Turkey sandwich

The secrets to making the best-ever leftover turkey sandwich

One of the best things about Christmas is the Boxing Day leftovers. The stress of the big day is over, the summer holidays are in full swing and you’ve finally got time to sit back and enjoy your leftovers in peace. There are plenty of ideas for using leftover turkey but for us, one of the easiest and most delicious is a turkey cranberry sandwich, elevated with a few special ingredients. 

How to store leftover turkey

Before we move on to how to make a turkey sandwich, a word about good food safety. Storing leftover turkey correctly will make it last longer and guard against any bacteria. On Christmas Day, once you’ve served the turkey, don’t leave it out. Cover it and pop it in the fridge. After the meal, take the leftover turkey out of the fridge and cut into slices. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

Gourmet turkey sandwich hints and tips

Now, chances are you’re going to have some other leftovers from Christmas Day: think crusty bread, gourmet cheese and condiments. Check the fridge before you start loading up your sandwich. We think the best bread for a turkey sandwich and the best cheese for a turkey sandwich (and so on) are what you have on hand – but a rustic crusty bread is always good for a cafe-style sandwich. If it’s slightly stale from the day before, just turn your sandwich into a toastie.

We’ve used brie in this turkey sandwich recipe because you probably have some of that left over, too, but you can use just about any cheese you want – think cheddar, camembert or even goat’s cheese. Finally, look at what condiments you opened for the big day for ideas for turkey sandwich toppings. If you served cranberry sauce with the turkey on your festive table, there’s no reason not to turn this into a turkey and cranberry sandwich. There’s really no limit to turkey sandwich ideas at this time of year.

How to serve turkey brie cranberry sandwiches

The answer to this question really depends on how relaxed your post-Christmas celebrations are. If it’s just you at home watching the Boxing Day Test, a cold turkey sandwich will do the trick (or make toastie if your bread is a little dry). If your celebrations are continuing and friends are dropping in, make your cranberry turkey sandwiches part of a platter with other leftover cold meat sandwiches (think ham and roast pork). Just remember though, the name of the game is casual – and using up all of those leftovers.

Other leftover ideas

Don’t restrict leftover turkey to just turkey sandwiches (although we get it – a cranberry brie turkey sandwich is hard to beat). It can also be used in just about any recipe that calls for chicken, including freeform curry pie and mini frittatas. 

Got other meats to use up? For leftover ham, try this Boxing Day sandwich or a Croque Monsieur (which is a fancy French way to say toasted ham sandwich).