Leftover Turkey? Messy Turkey Sandwiches

Turkey is a popular food in our house. We sometimes cook it not for the turkey dinner, but for the leftovers. There are SO MANY AMAZING turkey leftover meals out there!

Messy Turkey Sandwiches don't look the prettiest, but they work GREAT as lunches OR dinners! (If Swiss Chalet can have Messy Chicken Sandwiches on the supper menu, you are absolutely within your right to serve these for dinner! Plus, these are much better.)

These open faced sandwiches can be as easy as toasting your bread & topping it with reheated (to a safe temperature) turkey,  & some shredded cheese - popped into the oven under the broiler for a couple minutes, and topped with piping hot gravy - but we like them a tiny bit more dressed up.

Messy Turkey Sandwiches
All quantities are vague & can be increased or decreased, depending on appetites & number of people to feed! This will make 4- 6 single open-faced messy turkey sandwiches.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of leftover turkey, shredded by hand or in countertop blender. Shredding cooked meat in a KitchenAid is amazing and fast. This alone makes a KitchenAid worth the purchase.
• 2 medium onions, diced. As I've said before, a mandolin makes chopping onions SO FAST & relatively tear-free.
• 2 Tbsp of butter, coconut oil, or cooking oil
• 2 cups leftover gravy, or 1 packet of turkey gravy, prepared.
• Optional: a few spoonfuls of leftover stuffing
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese, any kind
• 4-6 slices of bread
• Butter for dressing bread
• Optional: a bit of goat cheese for each sandwich

Directions:

• In a large frying pan or skillet, heat butter/oil over medium heat. Add diced onions, & sautee.  I prefer my onions caramelized: add your onions to the butter/oil, & resist the urge to stir frequently - only every 3-4 minutes, allowing the sugars of the onion to caramelize.  If the pan starts getting too dry & the onions are browning instead of caramelizing, add 1/4 cup of water, and let them be again.
• Once onions are cooked to your liking, add shredded turkey & stir around. Add ~3/4cup gravy (if it's leftovers, you can just scoop up the congealed gravy & add it in. If you have some stuffing to add, now's a good time to do add it.  Mix thoroughly,  let heat & cook for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Butter each slice of bread & place on the cookie sheet. 
• If you like goat cheese (well, even if you DON'T like goat cheese), now is a good time to put some on your bread. 
• Turn on your oven to broil, & slip the cookie sheet of prepared bread into the oven for a few minutes, being careful not to burn your bread. ~4 minutes is usually good in our oven, but my oven is not your oven, so watch your bread!! When the top of the bread/cheese is appropriately toasted, remove.
• Top bread with shredded turkey mixture, and then with cheese. Return to oven to broil another couple minutes, until cheese is bubbling.
• Place on plates, & drown with gravy.

Need another turkey idea? Head over to this incredibly delish, SUPER easy (And VERY impressive-looking) Turkey Cranberry Ring!