Cranberry turkey crescent ring is literally my favorite way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, and I’m not even exaggerating. Last year, the day after Thanksgiving, I made this at like 10 PM because I was stress-eating my way through Black Friday anxiety, and my husband woke up to the smell and came downstairs asking what smelled so good. He ate half of it standing at the counter in his pajamas.
Now it’s become our tradition. The Friday after Thanksgiving? We’re making this turkey cranberry crescent ring instead of going to some packed mall at 5 AM. Best decision ever.
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Why This Leftover Turkey Crescent Ring Actually Works
Here’s the thing—I think I saw this recipe on Pinterest like five years ago? Or maybe it was a Pillsbury ad? Honestly can’t remember. But I’ve made it probably twenty times since then and tweaked it to what works for my family.
The Thanksgiving crescent ring with turkey and cranberry is genius because it looks super impressive (like you spent hours making it) but takes maybe 15 minutes to put together. And you’re using stuff you already have from Thanksgiving dinner. The crescent rolls get all golden and flaky, the cranberry sauce adds that sweet-tart thing, and the cheese… well, cheese makes everything better.
My kids call it “the wreath thing” and fight over who gets the biggest piece. My daughter—she’s 10—literally asked me last week if we’re making it again this year. Yes, child, we are.
What You Need for Easy Cranberry Turkey Crescent Ring
Main Ingredients
- 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury crescent rolls (don’t even think about making homemade dough for this)
- 2 cups cooked turkey, chopped into small pieces (leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken works too)
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened (I use the chive and onion kind from Philadelphia)
- 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 cups shredded cheese—I use Swiss or Gruyere but honestly whatever you have works
- ½ cup whole berry cranberry sauce (the canned stuff is perfect for this)
- 2 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped (optional but adds color)
For the Top
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds (or Everything Bagel seasoning if you’re fancy)
- Fresh rosemary for garnish
Quick story—I once tried making this with the reduced-fat crescent rolls because I was on some health kick. Don’t do it. They don’t taste the same and they don’t get as golden. Just use the regular ones and live your life.
How to Make This Pillsbury Cranberry Turkey Crescent Ring
Step 1: Prep Your Space
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Trust me on the parchment paper—cleaning baked-on cheese off a pan is nobody’s idea of fun.
Step 2: Arrange the Crescent Rolls
Unroll both cans of crescent dough. You’ll have 16 triangles total. On your parchment-lined baking sheet, arrange them in a circle with the wide ends in the middle and the pointed ends facing out, like a sun. The wide parts should overlap in the center, forming about a 5-inch circle.
The first time I made this, I didn’t overlap them enough and the filling leaked everywhere. Disaster. Complete disaster. Make sure they’re overlapping pretty well in the middle.
Step 3: Make the Cream Cheese Spread
In a small bowl, mix together the softened cream cheese, Dijon mustard, and about a teaspoon of chopped rosemary if you have it. Spread this mixture on the wide part of each crescent triangle where they overlap. This layer is KEY—oh wait, I forgot to mention—this keeps the dough from getting soggy from the cranberry sauce.
Step 4: Layer the Fillings
Sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheese over the cream cheese layer. Then arrange your turkey pieces over the cheese. If you’re using spinach (I usually do because it makes me feel like I’m eating something healthy), layer that over the turkey.
Now spread about ½ cup of cranberry sauce over everything. Don’t use all of it—save some for dipping. Seriously, the extra cranberry sauce on the side is what makes this go from good to AMAZING.
Top with the remaining cup of shredded cheese.
Step 5: Wrap It Up
This part looks complicated but it’s actually super easy. Take each pointed end of the crescent triangles and fold them over the filling toward the center. Tuck the points under the dough on the inside of the ring. Go around the whole circle doing this until all the filling is covered.
Some filling will peek through and that’s totally fine. It’ll look a little messy before it bakes but it comes out beautiful, I promise.
Step 6: Brush with Butter
Mix your melted butter with garlic powder and poppy seeds. Brush this all over the top of the ring. Be generous—this is what gives you that gorgeous golden color.
Step 7: Bake
Bake for 22-25 minutes until the crescent dough is golden brown and cooked through. Mine usually takes 24 minutes but every oven is different, so start checking at 20 minutes.
Let it cool for about 5 minutes before slicing. I know it’s hard to wait but if you cut it too soon, all the cheese will ooze out everywhere. (Ask me how I know.)
Turkey Cranberry Crescent Roll Ring Tips
Use good quality turkey: Leftover Thanksgiving turkey is obviously ideal, but deli turkey from the grocery store works great too. I’ve even used rotisserie chicken when I didn’t have turkey.
Don’t overfill: You’ll be tempted to pile on more filling but resist. Too much and you won’t be able to fold the dough over properly.
Make it ahead: You can assemble this whole turkey cranberry crescent ring appetizer, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours before baking. Just add 5 minutes to the baking time if it’s cold from the fridge.
Switch up the cheese: I’ve tried this with cheddar, Monterey Jack, and even pepper jack. All delicious. The Swiss cheese turkey cranberry crescent ring is my favorite though—something about that nutty flavor just works.
Serve it warm: This is best eaten warm right after baking. You can reheat leftovers in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Leftover Turkey Cranberry Crescent Ring Variations
Want to mix it up? Here are some things I’ve tried:
Add stuffing: Mix in some leftover stuffing with the turkey. It sounds weird but it’s actually really good.
Swap cranberry for brie: If you’re not a cranberry person, use brie cheese and some fig jam instead. Fancy AF.
Make it spicy: Add some jalapeño slices or a drizzle of hot honey on top.
Skip the spinach: My mom hates spinach so I leave it out when she’s coming over. Still delicious.
This simple cranberry turkey crescent ring has saved me so many times when I need something quick but impressive-looking. It’s perfect for using up Thanksgiving leftovers, but honestly? I’ve made it with deli turkey in July just because I was craving it.
The combination of flaky crescent rolls, savory turkey, tangy cranberry sauce, and melted cheese is just chef’s kiss. And the fact that it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish means I can throw it together even on crazy weeknights.
People always ask for the recipe when I bring this to potlucks or holiday parties. I’m like, “It’s literally five ingredients and crescent rolls from a can.” But they’re still impressed, so I’ll take it 😊
Let me know if you try this! And if you have leftover turkey sitting in your fridge right now, this is your sign to make it tonight.
