After Thanksgiving, the question is always what to do with the leftover turkey. These sliders are the answer. Soft Hawaiian rolls are sliced open as one slab and filled with sliced turkey, Havarti cheese, and thick whole-berry cranberry sauce, so every slider has the same sweet and savoury filling. The cheese melts and holds everything together, and a buttery glaze of Dijon, honey, and poppy seeds is brushed over the tops before baking. The whole tray bakes in one pan until it is golden and glossy, and the sliders pull apart one by one. They are easy to serve at a gathering, and they use up turkey fast.
Turkey Cranberry Sliders with Havarti and Dijon Poppy Glaze
Pull-apart sliders with leftover turkey, Havarti and whole-berry cranberry sauce, brushed with a buttery Dijon poppy seed glaze and baked golden in one pan.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly butter a baking dish that fits the rolls snugly.
- Slice the whole slab of rolls in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put the bottom half in the baking dish.
- Lay half the Havarti over the bottom rolls, then the sliced turkey in an even layer, then spoon over the cranberry sauce and spread it gently. Lay the rest of the Havarti on top. The cheese on both sides of the cranberry sauce melts and glues the filling together.
- Place the top half of the rolls over the filling and press down gently.
- Whisk the melted butter, Dijon, honey, poppy seeds, garlic powder, and rosemary in a small bowl. Brush it evenly over the tops of the rolls and let a little run down the sides.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for 5 minutes more, until the tops are golden and glossy and the cheese is melted.
- Check the centre of the tray with a food thermometer — it should reach 74°C (165°F). Leave the sliders to rest for 5 minutes, then pull them apart and serve warm.
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian rolls, joined together — slice them open as one slab, so the sliders stay together in the tray
- 450 g leftover cooked turkey, sliced — any leftover roast turkey works; slice it thin so it layers well
- 150 g Havarti cheese, sliced — layer it under and over the cranberry sauce, so the melted cheese holds the filling together
- 200 g whole-berry cranberry sauce — use thick whole-berry sauce, not runny jelly, or the bottom rolls will go soggy
- 60 g unsalted butter, melted, for the glaze
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, for the glaze
- 1 tablespoon honey, for the glaze
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, for the glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, for the glaze
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped, for the glaze
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly butter a baking dish that fits the rolls snugly.
- Slice the whole slab of rolls in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put the bottom half in the baking dish.
- Lay half the Havarti over the bottom rolls, then the sliced turkey in an even layer, then spoon over the cranberry sauce and spread it gently. Lay the rest of the Havarti on top. The cheese on both sides of the cranberry sauce melts and glues the filling together.
- Place the top half of the rolls over the filling and press down gently.
- Whisk the melted butter, Dijon, honey, poppy seeds, garlic powder, and rosemary in a small bowl. Brush it evenly over the tops of the rolls and let a little run down the sides.
- Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take the foil off and bake for 5 minutes more, until the tops are golden and glossy and the cheese is melted.
- Check the centre of the tray with a food thermometer — it should reach 74°C (165°F). Leave the sliders to rest for 5 minutes, then pull them apart and serve warm.
Mistakes, Substitutions, Serving and Storage
- Common mistakes: using runny cranberry sauce, so the bottom rolls go soggy; baking without foil, so the turkey dries out; using cold turkey straight from the fridge, so the centre stays cold while the tops brown.
- Substitutions: use Swiss or provolone instead of Havarti; use leftover chicken instead of turkey; use any soft dinner rolls if you cannot find Hawaiian rolls, though the sliders will be less sweet.
- Serving ideas: serve warm as a snack after Thanksgiving, at a casual gathering, or as an easy lunch. They go well with a simple salad or a bowl of soup.
- Storage and reheating: refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with foil in the oven at 160°C (325°F) for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not freeze the finished sliders.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Havarti and not Swiss? Havarti melts very smoothly and has a mild, buttery flavour that does not fight the cranberry sauce. It also holds the filling together when it melts on both sides of the sauce.
- Can I use runny cranberry sauce? It is best not to. Thick whole-berry sauce stays where you put it. Runny sauce soaks into the bottom rolls and makes them soggy.
- How do I stop the turkey drying out? Cover the dish with foil for most of the bake. The foil traps steam and keeps the turkey moist while the cheese melts.
- Can I make these ahead? Yes. Assemble the sliders and the glaze up to 1 day ahead, cover, and keep in the fridge. Brush on the glaze just before baking and add 5 minutes to the covered bake time.
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