Give French Toast A Sweet Fall Upgrade With Pumpkin Pie Filling And This Holiday Dinner Staple

When we think of Thanksgiving leftovers, our minds often go to the turkey, ham, stuffing, and potatoes that don't get eaten, and the various lunches, dinners, and snacks we might make with them. But there is definitely room for breakfast with your holiday leftovers, too, particularly with those popular and sweet Hawaiian-style dinner rolls that appear all season long. They can become the most indulgent and delicious pumpkin French toast, and you don't even have to cut them up into slices or pieces. 

To make this breakfast treat, make a simple custard with milk or cream, sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and some spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice. Pierce several holes in your Hawaiian rolls with a fork or toothpick, and then dunk and submerge each roll in the mixture to soak up some of the custard. In a hot pan with melted butter, fry each side of the rolls until they're golden brown all around. Brush the finished rolls all over with melted butter and coat them in a cinnamon sugar mixture. At this point, they are ready to be enjoyed, but you can further sweeten them with syrup, honey, whipped cream, or pumpkin butter.

You could use any of the other kinds of leftover dinner rolls to make this unique pumpkin French toast, but the Hawaiian rolls work particularly well because they are square in shape, and therefore much easier to thoroughly brown on each side. And because these rolls are already sweet, they are also naturally delicious, thanks to the pumpkin and sugar in the recipe. For extra flavor, consider stuffing the middle of each roll with another ingredient. A sweetened cream cheese filling will give you pumpkin cheesecake vibes, and squeezing some cranberry sauce (another discounted holiday leftover) in the middle adds a tart surprise and lovely color to each roll.

If you like a sweet and savory combination first thing in the morning (like pancakes with bacon), place a link of cooked sausage, trimmed to fit, in your pumpkin French toast rolls. To add some crunch, sprinkle your rolls with candied pecans, walnuts, or pepitas, which will add a boost of protein as well. And if you're looking for additional ways to use those leftovers, Hawaiian rolls can also be transformed into wonderful cinnamon rolls in just a few steps.