Whether it’s Thanksgiving or Christmas, turkey might just be one of the most loved leftovers. The main reason for that is that it is so versatile. And, what better recipe to enjoy it in, than a turkey and cheese sandwich.
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Not just for leftovers
Actually, such a sandwich does not only use up your leftover meat. You can also add in cranberry sauce and any salad that wasn’t used up for the main event. To make the perfect sandwich, you need the perfect ingredients. Before we take a deep dive into the cheese selection, let’s quickly cover the other components.
What type of bread should you use?
Can’t make a sandwich without bread right? But what type of bread should you use? Firstly, soft white bread or wholemeal bread will work best here. Moreover, a thick, dense bread will hold all the ingredients together better. Also, a thicker crust will elevate the texture of the sandwich should you choose to toast or grill it.
How about condiments?
Before we delve into what cheese goes best with turkey, let’s have a quick look at what else you can add to your sandwich.
Cranberry sauce
Is there anything that goes better with turkey than cranberry sauce? Furthermore, you most probably have some leftover as well right? Indeed, cranberry sauce adds a nice sweetness and a little bit of moisture to day-old turkey.
In case you don’t have any cranberry sauce, any forest berry jams or preserves will work really well too. Just be sure not to spread it too thickly on your bread.
Bacon
Secondly, you’re likely to have some bacon left over as well. This will add some savoury, smoky notes to your meal.
Butter or Mayonnaise
Now this one is really up to your personal preference. Personally, I choose butter because of my Francophile roots. But mayonnaise is also a great spread because it adds moisture and is the perfect vehicle for the other flavours.
Avocado
Is there any food item that screams out hipster more than avocado? In any case, the soft texture provides a nice contrast to the bacon.
Fresh salad
Round up your perfect sandwich with slices of a ripe, juicy tomato and a fresh, crispy lettuce.
Ok, let’s now get to the reason why you’re here. The cheese! As a matter of fact, your cheese selection will depend on how flavoursome your turkey and other ingredients are. For the purpose of this article, we have broken them down into three categories.
Mild, young cheeses
If your turkey is packed with flavour or smoky, a mild young cheese is the best pairing. Indeed, the last thing you want to do here is overload your taste buds.
There are a number of great options and you don’t have to stick to just one cheese. Edam, Monterey Jack and Havarti are great choices for starters. But to truly elevate your turkey, we would recommend Provolone Dolce.
What is Provolone?
Provolone is a pasta filata (stretched curd) cheese that originates from Campania, in southern Italy. Made with full-fat cow’s milk, Provolone is initially too soft to store on shelves.
As such, the affineur hangs the cheese using ropes which lead to its unique shape and appearance. The cheese is then matured for either 2 months (dolce) or 4 months (piccante). As for the flavour, a young Provolone has hints of nuts with savoury undertones and a sweet finish.
Whether you’re having your sandwich fresh or grilled, those cheeses will pair fabulously with your turkey without overpowering it.
Complex, mature cheeses
On the other hand, if your turkey is a bit more subtle, you can add in a slightly more complex cheese. Some great options here include Pecorino Romano, Provolone Piccante, Pepper Jack and our number one pick, Asiago.
Asiago is a mountain style cheese that originates from Veneto in Italy. The pressed version is called Asiago Pressato.
What is Asiago?
Asiago Pressato is a pressed cheese with large but irregular shaped holes. Moreover, its flavour ranges from sweet to buttery and tangy with a slightly salty aftertaste. Because of this, it will truly elevate your turkey sandwich.
Now, a great tip is to combine a couple of slices of one of those complex cheeses with one of the milder ones. Edam and Havarti would work particularly well here. Once again, all of these work great in a grilled sandwich, just expect a slightly looser and runnier texture.
How about blue cheese with turkey?
Are you feeling a little bit more adventurous? Crumble in a mild blue like Gorgonzola Dolce or Cambozola. Those mild blue cheeses are great gateway cheeses for the uninitiated. While they are not as potent as Stilton and Roquefort, they will still add a little bit of spice to your turkey sandwich.
Robust, washed rind cheeses
Now, this is not for the faint hearted. As above, your turkey has to be more on the mild side for this to work. The hardcore cheese lovers and adventurous foodies among you will know your way around washed rind cheeses.
This particular type of cheese is washed in a proprietary solution by the affineur (person who matures cheese) during maturation. The solution can range from brine (salt water) with cultures to an alcoholic beverage like Marc de Bourgogne.
As a result, they tend to have a more robust aroma than unwashed cheeses. And also a more pronounced flavour. Some great semi-hard examples include Gruyère, Raclette and Fontina. But, if you truly want an out-of-this world experience, choose Beaufort.
What is Beaufort?
Beaufort is a French pressed cooked raw milk cheese that originates from the Savoie region. Effectively, it is one of the most regulated cheeses in France with very strict guidelines in place for its production and maturation.
Whether it’s the winter, summer or Alpage (made on mountain tops) variant, Beaufort is the ultimate indulgence. Undoubtedly, it will take your turkey sandwich to new heights! Best enjoyed fresh.
Enjoy the best ever turkey and cheese sandwich
Now that you know what cheese goes best with turkey, you can make a spectacular sandwich with your leftover turkey. What’s your favourite recipe using leftover turkey? Drop us a comment below.
Cheese lover. Scientist. Created a website and a Youtube channel about cheese science because he could not find answers to his questions online.
