Turkey-Brie-Cranberry Sandwich (And More Leftover Turkey Ideas)

Eric and I hosted our first Thanksgiving this year and made our first turkey. I love turkey and was so happy that ours turned out moist and beautiful and delicious. But as much as I was looking forward to eating turkey, I may have been looking forward a bit more to make a turkey-brie-cranberry sandwich with the Thanksgiving leftovers. I'm sure you've seen this sandwich on Pinterest. Well, it's just as delicious as all those pictures would lead you to believe. Even Eric, who isn't a big cranberry sauce fan, loved it. We also tried out a bunch of other wonderful recipes for leftovers. I don't think I could ever get tired of turkey!

1. Turkey-Brie-Cranberry Sandwich

Ingredients:
Leftover turkey breast meat
.67 ounce wedge of brie (or a little more than a tablespoon)
Cranberry sauce
2 slices of sourdough bread
Butter

Directions:
Butter one side of each slice of sourdough bread like you're making a grilled cheese sandwich. Spread the cheese on the unbuttered side of one slice. Add as much or as a little turkey and cranberry sauce as you'd like. Place the second piece of bread on top, butter side up. Over medium-high heat, grill the sandwich in a skillet until golden. Flip and grill other side until golden.

2. French Fried Onion and Bacon Turkey Sandwich
This one may have been Eric's favorite. He eschews onions but absolutely loves french fried onion. We had some leftover from the green bean casserole and he usually put them on his hamburger so I thought I'd try them on a turkey sandwich. Not a healthy sandwich by any means, but pretty damn good.

Ingredients:
2 slices of sandwich bread (toasted or untoasted, Eric likes his toasted)
Leftover turkey
1-2 slices of bacon, cooked
French fried onions
Roma tomato slices
1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
Dijon Mustard

Directions:
Spread the cream cheese on one slice of bread. Then comes turkey, mustard (Eric hates when his mustard touches bread. Is this a thing or just one of his quirks?), bacon, tomatoes, French fried onions, and second piece of bread. If you want the sandwich warmed, you can place it under the broiler for a minute or so.

3. Barbecue Turkey Sandwich
I was looking through the fridge, trying to come up with ideas for all the leftover turkey when I saw the bottle of barbecue sauce and thought: why not? So, so good.

Ingredients:
Sandwich bread or a hamburger bun (toasted or untoasted)
Leftover turkey
Your favorite barbecue sauce
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
You can make this two different ways: stovetop or microwave. For the stovetop: put the turkey and barbecue sauce (use as much or little as you'd like. We tend to go a bit heavy whenever we use barbecue sauce) and stir to coat. Heat over medium heat until meat is hot. Or mix the turkey and barbecue sauce together in microwave-safe bowl and heat until meat is hot. Place the desired amount of turkey on the bread or bun, top with shredded cheese.

4. The Turkey Taco
Eric and I can turn just about any leftover into a taco and it's always good.

Ingredients:
Leftover turkey
Taco seasoning
Tortillas or hard shells
Any of your favorite taco fixings such as:
     Lettuce
     Tomato
     Salsa
     Sour Cream
     Shredded Cheese

Directions:
Toss your leftover turkey with the taco seasoning. Start with a little than add until you have the desired taste. Heat meat in microwave and assemble your taco.

5. The Ultimate Comfort Food Casserole
Just replace the chicken in this recipe with turkey and you have the best casserole ever. I've been making this for years with both turkey and chicken (with turkey is my favorite). Eric is madly in love with this dish, and I've got both my parents and my in-laws hooked on this recipe. Plus, it not only uses up leftover turkey, but leftover green bean casserole and mashed potatoes!

Enjoy!

~Krissy