Sweet And Savory Club Sandwich Recipe

Does anybody else look forward to Thanksgiving leftovers more than the Thanksgiving meal itself? Growing up, it seemed like our parents were wizards at making leftovers last, transforming them into new meals day after day. Sure, it's fun enough to eat Thanksgiving dinner twice, but turning the ingredients into something fresh and new? Way better.

One of the most classic leftover revamps is a turkey sandwich. If you were particularly creative (or shameless) you even piled mashed potatoes into the sandwich for some sort of delicious monstrosity. Or maybe you took a more conservative approach, simply stacking leftover turkey into a BLT. This recipe developed with Michelle McGlinn is everything you love about Thanksgiving stacked into a club sandwich. A deli classic, a club is made up of cold cuts, cheese, and toasted bread, then cut into neat little triangles to serve. This recipe highlights candied bacon, sliced turkey, and tart cranberry jam for a sweet and savory sandwich you can enjoy all year long, not just post-Thanksgiving. And no, this one doesn't include mashed potatoes.

Like any club, this sandwich starts with toasted bread. You can use any type of soft loafed bread, though we are partial to classic buttery white. Next, you'll need bacon (we recommend thick-cut), honey, and brown sugar. You'll also need cranberries, sugar, and lemon juice to make a cranberry sauce — or you can use a premade jam, instead. To build the sandwich, you'll just need spinach, tomato, Swiss cheese, and sliced turkey.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with foil.

Arrange bacon on baking sheet.

Add a drizzle of honey to each strip of bacon.

Sprinkle each strip of bacon with brown sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crispy.

In the meantime, make the cranberry sauce. Add cranberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a small saucepan.

Bring to a simmer over medium low heat.

Cook until jammy, about 10 minutes. Add sugar to taste if needed.

Toast the bread.

To assemble the sandwiches, line each piece of bread on one side with cranberry jam.

Add spinach to one piece of bread, then add tomato slices.

Add bacon, then add second piece of bread.

Spread cranberry jam on the top of the second piece of bread.

Add the Swiss cheese on top of the second piece of bread, then add the turkey.

Top with the final third piece of bread.

Add toothpicks to each side and cut across both ways diagonally to serve.

To make this club sandwich with Thanksgiving leftovers, begin the recipe as written, candying the bacon in the oven. Instead of making a homemade cranberry jam, use leftover cranberry sauce. If you usually use the jelly-like canned cranberry sauce, don't worry: You can still use it here. Just heat it in a skillet until jammy, then spread it on toast. If you have any leftover salad, pile that onto the sandwich instead of using fresh spinach.

Then, of course, the turkey — just swap the sliced deli meat with thin slices of your leftovers. For a little more savory flavor, heat up a tablespoon of gravy and spread it over the turkey before pressing on the final piece of bread. And if you really do like to add mashed potatoes to your sandwiches (no judgment here), layer that between the cheese and the turkey. Now stuffing, on the other hand — that's where we'll draw the line.

Because the bread gets soggy as it sits, a club sandwich is best made and eaten fresh. However, since a club sandwich is made up of mostly cold elements, it can be stored after assembly, which still makes it great for prepping ahead. After assembly, slice the sandwich into quarters and hold together using toothpicks. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days in the refrigerator.

Storing a club sandwich is best suited for small amounts of time; for example, if you are packing a lunch in the morning or preparing a picnic a couple hours away. If you have access to a toaster and a few minutes to prepare lunch fresh, we recommend making a batch of bacon and a pot of jam ahead of time, then making the sandwiches fresh before eating for the best, crunchiest results. To serve, pair with homemade potato chips, potato salad, or a loaded minestrone soup.