Use Up Turkey Leftovers In A Sweet And Savory Club Sandwich

Thanksgiving is over, and now you stand in front of your refrigerator, gazing at heaps of leftovers. The thought of microwaving the same turkey and cranberry sauce meal for the umpteenth time has lost its appeal, yet the guilt of wasting food weighs heavily. According to ReFED, an astonishing 305 million pounds of food are discarded during Thanksgiving in the U.S., underscoring the need for innovative solutions to tackle this issue.

Enter this solution: Use up your turkey, cranberry sauce, and even mashed potato leftovers in a sweet and savory club sandwich. This recipe is a creative creation by Tasting Table's recipe developer, Michelle McGlinn. This versatile and delicious dish is a game-changer, transforming and repurposing your Thanksgiving leftovers into a new delight. 

Crafting a sweet and savory club sandwich with your Thanksgiving leftovers is relatively straightforward. Start with toasted slices of nearly stale bread, preferably white bread like milk bread. Then, layer your fillings of choice to sandwich between two toasted bread slices. McGlinn recommends building the sandwich with bacon and something crunchy like spinach or lettuce, and your turkey and cranberry sauce leftovers. 

Michelle McGlinn's recipe for a sweet and savory club sandwich is a delightful invitation to transform your Thanksgiving leftovers into a gourmet dish, extending beyond the basics and encouraging you to experiment to unlock the full potential of your holiday leftovers. Instead of leftover cranberry sauce, add a layer of velvety mashed potatoes spread on your toasted bread. It will be creamy and comforting. To add another sweet component, use your sweet potatoes or yams, especially if roasted with marshmallows, as a spread instead. 

Don't hesitate to get creative with additional textures. A sprinkle of crispy onions or a scoop of reheated stuffing can add a satisfying crunch. Instead of lettuce or spinach, use up your green beans. And by all means, slather the sandwich with heaps of leftover mouthwatering gravy. This versatile sandwich also accommodates different proteins. If you had ham instead of turkey, add that to the sandwich. Of course, assembling this sweet and savory club sandwich with both layers of ham and turkey is also perfectly fine. 

In the U.S., where food waste is a growing concern, especially during the holidays, reimagining leftovers into exciting new dishes, like this sweet and savory club sandwich, is a small albeit mindful and significant step.