Savory turkey and cranberry crescent ring

 If you’re lucky enough to have Thanksgiving leftovers or, simply in the mood for holiday flavors, this cheesy Turkey Cranberry Crescent Ring is just what the doctor ordered.

Ingredients to Make Turkey Cranberry Crescent Ring Recipe

Crescent rolls are so fun to work with in a variety of ways and they’re no less versatile during the holidays. I use them for appetizers such as bacon spinach crescent pinwheels, snacks like my chicken bacon ranch crescent bombs or holiday brunch Hawaiian pineapple coconut crescent braid. You can use them to make this crescent ring to repurpose leftover turkey or use deli turkey for a tasty starter. Ingredients to make this simple Turkey Cranberry Crescent Ring: (Scroll down for the full printable recipe card.)

• Crescent Rolls: This forms the base of the ring.
• Turkey: One pound leftover turkey or deli turkey.
• Cream Cheese: Four ounces chive and onion cream cheese provides the base to protect the crescent dough from becoming soggy.
• Mustard: Dijon mustard expands the flavor profile.
• Herbs: Three teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary for an earthy flavor.
• Cheese: Two cups Gruyere cheese has a nutty flavor that pairs well with the turkey and cranberries.
• Cranberries: One 14 ounce can of whole berry cranberry sauce.
• Seasoned Butter: Two tablespoons of butter mixed with poppy seeds, granulated garlic and salt for brushing on the crescent ring prior to baking.

How to Make the Best Turkey Cranberry Crescent Ring Recipe

• Crescent Rolls – Unroll the crescent rolls and arrange on a parchment paper lined sheet pan in a circle. The widest portion should be in the middle. Leave the edges overlapping.
• Cream Cheese Layer – In a small bowl, whisk together cream cheese, Dijon and 1 tsp rosemary. Spread this mixture on widest portion of crescent rolls then top with with 1 cup shredded cheese.
• Turkey – You can use Deli turkey or leftover Thanksgiving turkey. This is arranged over cheese, it’s fine if it’s overlapping.
• Cranberry Sauce – Whole berry cranberry sauce works best. Half of the cranberry sauce goes on the crescent ring and the remaining is for serving on the side.
• Shredded Cheese – You can use another variety of cheese in place of Gruyere but it needs to be a sharp flavor to stand out. Sprinkle it over the cranberry sauce to form the edible glue.
• To Assemble – Bring the narrow pointed end of the crescent dough over the entire filling and tuck into place in the center the ring. If the dough tears, pinch it back together.
• Butter Mixture – Mix together melted butter, poppy seeds, garlic and salt. Brush it liberally on the top and sides of crescent dough, turkey and cheese.
• Oven – Bake per the cook time in the recipe until golden brown. Rest on pan for 5 minutes.

Tips for Making Turkey Crescent Ring

• Kitchen Tools You’ll Need: A large sheet pan, small bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a pastry brush and a cheese grater.
• Pinch the Dough if it Tears: Crescent rolls are very forgiving. If they tear while you’re assembling the crescent ring simply pinch the dough back together.
• Use a Ramekin to Evenly Space the Crescent Rolls: You may find it helpful to place a small oven safe bowl or ramekin in the center of the pan to help keep uniformity when forming the dough into a circle. Using an oven safe ramekin means, that it can safely go into the oven while the crescent ring bakes.
• Double The Crescent Rolls: This recipe makes 8 servings. You can easily double the amount by using 2 tubes of crescent rolls to form a larger ring. The concept is exactly the same, evenly space the points of the triangles, pull over the filling and tuck.
• Make-Ahead Tip: This crescent ring can be fully assembled, covered and chilled until baking. Bring it to room temperature then brush with melted butter, sprinkle with the seasonings and bake.
• When to Serve a Turkey Crescent Ring: You can serve this turkey crescent ring as a meal slicing into larger servings with a green salad, leftover stuffing or mashed potatoes. You can also serve it as an appetizer slicing it into thinner 1-inch slices.

Recipe Variations

• Turkey: You can use thinly sliced leftover turkey or deli turkey for this recipe.
• Crescent Rolls: You can use one or two cans of dough, depending on how many servings you need, with no other adjustments. When serving as an appetizer, use two cans for thinner slices that will hold together.
• Cheese: You can use Swiss cheese, monterey jack cheese, havarti or white cheddar cheese in place of Gruyere.
• Cranberry Sauce: You can use honey mustard, whole grain mustard or Dijon mustard in place of cranberry sauce.
• Herbs – Rosemary is outstanding in this crescent ring. It’s in the cream cheese filling and it also doubles as a garnish. You could use a different herb such as thyme or chives, instead.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers: Store leftover crescent ring in an airtight container or wrapped in aluminum foil chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can enjoy it cold, too!
• Reheating: Reheat in a 325°F air fryer or preheat 350°F oven until heated through. You can also reheat in the microwave in single servings.
• Freezer: Freeze leftover turkey crescent ring frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.