Baked Turkey Cranberry Sliders with Cheddar
These turkey cranberry sliders turn cooked turkey into small oven-baked sandwiches with melted cheddar, tart cranberry sauce, and buttered rolls. Assemble twelve at once in a baking dish, cover them while the filling heats, then uncover briefly to colour the tops. They work for a casual lunch, a game-day tray, or a meal after a holiday roast. The important detail is to heat the middle sandwiches thoroughly without drying out the bread.
Save the slices for these rolls. For the smaller pieces left on the carving board, browse four ways to use leftover turkey.
Start with cooked turkey
Use cooked turkey breast, thigh meat, or a mixture, cut into thin pieces across the grain. Thick chunks make small sandwiches difficult to bite and take longer to reheat. Remove bones, skin, and any hard edges. Measure the turkey after this preparation so each roll receives a similar amount.
If you are preparing turkey specifically for leftovers, my roast turkey with bacon and bread stuffing is one option for the original meal. You can also watch my related Rôti de dinde video. That video demonstrates a turkey roast; the cranberry slider assembly and baking method are the recipe on this page.
Use leftovers that were refrigerated promptly and are still within their safe storage period. Making sandwiches does not restart that period. If the turkey was cooked several days ago, plan to eat the sliders promptly rather than storing the new batch for several more days.
Choose rolls that hold the filling
Small soft dinner rolls are the easiest choice. You need twelve rolls weighing roughly one ounce each, or a little more. Attached pull-apart rolls are convenient, but individual rolls work as well. Choose a baking dish that holds them snugly in a single layer without crushing them; a nine-by-thirteen-inch dish generally gives enough room.
Slice the rolls horizontally with a serrated knife. Keep the bottom layer reasonably thick so cranberry sauce does not soak straight through. If using an attached slab of rolls, cut across the whole slab, then return the top in the same orientation. For individual rolls, arrange the tops beside the bottoms while assembling so they remain paired.
I prefer plain rolls here because the sauce already brings sweetness. Very sweet brioche also works, but it changes the balance. Tough baguette rounds need a different assembly and baking time, so they are not a direct replacement for soft dinner rolls.
Cranberry sauce and cheese
Use a thick cranberry sauce that holds on a spoon. My homemade cranberry sauce can be prepared ahead and chilled before assembling. A loose warm sauce is more likely to soak into the bread. If your sauce has separated in storage, stir it and drain off obvious watery liquid rather than adding everything to the dish.
Mild or medium cheddar melts readily and works with both white and dark turkey meat. Cut thin slices or grate it coarsely. Extremely aged cheddar can separate and become oily, while a thick slab may not melt before the rolls brown. Swiss cheese is a reasonable flavour variation, using the same weight.
The Dijon mustard goes into the butter brushed over the tops. It brings a gentle savoury note without creating a second wet layer inside the sandwich. No additional salt is necessary in the basic recipe because the turkey, rolls, cheese, and mustard already contribute seasoning.
Build an even layer of filling
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the baking dish with parchment, leaving enough overhang to help lift the sandwiches later. Arrange the bottom halves in three rows of four, or another snug layout that suits their shape. Spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the cut sides, right up to the edges without letting it pool between the rolls.
Distribute the turkey in a thin, even layer. Avoid piling most of it in the centre and leaving the outside sandwiches almost empty. Place cheddar over the turkey so it softens into the meat as it melts. The filling should remain low enough for the top rolls to sit securely without being pressed down hard.
Replace the top halves. Melt the butter and whisk in the Dijon mustard, then brush the mixture lightly over the rolls. Use all the measured mixture, spreading it across the tops rather than pouring it into one place. Cover the dish with foil, tenting it slightly so the foil does not stick to the buttered bread.
Heat covered before browning
Bake covered for twenty to twenty-five minutes, then remove the foil and bake another five to ten minutes. The tops should become golden and the cheese should melt. Check a middle sandwich with a food thermometer inserted sideways into the turkey: it must reach 165°F. If it needs longer, cover again to protect the bread and continue heating.
I check the centre rolls because the outer ones usually heat faster. Melted cheese alone does not prove the turkey is hot enough. A tightly packed dish, thicker meat, or a colder starting temperature can extend the baking time. Keep the oven moderate instead of increasing the heat sharply, which would colour the tops before the filling was ready.
Rest the tray for five minutes before separating the sandwiches with a serrated knife. Lift with a spatula, keeping the bottom roll supported. For serving, a whole slider is easy to pick up, while a halved slider shows the turkey, cranberry, and cheese layers clearly.
What to serve alongside
For a simple lunch, pair the sliders with creamy tomato soup or broccoli cheddar soup. A smaller bowl of soup leaves room for two sandwiches without making the meal too heavy. Both are useful choices when serving people at slightly different times.
For a buffet, choose creamy coleslaw or cucumber salad with dill. A mixed green salad with lemon vinaigrette gives a fresher contrast to the buttered rolls. Keep chilled sides refrigerated until you are ready to serve.
If you have more cooked turkey than the recipe needs, set some aside for turkey pot pie. It uses leftovers in a different kind of meal and is a better choice than overfilling these small sandwiches.
For another hot sandwich meal, try my chicken and bacon grilled cheese with pickles. That sandwich cooks in a skillet and offers a savoury alternative when you want a different filling later in the week.
For another lunch that travels well, browse the sandwich and wrap recipes.
Make ahead and storage
Prepare the turkey, sliced cheese, and thick cranberry sauce ahead and keep them refrigerated separately. Assemble shortly before baking for the best bread texture. You can assemble up to four hours ahead, cover, and refrigerate, but the bottom rolls will soften somewhat. Brush with the butter mixture just before the dish goes into the oven.
Refrigerate leftover sliders within two hours. Use within two days, or sooner if the original turkey is already near the end of its storage period. Reheat covered at 325°F until the centre reaches 165°F, then uncover briefly. They are best freshly baked; repeated reheating makes the rolls drier and the cranberry layer wetter.
Can I use chicken? Yes, cooked roast chicken works in the same quantity. Can I use deli turkey? Thinly sliced cooked deli turkey works, though it may be saltier and gives a different texture. Can I double the recipe? Use two dishes rather than stacking the sandwiches, and check the centre of both trays before serving.
Baked Turkey Cranberry Sliders with Cheddar
Ingredients
- 12 small soft dinner rolls about 12 to 15 ounces total
- 3/4 cup thick cranberry sauce chilled
- 12 1/2 ounces cooked turkey thinly sliced or pulled into small pieces
- 6 1/3 ounces mild or medium cheddar thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment. Slice rolls horizontally and arrange the bottoms snugly in a single layer.
- Spread cranberry sauce over the bottom halves. Divide turkey evenly over the sauce, then add the cheddar. Replace the roll tops.
- Melt butter and whisk in Dijon mustard. Brush evenly over the tops. Cover the dish with foil without pressing it onto the bread.
- Bake covered 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes more, until golden and the turkey in a centre sandwich reaches 165°F. Cover again and continue heating if necessary.
- Rest 5 minutes. Cut between rolls and serve warm.
