Turkey and Cranberry Melt

November 28, 2011  •  Sandwiches

For many people, the thrill of Thanksgiving is really all about the leftovers. There are so many things to eat during the actual meal, that it’s hard to really dig into any one thing too much. That’s where the leftovers come in.How did your turkey turn our this year? I couldn’t have been more pleased with my birds. Yes, birds, plural. When I started buying heritage breed turkeys from my friend Dallas (the flavor just cannot be matched, trust me – if you’re in the Denver area check out how you can get your hands on these turkeys for next year) I also started buying two smaller turkeys instead of one huge one. We usually carve one for the meal, then carve the second one to divide up so that everyone has some leftovers. The carcasses go into the refrigerator to make stock the next day.I had alot of people who needed to take leftovers home this year – my sister, who is busy teaching and can always use some prepared food to greet her when she gets home; my good friends who are living in a tiny rental unit with not much of a kitchen while their new home is being built; and plenty of 20-something kids who are always looking for free food. I did manage to stash away one breast half for us to enjoy, along with my cranberry sauce and some leftover gravy. Perfect for an open faced sandwich. Lay thinly sliced turkey on a slice of bread (I had a leftover ciabatta loaf from making my stuffing), top with a nice smear of cranberry sauce, then sprinkle on some grated cheese of your choice (we had some baby Swiss left from a cheese of the month club shipment).Bake for 5-10 minutes until everything is heated through and the cheese has melted, then pour some turkey gravy over the top and enjoy. It’s great comfort food while you’re busy putting up Christmas decorations!

Comments

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  1. Jenny @ Savour the Senses says:

    That turned out great! Kind of regretting not eating any of it!

  2. Barbara | Creative Culinary says:

    You have hit the nail on the head exactly with me Michele. It’s all about the leftovers and for me; I plan in advance for a leftover sandwich I love. Turkey, cream cheese, cranberries, sprouts and sunflower seeds. Just had one for lunch too!

    I did two small turkeys too and will probably always do that now. I deep fried one and smoked the other. Two turkeys and yet still none taking up oven space. So perfect.

    Your sandwich looks great and I need a change of pace!

  3. Boulder Locavore says:

    We are definitely in the ‘leftover zone’. This sandwich sounds great! We just finished up the cranberry sauce or I’d be making it.

    So glad you had a great Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing some leftover inspiration.

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