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November 18, 2021 By Karen 5 Comments

Easy Leftover Turkey Cranberry Sliders

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Turkey cranberry sliders are one of my favorite ways to use leftover turkey and cranberry sauce. In this easy recipe add on swiss cheese, a garlic mustard poppyseed glaze for a turkey slider on Hawaiian rolls you will absolutely love!!

A stack of three turkey cranberry sliders on parchment paper.

This post was originally posted in November 2019 and has been update for content.

If you're lucky enough to have Thanksgiving leftovers in the refrigerator, you may be wondering what to do with it.

While leftover turkey casserole or a leftover turkey soup are always an option, but if you want to do something a little different, you will love our turkey sliders with cranberry sauce!!

Plain turkey sliders on Hawaiian rolls are great, but we're going to add swiss cheese, leftover cranberry sauce and whip up a super quick garlic mustard poppyseed glaze to drizzle over the top!

Are you ready? Let's get started.

Ingredients You Need to Make Turkey Sliders on Hawaiian Bread

Ingredients to make turkey cranberry sliders on the table

To make these leftover turkey sliders you will need:

Hawaiian rolls: These soft, slightly sweet rolls make the best turkey cranberry sliders. Not only is their texture spot on, they are the perfect small size for sliders.

Turkey: Turkey sliders on Hawaiian rolls with cranberry sauce is one of the best and most delicious ways to use up roasted sliced turkey from your holiday meal. But don't worry because you can also make these turkey sliders with sliced deli turkey as well!!

Cranberry sauce: Use up leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving or make a fresh batch here so you can enjoy turkey cranberry sliders any time of the year! Cranberry Orange Sauce is easy to make and the flavors of orange meld well with the other flavors in this slider recipe.

Swiss cheese: The sharp flavors of this white cheese adds a nice flavor to turkey sliders on Hawaiian rolls

Yellow mustard: I prefer the simple flavors of yellow mustard but you can swap it out for dijon mustard for a little bit more spice and a bolder flavor.

How to Make Baked Turkey Cranberry Sliders

Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees.

Remove the Hawaiian rolls from the package and slice them all the way through.

When I am making sliders with regular deli meat, I only cut through the rolls part of the way so the top and bottom stay attached. But because you are working with diced leftover Thanksgiving turkey, they work better fully separated.

This allows the cheese to melt down around the turkey a little better and kind of holds everything into place. But it is completely up to you and will taste equally delicious either way.

Rolls separated and in baking pan to make turkey cranberry sliders
Turkey, cheese and cranberry sauce are layered on top of the rolls

Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick foil, or prepare with baking spray. Place the bottom half of each roll into the prepared baking dish.

You're going to start by evenly spreading the leftover turkey over the rolls. Then, top that with a layer of cranberry sauce followed by a layer of swiss cheese over everything. Complete the sandwiches by placing the buns back on top.

In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, mustard, garlic powder and poppy seeds. 

Making the poppyseed sauce for the turkey sliders
Drizzling the sauce over the turkey sliders before baking

Pour this butter and poppy seed mixture over the top of the buns, and use a brush or spoon to spread evenly over the top. 

Cover the baking dish with foil and bake the turkey cranberry sliders in the oven for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake an additional 3-5 minutes.

The topping on these baked turkey and cranberry sliders will crisp up nicely, but if you don't mind the extra grease... you can add a little more of the sauce when they come out of the oven.

What to Serve With Cranberry Turkey Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls

I always find warm sandwiches a bit more filling and satisfying.

I usually serve two sliders per person, along with some chips, leftover raw veggies from a veggie tray and a nice cold drink.

They're also one of my favorite main dishes to prepare for November and December parties or gatherings around the holidays!

There are so many flavors going on with the sandwich, whatever you decide to serve it with... keep the flavors simple. And don't forget some dessert, such as these delicious Fresh Cranberry Bars or Mini Apple Pies.

If you don't have leftover cranberry sauce, then I suggest making a batch of this Cranberry Orange Sauce to drizzle on the sliced turkey.

My favorite sides for leftover turkey sliders with cranberry:

  • Three Bean Salad
  • Three Ingredient Beetroot and Feta Salad
  • Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
  • Brussel Sprout Salad
  • Vegan Cabbage Soup Recipe

Expert Tips and FAQS

You can use sliced or diced turkey to make a turkey cranberry sandwich or slider. Which ever you choose, try to slice or dice into thin, small pieces.

While my family and I prefer leftover Thanksgiving turkey sliders fresh, hot from the oven, you can also enjoy these turkey and cranberry sliders warm, room temperature or even cold.

Bake up turkey sliders in a single layer in the oven. If they don't fit in your baking pan, you may need to use more than one dish.

What cheese goes best with turkey?

If your not a swiss cheese fan, don't worry! You can still make this recipe and swap out the cheese for one you like. Give muenster, provolone, white cheddar or Gouda a try! You can even make them without cheese for a dairy free turkey slider.

How do you warm up leftover turkey sliders?

Leftover sliders warm up best in the oven. The best way to warm these up is to remove the top piece of bread and place both sides of the slider open face up on a baking sheet. Use

Use a lower temp...about 275 degrees and cook for about 10 minutes, keeping a very close eye on things.

  • Finished turkey cranberry sliders on a piece of parchment ready to eat

Other Chicken and Turkey Recipes

  • Turkey Bacon Wraps
  • Asian Turkey Meatballs
  • Chicken Taco Casserole
  • Chicken Pastina Soup

Did you try this recipe?  Please leave a star rating in the recipe card right below! You can also write a review in the comment section further down the page I always appreciate your feedback. And don’t forget to tag me @freshcoasteats in your photos on social media, I'd love to see your results!

three cranberry turkey sliders baked in the oven.

Turkey Cranberry Sliders

Turkey Cranberry Sliders are made with layers of leftover turkey, cranberry sauce and swiss cheese all served up on Hawaiian rolls and drizzled with a garlic mustard poppyseed glaze.
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baked turkey and cranberry sliders, Turkey Cranberry Sliders, turkey sliders in oven, turkey sliders on hawaiian rolls
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 453kcal
Author: Karen

Ingredients

  • 1 12 count package of hawaiian rolls
  • 3 cups cooked, sliced leftover turkey
  • 1 cup prepared cranberry sauce
  • 6 slices swiss cheese
  • 4 Tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon poppyseeds

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with non-stick foil, or prepare with baking spray. 
  • Separate the Hawaiian Rolls, and place the bottom half of each roll into the prepared baking dish.
  • Layer with turkey, cranberry sauce and cheese then place the top half of the rolls back on top. 
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, mustard, garlic powder and poppy seeds.
  • Pour mixture over the top of the buns, and use a brush or spoon to spread evenly over the top. 
  • Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 3 more minutes, uncovered. Serve immediately

Notes

Expert Tips for Making Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Sauce on Hawaiian Rolls:
You can use sliced or diced turkey to make a turkey cranberry sandwich or slider. Which ever you choose, try to slice or dice into thin, small pieces.
While my family and I prefer leftover Thanksgiving turkey sliders fresh, hot from the oven, you can also enjoy these turkey and cranberry sliders warm, room temperature or even cold.
Bake up turkey sliders in a single layer in the oven. If they don't fit in your baking pan, you may need to use more than one dish.

Nutrition

Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 346mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 422IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 1mg
Pin It and Save It for Later!!Mention @FreshCoastEats or tag #freshcoasteats!

Have you tried this recipe yet? Let me know how you liked it in the comments!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Bob says

    November 23, 2019 at 2:03 pm

    5 stars
    These look like a great idea! Something different than the same old turkey sandwich from the bird on Thanksgiving.

  2. admin says

    November 23, 2019 at 3:36 pm

    Thanks Bob! They are so delicious - can't wait for you to try them!

  3. Melanie says

    November 28, 2019 at 2:47 am

    Looks, smells and tastes amazing!!! Thank you for sharing.

  4. Colleen says

    November 13, 2020 at 8:24 pm

    Can’t wait to try these after Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing .

  5. Dawn says

    November 28, 2021 at 5:27 pm

    5 stars
    These were delicious and the perfect way to use up our leftovers. Everyone loved them!

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Hi, I'm Karen! I’m a food stylist, photographer and recipe developer living in the Great Lakes area with my husband and four kids. I can’t wait for you to try my simple, clean, produce driven recipes inspired by the four seasons 

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