Collection of Turkey Sandwiches

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less).  Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

The above is an Avocado Swiss Turkey  Sandwich made on San Francisco Sourdough Bread

Turkey sandwiches reign supreme three times a year: at Thanksgiving, often at Christmas, and maybe at Easter. Then it's time for turkey sandwiches. But you can always use roast chicken and eat chicken sandwiches year around.  And for convenience, you can always stop at the deli and pick up some deli chicken, maybe smoked or infused with sun-dried tomato.

But if turkey sandwiches seem boring, they don't have to be. You can get creative with the filling, the bread, or the preparation. Build off of these ideas:

Turkey Sandwiches on Fancy Bread

Make it on homemade bread. Turkey on homemade bread is always better. But consider fancy bread for your turkey.

My favorite bread is Cranberry Nut Bread. It seems like a classic. The cranberries make the bread slightly sweet--like cranberry sauce.  The nuts give it a touch of crunch. Consider a loaf of cranberry nut bread a Thanksgiving essential. 

But don't stop there. Sour Cream Onion Bread is flavorful yet mild. It's a perfect match for a mellow turkey.

My next choice would be Diego's Jalapeno Cheddar Bread. That gives your sandwich a kick that ends boring.

There's more. My next step would be one of the Italian breads, either Italian Cheese and Herb Bread or Zesty Italian Cheese Bread.

Finally, don't overlook Tuscany Tomato Bread. There's not a lot of heat, just a lot of flavor. It's a remarkably good bread that makes memorable sandwiches.

Turkey Sandwich on Cranberry Nut Bread with Lingonberry Jam

Not only is this sandwich made on Cranberry Nut Bread but it's made with lingonberry jam. Lingonberries are cousins to cranberries and taste sour and pungent similar to cranberries but sweeter and not as pungent.  They make fine jam, a great complement to roast turkey. A customer described the taste as "delicious with an interesting, unique taste."  

I like this sandwich, but I like sweet and sour on a sandwich, like Monte Cristo sandwiches. One of my father's favorite sandwiches' was raspberry jam on a cheese sandwich.

• 2 Slices of Cranberry Nut bread
• Sliced Turkey
• 1-2 Slices of Swiss Cheese
• Lettuce (any variety)
• Mayonnaise
• Dijon Mustard
• Lingonberry Jam (Cranberry Sauce also works)

Instructions

1. Spread a generous amount of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on one of the slices of bread.
2. Spread some lingonberry jam on the other slice. Sprinkle salt and pepper to your liking over each slice.
3. Add several slices of turkey to the lingonberry slice of bread. Add a slice or two of Swiss cheese.
4. Add a large handful of lettuce, and top with the other slice of bread. Enjoy!

****************

Turkey Salad Sandwich with Cranberries

If you like chicken salad sandwiches, you’ll like this recipe for turkey salad sandwiches.  The filling is given both flavor and color with the addition of dried cranberries.

This sandwich was made on Buttermilk Wheat Bread. This is how the filling was made.

• 1 cup cooked turkey, chopped
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/2 cup celery, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

****************

Grilled Turkey Sandwiches

This sandwich was made with Alaska Sourdough Bread.

These sandwiches can be made grilled, open-faced, or panini style.  The caramelized onions accent the sandwich as relish might.   The secret ingredient in the sauce is apricot jam.

We used sourdough bread and it was perfect but any quality, hearty bread will work.  These sandwiches would also be good with deli roast beef or ham.

Ingredients

2 large onions cut into slices and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup apricot jam
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash of pepper

12 slices good quality bread (6 thick slices if you are doing open faced sandwiches)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds deli turkey meat
3 medium tomatoes, sliced
1/2 pound Swiss cheese, sliced

Directions

In a skillet, sauté the sliced onions in the butter until translucent.   Add the soy sauce, jam, sugar, vinegar, and water.  Add the garlic powder and ground ginger.  Simmer the mixture until the water has nearly evaporated and the onions are in a caramelized sauce.  Stir in the salt and pepper, adding more to taste.  Set aside.

For open-faced sandwiches cooked in the oven:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place 6 thickly-sliced bread pieces on a large baking sheet.  Spread a layer of onions on each slice.  Top the onions with deli meat, then Swiss cheese, and then slices of tomatoes.  Salt and pepper the tomatoes if desired.  Put the pan of sandwiches in the oven and cook just until the cheese melts and the sandwiches are heated through.

For panini sandwiches:

Set out twelve slices of bread.  Layer the sandwiches as above but add a slice of bread on top of each. Butter both the top and the bottom of the sandwiches and follow the panini pan maker’s instructions to cook.

For grilled sandwiches: 

Make the sandwiches as you would panini sandwiches including buttering the bread. Cook in a skillet or grill pan.

****************

Hot Turkey Sandwich with Cheese Sauce

If a cold turkey sandwich seems boring, try this.

This is a quick and easy main dish.  It’s made with deli roast beef from the grocery store but if you have roast beef left over from Sunday dinner, you can use that.  Be sure and slice it thin.

*********************************

Monte Cristo Turkey Sandwich

This sandwich was dipped in a tempura batter and deep fried. It's made on Buttermilk White Bread.

You can use whatever filling you want.  We’ve even made them with peanut butter and jelly.  But today, we’re using lingonberry jam.

Lingonberries are beautiful bright red berries, a cousin to a cranberry, with a unique, intense flavor.  In Scandinavia, they are used not only as a jam but as a main dish accompaniment as with cranberry sauce or chutney.  Lingonberry jam goes well with both white and red meats.

Traditionally, Monte Cristo sandwiches are dipped in batter, and then fried.  But like most things in cooking, there is a great deal of variation with regional and local favorites.

We know of three ways to make Monte Cristo sandwiches: bake them, deep fry them, and grill them.  I grew up around deep fried Monte Cristo sandwiches, sandwiches that were dipped in a heavy batter and fried until they were crispy.  Especially in the summertime, that seams too heavy.  Recently, we discovered a recipe for baked Monte Cristo sandwiches.  That seems like too much trouble.  It’s easier to grill them.  They are not as crispy as deep fried but they are very good.

If you can make French toast, you can make Monte Cristo sandwiches.  In fact, making a Monte Cristo sandwich on the griddle is no different than making stuffed French toast.

This is a traditional recipe but with lingonberry instead of raspberry jam and grilled instead of deep fried.  The mustard has been omitted.

Ingredients

8 slices hearty bread
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
8 slices of provolone or Swiss cheese
1/3 cup lingonberry jam
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli ham or turkey 

Directions

1. Set aside eight slices of hearty bread.  If all you have is very light bread that may come apart when dipped in the egg mixture, toast the bread.
2. Mix the eggs, milk, salt, and white pepper together in a shallow bowl.
3. Place a slice of cheese on four of the slices.  Spread jam on the four cheese slices.  Cover the jam with the deli ham or turkey.  Add another thin layer of jam, then cheese, and then top with the remaining bread slices to make a sandwich.
4. Heat a griddle or large frying pan.  Melt a little butter just before frying the sandwiches.
5. Dip the sandwiches in the egg mixture, turn the sandwich in the egg mixture, and place the sandwiches on the hot griddle.  Fry as you would a grilled cheese sandwich, turning the sandwich when one side is golden brown.  Serve hot.