Oh how I love Thanksgiving and all the wonderful flavors of this tasty holiday! These fabulous Turkey, Stuffing & Cranberry Sliders recipe taste just like Thanksgiving- in-a- sammy and makes me very, very happy!
I got the inspiration for this sandwich from Starbucks. They serve a panini sandwich this time of year that has turkey, stuffing & dried cranberries in it. I thought I could take the recipe to another level by making my Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce, taking a sandwich recipe that is already to die for, and switching the sandwich fillings up a bit.
The result was so very yummy. I am going to make these little sliders for our family’s Thanksgiving Day Brunch. They are a great way to get the traditional flavors into a non-traditional meal.
To make this recipe, you simply make your favorite stuffing recipe (mine happens to be the 5- minute- type from a box) and this Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce recipe, have some white turkey breast, swiss cheese, & Hawaiian Rolls on hand, and whip up a zesty butter sauce to brush on top of the sandwiches. You than assemble the sandwiches by slicing the rolls open, adding turkey, stuffing, cheese & cranberry sauce as the filling, adding the top roll, then brushing it with the butter sauce. After just a few minutes in the oven, you have soft,oowy gooey cheesy rolls with a bit of a crispy bottom, as some of the butter sauce drips down the sandwiches and makes the most amazing crust. The sandwiches are soft on top and filled with the savory stuffing, and the sweet but tart surprise of the cranberry sauce is what makes these sandwiches shine. I can’t tell you how wonderful this recipe is! I can’t wait to make them for my guests.
Fabulous Turkey Cranberry Stuffing Sliders
2 packages of King Hawaiian Rolls (12 count each)
2 -7 oz packages sliced turkey breast (about 24 slices) OR (about 2 cups shredded, cooked turkey)
6 slices swiss cheese (cut in 1/4’s)
2 cups stuffing (one box of stuffing usually makes about 3 cups)
1 cup cranberry sauce (I used my Hall Of Fame Cranberry Sauce (recipe below–make ahead and cool to let flavors meld))
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Butter melted
1/2 tablespoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Step 1
Brush 9×13 baking dish with a bit of the butter mixture. Slice rolls in half (keeping them attached to each other while cutting all at once is much easier than slicing each individually) and place bottom of rolls in buttered pan. Place a slice or two of turkey (or layer shredded turkey over rolls evenly) and top with stuffing, layering it evenly over the turkey. Drop small spoonfuls of the cranberry sauce evenly over the stuffing, then add a slice of swiss cheese on top of each roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into the buttered baking dish.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, melted butter, onion powder and Worcestershire sauce.
Step 3
Brush the rest of the sauce over tops of the rolls. Cover with foil.
Step 4
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and the bottom of sandwiches are slightly crisp. Watch closely and avoid over-browning. Serve warm.
HALL OF FAME CRANBERRY SAUCE
1 1/4 cups brown sugar (original recipe calls for white sugar. I was out so I used brown, and it was so delicious that I will always use brown!)
3/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh cranberries
Zest of 1 orange (orange part only)
~In a large saucepan, add sugar, water and spices. Cook, stirring often, until sugar dissolves and syrup comes to a rolling boil, about 3 minutes.
~In a colander, rinse and pick over the cranberries to remove any mushy ones.
~Add cranberries to boiling syrup and continue cooking, uncovered, just until they begin to pop, about 2-3 minutes (set the timer). Be careful not to cook them to long of they will get mushy. I allowed mine to pop quite a bit, as I wanted the syrup to ooze into the cracks to infiltrate the cranberries.
~Remove from heat, stir in the orange zest.
Note: Syrup will thicken and turn a beautiful cranberry color once cooled and refrigerated.
Optional: mash some of the berries, keeping some of them whole. How much to mash? This depends on the consistency you personally like. I like half of them mashed, and half left whole.
~Cool to room temperature, uncovered.
~Ladle into clean jars and refrigerate until serving time.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups of sauce, enough to serve 6-8 people.
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What are your Thanksgiving Day Plans? What is a favorite recipe that you are making or look forward to each year?
