A Turkey Grilled Cheese is the ultimate comfort food! It's packed with tender slices of leftover turkey, and crispy bacon, with melted, ooey gooey cheese squeezed between two golden brown slices of rustic bread.
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This Turkey Bacon Grilled Cheese it’s a delicious and fun twist on a classic grilled cheese sandwich. Another fun variation on a traditional grilled cheese recipe is my Turkey Cranberry Brie Grilled Cheese (this uses leftover cranberry sauce too) and both of these grilled cheese sandwiches would go great with my Tomato Garlic Soup!
Why this recipe works
A turkey sandwich recipe like this is a great way to use leftovers from a holiday meal like my Slow Cooker Turkey and Stuffing or grab some from the deli turkey. This recipe comes together in minutes and is guaranteed to be a hit with the whole family.
Sandwiches are a favorite of mine that can be served for lunch or dinner. They're the perfect way to feed the family without having to think of new recipes when you can just use leftovers you already have on hand.
Gather the Ingredients
- Condiments: mayo, ketchup and horseradish
- Dill pickle: finely chopped and patted dry with a paper towel
- Spices: smoked paprika and cayenne pepper
- Bacon: I like to use thick cut.
- Bread: I like sourdough but any type of bread is fine.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted is fine, room temperature is easiest to spread.
- Cheese: You can use whatever cheese you prefer.
- Turkey slices: Leftover turkey from my Slow Cooker Turkey Breast or my Brined Turkey Breast.
How to make turkey grilled cheese
- Step 1: In a small mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, pickles, ketchup, horseradish, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Whisk together, cover, and place in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the sandwich.
- Step 2: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the bacon out on a lined baking sheet and bake.
- Step 3: Lay four slices of bread on a cutting board or baking sheet. Butter each slice of bread and place it butter side down on the sheet or board.
- Step 4: Get the sauce from the fridge and spread a thin layer on the dry side of the bread.
- Step 5: Add a slice of cheese.
- Step 6: On two of the four slices of bread, place a few slices of bacon on top of the cheese.
- Step 7: Add slices of turkey on top of the bacon.
- Step 8: Add the top pieces of bread to the sandwiches, making sure the buttered side is facing out.
- Step 9: Heat a skillet and place the sandwich into the skillet. Cook for a few minutes.
- Step 10: Flip the sandwich over to cook the other side until the cheese is melted and the buttered bread has become golden brown and toasted.
Recipe Tips
- Feel free to use different cheeses that you prefer or have on hand. This whole recipe can be changed up and made in different ways to use up leftovers from the fridge.
- I used rustic white bread, but any bread you have will work. Wheat bread or pumpernickel bread will work just fine.
- Instead of oven-baking the bacon, you can pan fry it if that is your preferred way of making bacon. I just find baking in the oven less messy.
- Leftover sandwiches should be stored in an airtight container and should be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The bread may dry out over time in the refrigerator.
Recipe Faq's
Don't have leftover turkey? Just make my Brined Garlic and Herb Turkey Breast and enjoy these sandwiches later using some leftover of that. Additionally, you could use leftover chicken instead of turkey, or use a combination of turkey and chicken.
The options here are endless. You use what you prefer and have available. I used American, but you can use Provolone, cheddar, brie, gouda, swiss, mozzarella, and Havarti. I like to pick a type of cheese that melts well too.
More Sandwich Recipes
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Turkey Bacon grilled Cheese
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup dill pickle finely chopped and patted dry
- 1/8 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 8 slices thick cut bacon
- 8 slices rustic bread lightly toasted
- 4 tablespoons butter softened
- 8 slices American cheese From the deli
- 1 lb leftover sliced turkey
Instructions
- In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, pickles, ketchup, horseradish, paprika and cayenne pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Add the bacon and bake for 15-18 minutes until desired crispiness.
- Butter one side of the bread turn it over and place it on a baking sheet or cutting board.
- Spread a thin layer of sauce on the other side of the bread, followed by a slice of provolone cheese, crispy bacon, turkey another slice of cheese, and the remaining slice of bread.
- Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and place the sandwich into the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.
- Serve with chips or fries!
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