Cheesy Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Use up those Thanksgiving leftovers with these easy Cheesy Turkey Cranberry Sliders! Made with sweet Hawaiian rolls, turkey, cheese and more of those delicious leftovers in your fridge, these family friendly sliders couldn’t be easier to whip up and are ready in less than 30 minutes.
I LOVE a good turkey. Whether you’re slow roasting a big one in the oven or making a smaller one in your crockpot, turkey is such a versatile protein that doesn’t get nearly enough recognition!
I have zero shame admitting that my personal favorite part of Thanksgiving (after all of the wonderful family time) is the leftovers!! There’s just something about those flavors, and eating them for the next few days.
However, leftovers can get old fast, especially if you’re struggling for creative ways to repurpose them. Need a new idea for those Thanksgiving leftovers taking up space in your fridge? Try turning them into Cheesy Turkey Cranberry Sliders!
Whether you decide to put this recipe to use immediately on Black Friday, or wait a few days to try it out, you’re sure to love this quick and simple Thanksgiving leftovers recipe. The sweet and savory combo of the turkey and the rolls is SO good! Just 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven and you’re ready to eat.
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Ingredients for Turkey Cranberry Sliders
I am a firm believer in creating recipes for leftovers that use what you already have in your house. If you’re like most of us, Thanksgiving dinner not only leaves you with a good amount of recipes, but also a sizable dent in your monthly food budget.
With that in mind, these sliders only call for a few essential ingredients, and nearly all of them can be easily swapped out for other options if you don’t have something on the list!
Hawaiian slider rolls (you can also use leftover dinner rolls)
Leftover Thanksgiving turkey (you can totally use leftover ham as well!). While this recipe was created with the idea in mind of using up leftovers from Thanksgiving, you can make this recipe any time of the year with your favorite deli meat.
Gravy, but if you don’t have any left don’t stress! These sliders taste amazing without it too.
Cheese. Use whatever cheese you have leftover from Thanksgiving, or your favorite cheese in your fridge! This recipe tastes great with nearly any kind of soft, meltable cheese. I chose to use shredded mild cheddar for this recipe simply because that’s what we had! Swiss cheese, smoked gouda, Havarti cheese or provolone all work great too.
Cranberry sauce. This is not totally essential and it’s fine if you don’t have any!
Dijon or honey Dijon mustard. This isn’t totally essential either, but will be used to mix with the cranberry sauce. Also, if you don’t have any cranberry sauce, you can use a little mustard as a sauce instead, but this is optional.
Butter. You’ll brush the tops of the rolls with butter before baking!
You’ll also need a baking dish. I recommend a 9×13 casserole dish!
How to Make Leftover Turkey Sliders
Looking for an easy Thanksgiving leftovers recipe? These cheesy turkey cranberry sliders are SO easy and the perfect way to repurpose that food.
You’ll start by slicing the entire container of Hawaiian sweet rolls down the middle, creating a top buns sheet and a button buns sheet. Place the bottom half of the Hawaiian rolls into a casserole dish lightly greased with cooking spray.
Next, you’ll begin layering the ingredients. First smear on a light layer of gravy. No gravy left? No problem! Just skip that layer and go straight to the cheese. Layer slices of any kind of cheese you love, or use shredded cheese!
The beauty of this recipe is to utilize the things you already have in your refrigerator for this Thanksgiving leftovers recipe.
After that you’ll add the leftover turkey on top of the cheese. If you have any additional Thanksgiving leftovers you would like to add (like potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese or green bean casserole), you’ll want to add them after the turkey.
Finally, in a small bowl mix together the leftover cranberry sauce and mustard, and spread the sauce mixture over the inside of the top half of the Hawaiian rolls. Use as much or as little as you like!
If you don’t have any cranberry sauce, you can do just the mustard, or even add another thin layer of gravy to the top half of the rolls instead. You can also totally skip the sauce. It’s up to you!
Finally, place the top half of the rolls (cranberry sauce side down) onto the layered sliders in the casserole dish. Use a brush to spread a little melted butter over the top of the buns and then cover with aluminum foil. No pastry brush? Just use a spoon for the melted butter!
If you want a little more kick to the butter sauce, you can add a splash of Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder or poppy seeds to the melted butter before brushing it on.
Pop the entire thing into the oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and let them cook for another 5 minutes until the top of the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the oven, slice into individual sliders and serve warm!
Have extra leftover gravy? Serve it on the side as a great tip for these cranberry turkey sliders! These Thanksgiving leftover sliders is one of my new favorite easy recipes!
How to Use Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey
These turkey and cheese sliders are just one way to use up your Thanksgiving leftovers. If you’re searching for even more ideas, check out the following recipes that call for chopped or shredded chicken, and substitute your leftover Thanksgiving turkey!
Here are a few simple recipes that would work great:
Creamy Garlic White Chicken Lasagna Soup
Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
Southwestern Chicken Burrito Bowls
Tips for the Best Turkey Sliders
This recipe tastes best when eaten immediately after coming out of the oven, as you’re using leftovers. Be sure you cover the casserole dish with foil before baking so that the tops of the buns don’t burn! To help crisp up the sliders a little just remove the foil after that and cook for 5 more minutes.
You can absolutely make these sliders in advance! I don’t recommend assembling them any more than 4 hours before cooking or they might get a little soggy. Just store them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
This cheesy turkey cranberry sliders recipe as written makes 12 sliders and serves 4-6 people: 6 people if everyone eats 2 sliders, and 4 people if everyone eats 3! Need more food to feed a crowd? Just double the recipe and cook another batch in another casserole dish.
You can easily create this recipe for game day by grabbing store bought sliced deli turkey breast at the grocery store (or even substituting leftover rotisserie chicken).
More Fall Favorites to Enjoy
Easy Crockpot Sausage & Tortellini Soup
Bacon Cheeseburger Pull-Apart Sliders
Simple and Easy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
If you try this cranberry turkey sliders recipe, let me know! Leave a comment and if your family loves it as much as mine does, be sure to give it a five star ⭐️ rating!
Cheesy Cranberry Turkey Sliders
Use up those Thanksgiving leftovers with these easy Cheesy Turkey Cranberry Sliders! Made with sweet Hawaiian rolls, turkey, cheese and more of those delicious leftovers in your fridge, these family friendly sliders couldn’t be easier to whip up and are ready in less than 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover turkey, chopped or in slices (or thick cut turkey deli meat)
- 6 large slices cheese or a cup of shredded cheese (provolone, cheddar, Havarti or gouda all are great)
- 2/3 cup cranberry relish or sauce
- 2/3 cup gravy
- 2 Tablespoons honey Dijon mustard
- 12 pack Hawaiian dinner rolls
- 3 Tablespoons of melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°.
- Slice the entire container of Hawaiian rolls in half while
keeping all of the buns attached to one another. Remove the top half of the
buns and set aside. - Place the bottom half of the buns in a lightly greased 9x13 casserole
dish. Use a spoon or pastry brush to cover the bottom half of the buns in the
gravy. - Add the cheese slices or shredded cheese, and then the
turkey, being sure to evenly distribute it. If you have any additional Thanksgiving
leftovers you would like to add (like potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese
or green bean casserole), you’ll want to add them after the turkey. - In a small bowl, mix together the cranberry sauce and
mustard. Spread the sauce mixture over the inside of the top half of the Hawaiian
rolls that you set aside earlier. - Place the top half of the rolls (cranberry sauce side down)
onto the layered sliders in the casserole dish. - Use a brush or spoon to spread the melted butter over the
top of the rolls and then cover with aluminum foil. - Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Remove the tinfoil from the top
of the pan and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, slice
into individual sliders and serve immediately!
Notes
- Measurements for turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy and cheese are all
approximate. Use your preferred amounts for your sliders! - No gravy left? No problem! Just skip that layer and go straight to the cheese. Layer slices of any kind of cheese you love, or use shredded cheese! The beauty of this recipe is to utilize the things you already have in your refrigerator for this Thanksgiving leftovers recipe.
- If you don’t have any cranberry sauce, you can do just the mustard, or even add another thin layer of gravy to the top half of the rolls instead. You can also totally skip the sauce. It’s up to you!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 2 SlidersAmount Per Serving: Calories: 160Total Fat: 10.8gCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 13g
Cheesy Turkey Cranberry Sliders are a quick, delicious and easy way to use up some of those Thanksgiving leftovers! If you have any other delicious ways that you love to use up leftover turkey, please let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! Let me know what you think about these turkey sandwiches!
