with equal weights of flour and water; a thicker or thinner discard may change how much flour the dough needs.
The filling
Chopped cooked turkey is easiest to distribute evenly. Shredded turkey also works if the strands are cut into short pieces. Remove any skin, bones, or cartilage before mixing the leftover meat with the mayonnaise and cranberry sauce.
Use cooked turkey rather than raw fresh turkey in this recipe. Keep the filling refrigerated while the dough completes its first rise.
The gravy
Warm leftover gravy makes this dish feel like Thanksgiving dinner all over again. If it has thickened in the refrigerator, loosen it with a little bit of broth until it is easy to spoon over the rolls. The amount of gravy is up to you; start with a small spoonful per roll and pass more at the table.
Can I Use Chicken Instead of Turkey?
Yes. Leftover chicken, leftover roast chicken, or rotisserie chicken can stand in for the cooked turkey. That makes this recipe useful beyond November.
The swap works in the other direction, too: cooked turkey can often be used in place of the chicken in simple recipes for casseroles, soups, and creamy pasta. It is an easy way to build delicious meals around what you already have.
Storing and Reheating the Rolls
Refrigerate the rolls promptly in an airtight container, within 2 hours of baking or serving, or within 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. USDA guidance recommends refrigerated leftovers be used within 3-4 days. Plan around the age of your turkey leftovers, and freeze promptly if you will not use them soon.
For freezing, wrap individual cooled rolls and place them in a freezer bag. Press out as much air as possible without crushing the bread, then label with the date. Freeze the gravy separately.
Reheat covered in a 350°F oven until the center reaches 165°F. A bit of broth in the dish can help keep the rolls moist. Bring leftover gravy to a rolling boil when reheating, stirring and adding broth if needed, then spoon it over the hot rolls. Food safety reference: USDA Leftovers and Food Safety.
More Easy Leftover Turkey Recipes
There are plenty of ideas for turning the rest of your Thanksgiving leftovers into tasty meals. These are serving ideas to inspire your next round of cooking, rather than additional complete recipes.
Turkey sandwiches and turkey salad
A leftover turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce is one of the easiest ways to enjoy the holiday flavors again. For turkey salad, combine chopped turkey with mayonnaise, celery, red onion, and fresh herbs. These familiar leftover meals are popular for good reason: they take very little preparation.
Cozy soups and homemade turkey stock
Save the turkey bones and turkey carcass for homemade turkey stock. A rich broth is a useful starting point for a leftover turkey soup recipe with vegetables and noodles or rice. Choose white rice, brown rice, or basmati rice, adjusting the cooking time to suit the variety. Adding cooked rice near the end helps keep it from soaking up all the broth.
If cozy soups bring back memories of homemade soups simmering in the kitchen, this is the perfect way to continue that feeling after the holiday. No homemade stock on hand? Prepared broth or bouillon cubes diluted according to the package instructions offer a convenient shortcut. Start with less salt and adjust after tasting.
Keep the Holiday Flavors Going
Good food and great company are what make a holiday table memorable. These turkey cranberry rolls carry a little of that feeling into the days afterward, with warm bread, a savory filling, and gravy ready to pass around. The next time you are looking for leftover Thanksgiving turkey recipes, save some turkey for a pan of these rolls. Until next time, my beautiful friends, as my quest for the perfect bite continues. As they say in America, "Happy Thanksgiving."
Turkey Cranberry Rolls with Gravy
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup of broth chicken or turkey will do
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- ½ cup sourdough discard
- ½ cup butter melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup plus a little more for the work surface if needed
- ½ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
Filling and finishing
- 4 tablespoons salted butter soft
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup cranberry sauce
- 2 cup chopped cooked turkey I used ground turkey for this recipe
- 1 cup Stovetop Stuffing
- Prepared gravy warmed, for serving
- Freshly chopped parsley optional
Instructions
Mix the wet ingredients
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, combine the chicken broth, buttermilk, sourdough discard, cooled melted butter, and instant yeast on low speed
Add the dry ingredient
- Gradually add the flour, cornmeal, poultry seasoning, and salt. Mix until a dough forms, then knead at the speed recommended for bread dough by your mixer manufacturer. The original recipe allows about 15 minutes; begin checking sooner and stop when the dough is cohesive, supple, and slightly tacky. If the dough is very sticky, let it rest briefly before adding extra flour a tablespoon at a time.
Let the dough rise
- Gather the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, and cover. Choose a warm spot for the first rise and let the dough rise until doubled in size, approximately 1–1½ hours.
Prepare the filling and pan
- Use 1 tablespoon of the melted filling butter to grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix the mayonnaise, cranberry sauce, stuffing and chopped turkey in a small bowl. Refrigerate the filling until the dough is ready to shape.
Roll out the dough
- Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 16×12-inch rectangle. Spread about 2 tablespoons of the soft butter. Spread the turkey mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border along the far long edge.
Shape the rolls
- Starting with the long side closest to you, roll the dough into a log. Gently pinch the seam closed.
- Cut into 12 equal pieces and arrange them cut side up in the prepared baking dish, start with 3 rows.
Allow the second rise
- Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let the dough rest until the rolls are puffy and nearly doubled, approximately 45 minutes. Keep the filled rolls total time out of refrigeration under 2 hours before baking, or under 1 hour if the room is above 90°F. Do not leave them in a hot proofing space.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the rolls with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter. Bake for approximately 40–45 minutes, until golden brown and the dough in the center rolls is cooked through. Check that the turkey filling reaches at least 165°F with a food thermometer. If the tops brown before the centers are done, loosely cover with foil and continue baking as needed.
Rest and serve
- Let the rolls rest in the pan for 15 minutes. Spoon hot gravy over the top of the roll just before serving.
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