Thanksgiving
Maple-Glazed Leftover Turkey Sandwiches With Cranberry Relish
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 25 minutes
- makes 8 sandwiches
Author Notes
If your family is anything like mine, you’ll have tons of leftovers after Thanksgiving—especially the glorious turkey. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have a mixture of both dark and white meat saved up. Although the dark meat of the turkey typically stays nice and moist, I always find that the breast of the turkey tends to be a bit dry (even more so when you reheat it).
So for this quick and easy Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich, we’re going to revive the drier leftover slices of turkey breast by doing something different: gently warming it in a buttery, almost caramel-like maple glaze.
To top off the sandwiches, I like to spread Arnold®, Brownberry®, and Oroweat® hearty Sweet Multigrain Sandwich Buns with a bright cranberry relish, some creamy brie, and crunchy bread and butter pickles. The cranberry relish gives a nice acidity to the sandwich that cuts the richness of the turkey and the brie, while the sweet bread and butter pickles give a great bite. Everything comes together in 40 minutes—perfect for lazy post-holiday brunches, lunches, and more.
—Catherine Yoo
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is shared in partnership with Arnold®, Brownberry®, and Oroweat®. —The Editors
Ingredients
- For the leftover turkey sandwiches:
-
5 tablespoons
salted butter, divided
-
1/4 cup
plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
-
2 pounds
leftover turkey slices
-
8
Arnold®, Brownberry®, or Oroweat® Sweet Multigrain Sandwich Buns
-
1 pound
Brie, sliced
-
4 tablespoons
mayonnaise
-
Cranberry relish (see below)
-
1
(16-ounce) jar bread and butter pickles, chips
- For the cranberry relish:
-
1
large orange, zested and juiced
-
1
lemon, zested and juiced
-
1/2 cup
dark brown sugar, packed
-
1/8 teaspoon
kosher salt
-
1 pound
frozen cranberries
-
1
whole cinnamon stick
Directions
- Preheat the oven to broil.
- Make the cranberry relish: In a medium pot, combine the juice and zest of the orange, juice and zest of the lemon, dark brown sugar, cranberries, salt, and cinnamon stick over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally and cook until all the cranberries burst, about 7 minutes. Then turn the heat to a low simmer for about 5 minutes, until thick and jammy. Set aside to cool. Once cool, discard the cinnamon stick.
- Prepare the maple-glazed turkey: In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Once melted, add the maple syrup. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until light in color and thick and bubbly, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the turkey and coat evenly in the sauce. Lower the heat to medium-low and heat the turkey in the sauce for about 3 to 4 minutes until warm. Set aside.
- Melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan or the microwave. For each top and bottom bun, brush with ½ tablespoon butter and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Time to assemble the sandwiches: Spread the mayonnaise on the bottom buns and top with turkey slices and brie. Place the bottom halves of the sandwich in the oven on broil for about 2 minutes, or until the brie begins to melt. Meanwhile, spread the cranberry relish on the top bun and layer on a few pickles.
- Once the cheese is melted, remove the bottom buns from the oven and top the sandwiches. Serve, and enjoy.
See what other Food52ers are saying.