This easy recipe for a pesto Turkey Bacon Sandwich is a delicious and simple way to use up leftover turkey. This recipe creates a completely new and exciting dish with turkey and pesto that the whole family will love.
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When you can’t eat one more boring leftover turkey sandwich, this turkey, bacon, and pesto showstopper is here to save the day.
It tastes like an entirely new take on leftovers, and in our family, it is called “the fancy restaurant sandwich”. It.Is.So.Good.
Ingredients and Variations
- Leftover turkey – aim for thicker slices if possible, or use multiple thinner slices. White or dark meat both work for this Thanksgiving sandwich.
- Sauce – I used some of our homemade pesto mayo for an exciting zip of flavor.
- Cheese – provolone is my go-to.
- Bread – focaccia, rolls, ciabatta, brioche, or sliced bread all work. If your bread is on the large side, you may need more of each ingredient to fill the space. You could even use leftover Stuffing Biscuits!
- Greens – butter lettuce or arugula is my favorite, but use whatever you have on hand. Sprouts work great too.
- Bacon – already cooked and deliciously crispy. Pro tip: make a lot of bacon at once for meal prep. Check out our post on how to bake bacon.
- A little olive oil for the bread.
- Tomato – something firm and good for slicing!
But don’t stop there! Add some sundried tomatoes, sliced avocado, or pickled shallots. Make this sandwich your own.
Frequently Answered Questions
Homemade pesto mayo is incredible on turkey sandwiches. If you’re going for a Thanksgiving sandwich, a smear of gravy is a great addition.
For a traditional turkey sandwich, plain mayo, hummus, or dijon mustard are classics.
Provolone, Swiss, mozzarella, or another light cheese are all delicious on a leftover turkey sandwich.
If you’re making a traditional turkey sandwich, it’s hard to beat medium or aged sharp cheddar.
Absolutely! Use your favorite gluten-free bread, rolls, or biscuits.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- No leftover turkey? Feel free to use leftover dry-brined chicken, no breading air fryer chicken tenders, or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- This recipe is for one leftover turkey sandwich, but it’s easy to increase the ingredients for making multiple sandwiches.
- If you buy or make pesto (related: Pesto Without Pine Nuts or Vegan Pesto), it doesn’t last in the fridge for very long. Check out our post on how to freeze pesto for tips on preserving it. I prefer to use the 2 tbsp size Souper Cubes for freezing mine.
Turkey Bacon Sandwich
Ingredients
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix pesto and mayo until combined. Set aside.1 tsp pesto, 1 tsp mayo
- Preheat cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Brush 2 slices of Focaccia bread with olive oil on 1 side on each slice.2 slices focaccia bread, leftover rolls, or leftover biscuits, 1 tsp olive oil
- Place bread, olive oil side down on the cast iron skillet, and toast until bread is lightly-browned.
- Spread pesto mayo over the toasted sides of both slices.
- Top 1 slice of the toasted bread with provolone, turkey, tomato, bacon, and greens. Place the other side of bread on top.2 slices leftover turkey, 1 slice provolone, 2 slices tomato, 2 slices bacon, handful of greens
- Return the sandwich to the cast iron skillet over medium-low heat and toast until the provolone is getting melty and the turkey is warmed through.
Notes
- No leftover turkey? Feel free to use leftover roast chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken.
- This recipe is for one leftover turkey sandwich, but it’s easy to increase the ingredients for making multiple sandwiches.
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