If your family traditions are anything like Alexa Mellardo's, Thanksgiving weekend serves as the official kickoff to the holiday season. Every year, 18 of them gather to enjoy a classic feast, including everything from Italian staples like cavatelli with homemade tomato sauce and meatballs, to turkey, sweet potato casserole, and Mellardo's personal favorite: sausage-cranberry stuffing. The best part about their stuffing is that it has a second life as the star ingredient in her mom's leftover stuffing "brunch bake," she says. It takes roughly seven minutes to put together before popping it into the oven to bake. When it's done, Mellardo thinks it delivers an ideal blend of stuffing, egg, and melted cheese. See how to make it at the link in our bio. Story by Alexa Mellardo (Credit: Alexa Mellardo) #thanksgiving #leftovers #stuffing