Description
Cranberry Turkey Grilled Cheese: A delightful twist on a classic sandwich with roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, and gooey cheese. Perfect for a quick and comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 slices sourdough bread (each about ½-inch/1.3 cm thick)
- 2 tablespoons (28g) butter, softened
- 4 ounces (113g) sliced turkey (leftover roasted turkey or deli turkey)
- 3 tablespoons (45g) cranberry sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 4 ounces (113g) cheese (combination of sharp white cheddar and Gruyère recommended)
- 1 tablespoon (15g) Dijon mustard (optional)
- 1 tablespoon (3g) fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients Start by gathering all your ingredients and having them ready at room temperature. Slice your cheese if not pre-sliced, ensuring pieces are thin enough to melt easily. Pat your turkey slices with a paper towel if they seem moist, as excess moisture can make your sandwich soggy.
- Step 2: Build Your Sandwich Lay out your four bread slices on a clean work surface. Spread the outside of each slice with softened butter, ensuring even coverage all the way to the edges. Flip the slices over and spread a thin layer of cranberry sauce on the inside of each slice. If using Dijon mustard, spread a thin layer on top of the cranberry sauce on two of the bread slices.
- Step 3: Add Cheese and Turkey Place half of your cheese on top of the cranberry sauce on two bread slices. Layer your turkey evenly on top of the cheese. If using fresh thyme, sprinkle it over the turkey now. Add the remaining cheese on top of the turkey, creating a cheese-turkey-cheese stack that will hold everything together when melted.
- Step 4: Complete the Assembly Top each sandwich with the remaining bread slices, cranberry side down, so the buttered sides are facing outward. Press down gently to compact the sandwiches slightly.
- Step 5: Cooking the Perfect Sandwich Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. When the surface is hot, carefully place your cranberry turkey grilled cheese sandwiches in the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side until golden brown, pressing down occasionally with a spatula to ensure even contact with the pan.
- Step 6: Flip and Finish Carefully flip the sandwiches using a spatula, adding a touch more butter to the pan if needed. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the second side is golden brown and the cheese has fully melted. If the bread is browning too quickly but the cheese hasn’t melted, lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid for 30 seconds to trap heat.
- Step 7: Serve Remove your perfectly cooked cranberry turkey grilled cheese sandwiches from the pan and let them rest for 1-2 minutes before slicing diagonally for the most appealing presentation. Serve immediately while hot and crispy.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich
- Calories: 560 calories per serving
- Sugar: 8 grams
- Sodium: 980 mg
- Fat: 32 grams
- Saturated Fat: 19 grams
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 grams
- Trans Fat: 0 grams
- Carbohydrates: 42 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Protein: 27 grams
- Cholesterol: 105 mg