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Thanksgiving dinner is great but the leftovers are even better. If I’m being honest, I look forward to the leftovers more than I do the actual dinner itself. The Friday morning after Thanksgiving, you can find me warming a bowl of dressing, collard greens, mashed potatoes, a little turkey and gravy and topping it with a dollop of cranberry sauce. Yum! These egg rolls take all of that yumminess and puts it in a crispy package. It’s a handful of perfection.

Why This Works

Thanksgiving leftovers have my heart. But after a few days, they can get a little boring – tasty but some of the sparkle is gone. These repurpose the leftovers in an amazing way. And they’re so easy and fast to make, it doesn’t feel like cooking. It doesn’t take much more time than it would to microwave the food. Plus, everything in an egg roll wrapper tastes good. There’s a reason why egg rolls are a best seller at Chinese restaurants. 

What You’ll Need

Egg roll wrappers. This is the most critical part of this recipe. The first time I tried to find them, I roamed the entire grocery store before I found them in the produce section. They need to be refrigerated. If you’re having trouble laying eyes on them, definitely ask one of the staff members at the store. 

Aside from that, you’ll need your favorites from Thanksgiving dinner. I fill mine with:

Mashed potatoes. My mother makes special mashed potatoes on holidays that are rich and decadent. They are my favorite.

Dressing. My family likes cornbread dressing, but I really haven’t met a stuffing or dressing I don’t like.

Collard greens. Greens reheat really well. Plus, we gotta get the veggies in.

Cranberry sauce. The sweet and tart flavor of cranberry sauce breaks up the richness and adds another layer of flavor.

Turkey. Of course we have to include the star of Thanksgiving. I like taking smaller pieces and placing them inside the wrapper.

Gravy. It makes a great dipping sauce.

Why An Air Fryer

The goal is to heat everything and make the wrapper crispy. The air fryer accomplishes this with little mess and little fuss. It also accomplishes this quickly and without the extra oil.

How to Make the Egg Rolls

Use cold leftovers.

Place an egg roll wrapper on a clean flat surface.

Add a couple spoonfuls of each ingredient to the wrapper. 

Dab your finger in water and run along the sides of the egg roll wrapper. 

Place the egg roll wrapper so it looks like a diamond. Fold the sides in and then the top. Roll tightly.

Spray the basket with cooking spray and place each egg roll seam side down.

Cook for 7 minutes at 350 degrees.

 Let cool and serve with a side of warm gravy.

Once you make these they’ll become part of your holiday go-to recipes.