ABC27 WHTM Delicious Thanksgiving leftover sandwich recipes

By Roberta Pescow

It happens every year. The morning after a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration, you wake up, open the refrigerator and are faced with an overwhelming amount of leftover food. Sandwiches are the perfect way to use it up creatively without much additional preparation.

Leftover Combination Sandwiches

If you haven't had time to get to the store the morning after Thanksgiving, here are a few lunchtime ideas for sandwiches that make use of all the food left in your refrigerator:

Thanksgiving Dinner Sandwich on French Bread

1. Butter and oven toast your leftover French (or Italian) bread.

2. Pile on turkey slices, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce to create a hero style sandwich.

3. Warm it up in your conventional oven or microwave.

Toasted Cranberry-Cheese Open Sandwich

1. Toast a slice of leftover bread or a dinner roll and butter it.

2. Spread on leftover cheese from your Thanksgiving appetizers. Brie or Gorgonzola work particularly well for this.

3. Top with leftover cranberry sauce.

American Deli Ideas

Resist the temptation to run out for quick sandwiches rather than even look at those leftovers with these easy deli-inspired ideas:

Turkey BLT

To make this yummy comfort sandwich, you'll need:

Whole wheat bread
Fresh lettuce
Leftover turkey slices
Ripe red tomato slices
Bacon
Mayonnaise

Simply fry the bacon, toast the bread, then assemble the sandwich. For a truly unique BLT, add melted cheddar cheese and crisp green apple slices.

Turkey Reuben

To create this variation of the classic Reuben, start with:

Butter for frying
2 slices of rye bread
Russian dressing, to taste
2 slices of Swiss cheese
3 to 6 slices cooked turkey
Sauerkraut, to taste

1. Butter on side of each slice of bread, and place butter side down on a clean plate or piece of wax paper.

2. Top one slice of bread with slice of cheese and some turkey.

3. Squeeze extra moisture from sauerkraut, and put some on top of the cheese and turkey. Drizzle on some Russian dressing.

4. Cover with remaining turkey and another slice of cheese.

5. Close sandwich with the other slice of bread, butter side out.

6. Grill over medium heat on both buttered sides until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

7. Cut sandwich in half and serve hot.

Turkey Salad Bagel Sandwiches (makes about 5 sandwiches)

This turkey salad takes only a few minutes to prepare after breakfast, and will be all ready for your lunch. Start with:

3 hard-boiled eggs
3 cups cooked turkey, cubed
1 8-ounce jar pickles, chopped
3 tablespoons mustard
½ to 1-cup mayonnaise, to taste
Salt, pepper and onion powder, to taste
Lettuce and tomato slices
5 toasted bagels, any flavor

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 3 hours. Serve on bagels with lettuce and tomato.

Turkey Melt

This hearty sandwich will take the chill out of a raw, winter morning. You'll need:

Mashed potatoes
Brown gravy
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sliced turkey
Pumpernickel bread
Butter

Layer mashed potatoes, gravy, turkey and cheese on bread to form a sandwich. Pan-fry in butter until bread is toasty brown on both sides and cheese is melted.

Indian and Asian Inspired Sandwiches

Give your leftovers the exotic flavors and aromas of the East with these savory sandwiches:

Curried Turkey Sandwich

Mayonnaise, sufficient to coat turkey
Turmeric, to taste
Cumin, to taste
Chopped turkey
Chopped celery
Chapatti or naan bread (Pita is fine if you can't find any Indian bread.)
Stuffing and/or mashed potatoes

Flavor the mayonnaise with spices to taste. Mix in chopped turkey and celery. Serve with leftover stuffing and mashed potatoes on Indian chapatti or naan bread.

Asian Spiced Turkey Sandwich

Cooked turkey, cubed
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon peanut butter
Dash of Asian chili sauce
Grated cucumber and carrots
Whole-wheat wrap

Mix first five ingredients in a bowl and serve on a whole-wheat wrap.

South of the Border Sandwiches

Send your taste buds on a Mexican vacation with some zesty south of the border sandwiches:

Turkey Quesadillas

2 9-inch flour tortillas
Olive oil for frying
4 oz cooked turkey, cut into thin strips
6 tablespoons grated cheddar or jack cheese
Guacamole, salsa and sour cream, to taste

1. Brush non-stick pan with olive oil, and heat on low for about 15 seconds.

2. Place a tortilla in the pan and top with half the cheese, cooking about a minute until the cheese begins to melt.

3. Cover with half the turkey strips and heat an additional 30 seconds.

4. Top with salsa, guacamole, sour cream or a combination.

5. Repeat with second tortilla.

Chipotle Ranch Turkey with Bacon

Sliced Turkey
Bacon
Chipotle ranch salad dressing
Fresh avocado slices
Romaine lettuce leaves
Mexican bolillo bread (A hard roll is fine if you can't find the bolillo.)

Cook the bacon and serve first five ingredients layered on a warm bolillo roll.

European Inspired Sandwiches

For a taste of Europe, try these international sandwich ideas:

Parisian Turkey Sandwich

Croissant
Butter
Thick turkey slices
Gruyere cheese
Cranberry sauce
Grainy mustard
Caramelized onions

To make this sandwich, Spread butter and grainy mustard on both sides of a cut, warm croissant. Fill with turkey slices, Gruyere cheese, cranberry sauce and caramelized onions.

Mediterranean Turkey Flatbread Sandwich

Cubed, cooked turkey
Sun dried tomatoes
Olive oil
Rosemary (fresh or dried)
Goat cheese, crumbled
Large flatbread or focaccia brea

Layer first five ingredients on flatbread and toast open sandwich in oven.

With flavors inspired from worldwide cuisine, leftover Thanksgiving sandwiches are anything but boring.

Resources:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/11/serious-sandwiches-the-ideal-thanksgiving-lef.html

http://www.marthastewart.com/356128/tasty-turkey-leftovers-turkey-banh-mi?czone=food/thanksgiving-center/thanksgiving-center-leftover

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/11/skinny-turkey-cuban-sandwich.html

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/11/recipe-for-turkey-and-guacamole.html

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/annies-turkey-salad/detail.aspx

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