Sunday, November 13, 2011

Pulled Turkey Sandwiches with Cranberry BBQ Sauce


One of my favorite things to do is to reinvent leftovers, and one of the best times to do that is Thanksgiving.  For one, just reheating meat and eating it isn't very appetizing to me, plus I would get sooo tired of just eating turkey like that for days on end.  But when I have other options, it makes leftovers exciting.  I will certainly be making this sandwich after Thanksgiving this year.  It is also a double win because it uses leftover cranberry sauce as well.    Actually, it is a triple win because it is also very quick and easy.  Just shred or chop some turkey and whip up this easy BBQ sauce.

I pretty much always make my own BBQ sauce now:  it is easy, cheap, and I like knowing exactly what I'm eating.  For this, you might be tempted to just mix the cranberry sauce into a bottle of  purchased BBQ sauce, but I think it would end up too sweet.  I used my typical BBQ sauce recipe, omitting the molasses and honey, and adding a bit more hot sauce to compensate for the sweetness of the cranberry sauce.  I served this with baked sweet potato fries, and we enjoyed a fun and casual Thanksgiving-esque dinner.


Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas
Turkey Cranchiladas (Pink Parsley)
Leftover Panini (Annie's Eats)
Turkey Tacos with Cranberry Salsa (Simply Recipes)
Turkey Noodle Soup (Smells Like Home)
Turkey Croquettes (Martha Stewart)
Wheatberry & Turkey Salad (The Meaning of Pie)
Turkey a la King (Real Mom Kitchen)


Cranberry BBQ Sauce
adapted from this Easy BBQ Sauce
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 Tbs cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp hot sauce (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2-1 cup cranberry sauce
  • honey (optional)
Whisk together the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl, and add salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk in the cranberry sauce, starting with 1/2 cup and adding more as desired.  I added almost a full cup when I made this. Add additional hot sauce if desired, or honey if you want a sweeter sauce.

Toss with shredded turkey and serve on toasted buns.


16 comments:

Made in Sonoma said...

That looks so great!

MyFudo™ said...

I owe you one...All the while I thought I have everything all prepared. Until I have stumbled upon your blog, I realized I have no back up plan for Thanksgiving leftovers. But now you have solved my problem too...Thanks! I love your post.

Cookbook Queen said...

Love this idea!! Awesome twist on the ordinary Turkey Leftover Sandwich. This needs to happen at my house :)

Nicole, RD said...

I want to make turkey and cranberries just so I can make this. GRRR to never hosting holidays. But a good thing I'm planning a mini-Thanksgiving for hubby and I! :)

Anonymous said...

I have officially found another favorite food blog! Excellent recipes--my mouth is watering and my stomach is growling. Can't wait to get in the kitchen and cook my way through your posts!

Anonymous said...

I looooove barbecue sauce, so cranberry barbecue sauce may just be the best Fall invention EVER. You are so creative, props! and thanks for sharing!

kyleen said...

The cranberry BBQ sounds delicious! I bet it would taste great in all sandwiches and burgers.

Unknown said...

This is a great idea! Perfect Thanksgiving meal with a twist! I'll definitely have this one marked down!

Anonymous said...

That's an awesome idea! I have yet to make my own BBQ Sauce, but I'm definitely flagging this as the inspiration for my first attempt. :)

Shawnda said...

I swear, that picture stopped me in my tracks. Genius idea. I can't wait to have leftover turkey around!

Sarah said...

That looks and sounds so yummy...will definitely be trying this one:)

Quirky Jessi said...

Oh yay, a way to use up some leftover cranberry sauce. I've seen lots of ways to use up things like mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc (pfft, as if there's any left), but hadn't seen much for cranberry sauce, especially not for a savory dish vs using it in a dessert. Yum!

Caitlin said...

Loved this with our smoked turkey leftovers, and it was a great dipping sauce for sweet potato fries!

Christine @ Christine's Kitchen Chronicles said...

How much turkey would you say this sauce covered and how many did it serve?

marla said...

Love this recipe! Will be linking back to this in my upcoming post :)

Unknown said...

I couldn't wait to make this, and finally did this afternoon!! SOOOOO YUMMY!!! LOVE this stuff!! simply put on a bed of spinach on a scrumptious leftover dinner dinner roll with some mashed potatoes and gravy on the side!! thank you for this turkey day leftover recipe!

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