Turkey Cranberry Sliders

These Turkey Cranberry Sliders are perfect way to use up leftover turkey over the holiday season and turn them into a delicious flavor packed meal!

Brioche buns are topped with cheese, turkey, cranberry sauce and MORE cheese, then drizzled with a butter mixture for the ultimate slider recipe for the holidays.

I made these leftover turkey cranberry sliders with thanksgiving leftovers. It was just the two of us this year so I had TONS of leftover thanksgiving turkey to use in other recipes.

First, I made Turkey Soup which turned out amazing! Then, I made these turkey sandwiches with more leftover turkey and homemade cranberry sauce.

What I love about this recipe is you can serve it for lunch, dinner or as a snack. If I'm being honest, someone ate them for breakfast one morning too. I'm not naming names but if I was it would rhyme with cubby.

If you get a chance to make these, and I think you should, I recommend double batching them. You are going to want leftovers. Leftovers of leftovers whipped into a whole new meal, that's a win-win situation!

Keep in mind that you can use deli turkey if you don't have leftover turkey on hand. You can also use canned cranberry sauce instead of homemade if you like. We're a judgement free zone here.

Ingredient List:

• Buns - I used store bought brioche buns for this recipe but you can use Hawaiian sweet rolls if you like. Unfortunately, Hawaiian rolls can be a bit difficult to find where I live in Canada. You will need an entire slab of rolls!
• Cheese - For this recipe, I used Swiss cheese for this particular recipe but I often use other cheeses, like provolone cheese, gouda cheese, cheddar cheese, and havarti cheese.
• Turkey - I had tons of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving so that's what I used for these sliders. You can use deli turkey if you like. It's actually a lot easier to layer and cut when made with thinly slices deli turkey.
• Cranberry Sauce - Homemade cranberry sauce is amazing on this but you can easily swap cranberry sauce from a can. Cranberry relish is really good on sliders as well.
• Butter - Salted or unsalted butter works for this one. You can melt it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
• Mustard - I used dijon mustard because the taste and texture is outstanding. Personally, I wouldn't recommend yellow mustard for this one.
• Worcestershire Sauce - This adds a great flavor to the sauce you pour over the sliders before baking.
• Spices and Herbs - Garlic powder and dried basil were the only spice and herb I used. You can mix it up and add other spices if you like. Onion powder is good on sliders.
• Optional - A lot of folks use poppy seeds on sliders. Unfortunately, I cannot eat poppy seeds so I did not use them. If you love them, feel free to add 1 to 2 teaspoons poppy seeds over top of the top bun layer.

How to Make Turkey Cranberry Sliders:

1. To begin, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Next, use a bread knife to slice the buns horizontally and then place them in the baking dish.
4. Add a layer of cheese over top of the bottom buns. I used 6 slices of swiss cheese for this layer.
5. Then, chop or slice the turkey and toss that on top of the cheese layer.
6. Spoon cranberry sauce over top of the turkey layer. Spread as evenly as you can.
7. Next, add another layer of swiss cheese over top. I used 5 slices because my package of cheese was oddly one slice short. Feel free to use 6 slices.
8. Place the top of the buns over top. Press down gently.
9. Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish or small bowl until it is completely smooth. It should only take 30 to 60 seconds.
10. Add the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and ½ of the dried basil to the melted butter. Mix well then pour over the top half of the rolls, or brush it over if you prefer.
11. Cover the baking dish with foil and place in the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or so.
12. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and remove the aluminum foil from it. Place the baking dish back in the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, or until the tops of the sliders are golden brown.
13. Remove the sliders from the oven. Slice them into pieces.
14. Serve!

How to Store Turkey Cranberry Sliders:

To be honest, sliders are best served the day you make them. That said, you can totally store them in the fridge or freezer for later if you like.

Storing Sliders in the Refrigerator:

You can store leftover turkey sliders in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Storing Sliders in the Freezer:

Sliders can be stored in an airtight container or large freezer bag with as much air removed as possible. Store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Honestly, I like to use them up within 2 to 3 months to avoid freezer burn and ensure the flavor is optimal.

How to Reheat Sliders:

Oven Instructions:

1. To begin, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the sliders in a baking pan.
3. Drizzle with about 2 to 4 tablespoons of melted butter.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.
5. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove and cut into pieces.
7. Serve!

Microwave Instructions:

1. First, place the sliders in a microwave safe baking dish or platter.
2. Drizzle sliders with a little bit of melted butter.
3. Place the baking dish in the microwave and cook for about 1 to 3 minutes, depending on how many you are reheating. I recommend checking frequently after the first minute of cooking.
4. Remove from the microwave and cut into pieces.
5. Serve!

Can I use other buns for this recipe?

Yes, you absolutely can use other buns. Use any kind of buns or dinner rolls you have on hand. Whenever I have Kings Hawaiian Rolls I make sliders but they can be really hard to find locally.

Basically, any kind of roll will do.

 

What goes with sliders for dinner?

• Quick and Easy Garlic Fries
• Onion Strings
• Mini Potato Skins
• Bow Tie Pasta Salad
• Aerosmith Potatoes

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