Use up your leftover turkey and cranberry sauce with this unique, sophisticated, and delicious Leftover Turkey Brie Panini! Cranberry aioli, fresh green apples, fig spread, and ooey gooey melted brie cheese join together to treat your taste buds to a sensational experience! One of the best things about a holiday meal is the leftovers, but especially turkey sandwiches! But a leftover turkey sandwich on a panini press? Now that is something to get really excited about. And this Turkey Apple Brie Sandwich is definitely leftover excitement worthy!
This Turkey Panini was inspired by a Chicken sandwich I had at Earl's restaurant years ago. It had a creamy garlic aioli, Brie cheese, fig spread, and apples, and it was divine! I kept going back, hoping it was on their menu, but it never was. So, I had to create my own version of that sandwich. This turkey and cranberry sandwich is a great recipe for using up those Thanksgiving leftovers or Christmas turkey dinner leftovers!
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If you LOVE paninis and are looking for more ideas, check out this Turkey Reuben Panini Recipe and this Buffalo Chicken Panini!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
This Turkey Panini recipe is the ultimate in sweet and savory. It features apple and fig, which are truly meant to be together, by the way. I discovered fig spread several years ago when I was trying to recreate a delicious chicken burger I had at Earl's restaurant. Then you add in the sweet and savory cranberry aioli (you can use homemade cranberry sauce or canned), turkey, ooey gooey creamy brie cheese, and you have yourself a turkey Panini sandwich that is second only to Christmas turkey dinner!
If you are not sure what to do with your holiday leftovers and are looking for a turkey panini recipe, then this is a great sandwich!
- Brie cheese. I use Brie because it pairs so well with both turkey and the tart flavor of green apples.
- Green apples. Granny Smith apples are ideal for this sandwich because they hold their shape and add sweet-tart notes to savory meat like turkey.
- Fig spread (affiliate link). Fig spread is mild, fruity, and sweet, and pairs perfectly with apples and turkey.
- Cranberry Aioli recipe. The original sandwich that inspired this recipe had an aioli that paired perfectly with the fig spread, apple, and brie. I have kicked it up a flavor notch by using a cranberry aioli (that also uses up leftover cranberry sauce).
*Please see recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Turkey - you could use deli turkey if you don't have leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken
- Bread - I use rye bread, but you could use another type of bread, such as sourdough bread
- Fig Spread - You can use fig jam, or you could use apricot jam, prune jam, or date jam as a substitute
- Cheese - you could substitute Swiss cheese, Provolone, or sharp Cheddar cheese for Brie
- Apples -I use tart green apples, like Granny Smith apples. You can use another type of apple, but I find these hold up best
- Add-ins - add some homemade pesto (or store-bought pesto) or crispy bacon
🔪 How to Make a Turkey Brie Panini
- Mix ingredients for Cosmo Cranberry Aioli. On one half slice of bread, add 1 tablespoon of Cosmo cranberry aioli, then 1 tablespoon of fig spread on the other.
- Then add ¼ of the turkey to the slice with the fig spread. Next, place slices of apple (circles/rings over slices of turkey), then add ¼ of of brie cheese. Place the cranberry aioli side slice of bread on top of the other slice (with meat, apples, and brie). Repeat for the remaining 3 sandwiches.
- Place the slices of bread with cranberry aioli on the side of the bread with turkey, apple, and cheese.
- Place the sandwich on top of hot panini grill and cook until ready and cheese is melted. *Note: You can make this sandwich on a stovetop in a frying pan, as you would a grilled cheese sandwich, if you do not have a panini press.
Top tip
You CAN eat the rind from brie cheese (it's actually meant to be eaten), but if you want to remove the rind, the easiest way to do this is to:
- Use a vegetable peeler for the edges
- Use a knife for the top (but you will lose some of the cheese)
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature Brie for easier slicing and melting. Cold brie can be difficult to slice and may not melt as evenly. Let it sit out for about 15-20 minutes before assembling your sandwich.
- Slice apples into rings for even coverage. Cutting the apples into rings (instead of wedges) helps them lay flat and gives you consistent bites of apple in every mouthful.
- Preheat your panini press or skillet thoroughly. A hot grill ensures the bread gets those golden, crispy grill marks and helps the cheese melt quickly without over-drying the turkey
- Don't overload the sandwich.Less is more when it comes to paninis. Overstuffing can lead to ingredients falling out or the sandwich not pressing properly.
- Spread the sauces edge to edge. To get flavor in every bite, make sure you spread both the cranberry aioli and fig spread all the way to the edges of the bread.
- Flip halfway if using a stovetop skillet. If you're not using a panini press, remember to flip the sandwich halfway through cooking and press it down gently with a spatula for even crisping.
- Chill the brie slightly if removing the rind. If you prefer to remove the brie rind, slightly chilled cheese is easier to handle without getting too soft or sticky.
- Choose sturdy bread. Rye is a great option, but whatever bread you use, make sure it's dense and firm enough to hold the fillings without getting soggy.
🥗 What to Eat with Turkey Brie Panini Sandwiches
This Leftover turkey sandwich pairs well with veggie sides like Quick Cucumber Kimchi, Skinny Coleslaw Recipe, or vegetable fries such as Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Mayo Dip (shown), Air Fryer Carrot Fries, or Air Fryer Parsnip Fries!
🌡️Storage
This turkey cranberry brie panini does not hold up well in the fridge after it's made. However, you can prep all the ingredients for it (and store them in separate airtight containers) for up to 3 days.
I do not recommend freezing it.
🍽 Equipment
I don't know what it is about the panini press, but it makes sandwiches good. It transforms a boring old, cold sandwich into a melty delight! I really think the magic is in the melty. Melty cheese just makes everything better, and when it's Brie cheese, well, need I say more?
You don't have to make this Turkey Panini on a panini maker, but if you want those little grill marks, you'll need to. If you don't have a Panini press, I suggest you get one - you will not regret it! I have this Breville Panini Press, is one of the best ever investments I have ever made. You could also use a sandwich press or another type of indoor grill, such as a George Foreman grill or a stovetop grill pan (affiliate links).
👪 Serving size
This turkey panini recipe makes 4 panini sandwiches. However, you can half, double, or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving size in the recipe card. Select the number of servings you'd like, and the quantities will adjust accordingly.
So if you are lucky enough to have leftover turkey and cranberry sauce, use it up with this unique, sophisticated, and delicious Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich!
❔Recipe FAQs
Absolutely. Deli-style turkey works great as a substitute when you don't have leftovers on hand. It won't have the same roasted flavor, but it still makes a delicious sandwich.
Reheat on a skillet over medium-low heat or in a toaster oven until the cheese is melted and the bread is crispy again. Avoid the microwave, as it can make the bread soggy.
You can, but it adds a lovely tangy-sweet flavor. If you'd like a simpler version, try just cranberry sauce or mix mayo with cranberry sauce for a quick aioli alternative.
The bold flavors in this hot sandwich ( with turkey, cranberry aioli, fresh green apples, fig spread, and ooey-gooey melted brie cheese) come together to treat your taste buds to a sensational experience! And if you're looking for even more leftover turkey recipes, give my Leftover Turkey Enchiladas and my Turkey Brie Crostini a try!
And if you still have extra cranberry sauce after making this panini, try using it in these easy and delicious Leftover Cranberry Sauce Cornbread Muffins.
And if you're looking for more sandwich recipes, try my Mediterranean Monte Cristo Sandwich!
🎄More Holiday Leftover Recipes
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📋 Leftover Turkey Panini (with Cranberry and Brie)
Ingredients
- 8 rye bread slices
- 10 oz leftover oven roasted turkey ( or substitute turkey deli sandwich meat)
- 6 oz Brie cheese (wheel) 170 g wheel
- 2 granny smith apples cored and peeled, cut into circles/rings
- 4 tablespoon Fig spread
- 4 tablespoon Cosmo cranberry aioli https://foodmeanderings.com/cranberry-aioli/
Instructions
- Mix ingredients for Cosmo Cranberry Aioli
- On one slice of bread, add 1 tablespoon cosmo cranberry aioli, then 1 tablespoon fig spread on the other slice of bread.
- Then add ¼ of the turkey to the slice with fig spread. Next place apple circles/rings over turkey, then add ¼ of of brie cheese.
- Place the cranberry aioli side slice of bread on top of the other slice (with meat, apples and brie). Repeat for remaining 3 sandwiches.
- Place the piece of bread with cranberry aioli on the side of the bread with turkey, apple and cheese.
- Place the sandwich on top of hot panini grill.*Note: You can make this sandwich on a stove top in a frying pan, as you would a grilled cheese sandwich, if you do not have a panini press.
- Place the cover down on the top of the sandwich and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until top is browned and cheese is melted.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Use room temperature Brie for easier slicing and melting. Cold brie can be difficult to slice and may not melt as evenly. Let it sit out for about 15-20 minutes before assembling your sandwich.
- Slice apples into rings for even coverage. Cutting the apples into rings (instead of wedges) helps them lay flat and gives you consistent bites of apple in every mouthful.
- Preheat your panini press or skillet thoroughly. A hot grill ensures the bread gets those golden, crispy grill marks and helps the cheese melt quickly without over-drying the turkey
- Don't overload the sandwich.Less is more when it comes to paninis. Overstuffing can lead to ingredients falling out or the sandwich not pressing properly.
- Spread the sauces edge to edge. To get flavor in every bite, make sure you spread both the cranberry aioli and fig spread all the way to the edges of the bread.
- Flip halfway if using a stovetop skillet. If you're not using a panini press, remember to flip the sandwich halfway through cooking and press it down gently with a spatula for even crisping.
- Chill the brie slightly if removing the rind. If you prefer to remove the brie rind, slightly chilled cheese is easier to handle without getting too soft or sticky.
- Choose sturdy bread. Rye is a great option, but whatever bread you use, make sure it's dense and firm enough to hold the fillings without getting soggy.
MariaMay
nice post
Terri Gilson
Thanks Maria May 🙂
Karly
Any panini that includes a whole heck of a lot of melted brie is a winning panini in my book. This looks absolutely to die for- the perfect lunch sammie!
Terri Gilson
Hi Karly- thanks! I hope you enjoy it!