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The day has come and gone. Your bellies are full. Your kitchen is a wreck. And you have approximately five pounds of turkey, three half eaten pies and copious amounts of green bean casserole left over, all of it just staring at you from within the confines of your fridge, begging to not be wasted. You could of course get ambitious and break out a turkey pot pie with crust made from scratch or whip together a mashed potato croquette chocked full of freshly shredded cheese and other goodies, but I, like so many other people, spend days slaving over the stove, and would prefer to not make another giant mess in my kitchen for at least five days after turkey day.
My favorite way to utilize leftovers is to cram as much of them as possible between two slices of bread. I’ve even been known to sneak a little leftover stuffing inside AND drown the whole mess with warm gravy. But because I know not all of you have an affinity for 1,000 components being smooched together, I kept the leftover count to only two ingredients here. Leftover turkey and cranberry sauce get repurposed in what I like to call the Ultimate Leftover Turkey Club.
We have three slices of toasted bread that are smothered with a cranberry mayo (cranberry sauce + mayo) piled high with turkey, crisp bacon (cooked in the oven to avoid mess), red onion, whatever lettuce you’ve got on hand and shredded cheddar cheese.The middle layer of bread is spread with softened cream cheese and then the process is repeated again. Once everything is assembled, I pop the sandwiches into the oven to quickly re-heat until both cheeses are melted and starting to ooze out the sides. I’ve even tried microwaving each sandwich because I’m impatient and require instant gratification at times, and they were equally as phenomenal.
So do me a favor, don’t dirty up that stove again, make these babies instead!
How Long Will Left Over Turkey Keep?
Your leftovers are safe in the fridge for three to four days.
It should be covered and refrigerated within 2 hours of baking.
What Bread Do You Use For Club Sandwiches?
Toasted white bread is standard for club sandwiches.
But, any bread can be used, whether it is white, wheat, or sourdough.
Will Cranberry Sauce Go With Ham?
Cranberry sauce isn’t just for turkey.
A sweet and tangy cranberry glaze pairs beautifully with succulent ham.
Serve a little cranberry sauce on the side for just that little added “something”.
The Ultimate Leftover Turkey Club
The Ultimate Leftover Turkey Club
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Mayo
- ½ Cup Cranberry Sauce, left over
- 6 Slices Bread, whole-wheat sandwich
- ¾ Pound Turkey, left over
- Lettuce
- 6 Slices Bacon , cooked and cut in half
- ½ Cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
- Red Onion, sliced
- 2 Ounces Cream Cheese, light
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small bowl mix mayo and cranberry sauce together¼ Cup Mayo, ½ Cup Cranberry Sauce
- Spread cranberry mayo on all six pieces of bread.6 Slices Bread
- Pile ¼ of the turkey onto two slices of bread and top with lettuce, followed by 2 slices of bacon, cheddar cheese and red onion.¾ Pound Turkey, 6 Slices Bacon, ½ Cup Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Red Onion
- Place other piece of bread on top, cranberry side down.
- Spread middle piece of bread with one ounce of cream cheese.2 Ounces Cream Cheese
- Top with turkey, followed by lettuce, bacon, cheese and red onion.
- Place toothpicks in corners of sandwich.
- Place on sheet pan and bake until cheese is melted.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Connect with Nicole:
A great way to finish up Thanksgiving turkey! I assembled the sandwiches and put in the oven on a baking sheet. After a while in the oven, the cheese was melted but the bread was just “baked”. When I removed the sandwiches from the oven, buttered the outside slices and grilled in the cast iron skillet, it made a huge difference. I think this recipe would be delicious using leftover roasted pork tenderloin and apricot instead of cranberry. Many possibilites! Thank you for an interesting recipe!
You are totally speaking my language with that pork tenderloin idea! I’m so glad you loved this sandwich and thank you for taking time to give us some feedback!
Against my better judgment I followed this recipe exactly. My sandwiches were sooooo soggy. I would recommend toasting the bread in a toaster first.
Is the bread toasted, and then put into the oven? Or is the bread toasted during the time in the oven? Thanks!
It’s toasted during its time in the oven. Great question!
I wish I eating one of these right now!
This may be the perfect sandwich!!!
Considering I made a whole turkey for 2 people, I have leftovers coming out my eyeballs.
Not that I’m mad about it.
But, these sandwiches TOTALLY NEED TO HAPPEN! Pinned!
Sounds like us! We are generally just us for thanksgiving, although thankfully we have two little ones now which count like half a person considering how little they eat.