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Posted on Thu, Nov 24, 2011 : 4:24 a.m.

Turkey Club Sandwich - this classic double-decker is ideal for Thanksgiving leftovers

By Peggy Lampman

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Turkey Club Sandwich

Peggy Lampman | Contributor

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Peggy Lampman's Thursday dinnerFeed
Happy Thanksgiving!

About now, you may be looking at a picked apart turkey carcass wondering if you should just keep picking at it or be creative with the leftovers. You’re in good company; there are as many recipes devoted to what to do with leftover holiday turkey as there are recipes for cooking the bird itself.

This recipe for a Turkey Club Sandwich is not as fussy as some of those gussied-up Turkey Tetrazzinis, lasagnas and enchiladas, which also make yummy use of the leftover fowl. Yet it's fussy enough for me, especially after having spent the past week cleaning, cooking and organizing for today’s feast.

Up front, let’s get one thing straight. I’m not writing about a sandwich that calls itself a “Club” just because it has a toothpick down the center. Where is your third piece of bread, I wonder. And what’s that? A slice of cheese under shaved deli meat?! Shameful. A traditional Club never includes cheese. A traditional Club Sandwich, as well, insists it include real pieces of roasted turkey, not razor thin slices cut from some reconstituted ball of wax.

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A classic club is a double-decker sandwich; each piece has three layers of bread divided with various ingredients.

If you’re reading this wondering who anointed me the Queen of Clubs, I speak on behalf of Wikipedia, the voice of the people. “A club sandwich, also called a clubhouse sandwich or double-decker, is a sandwich with two layers of fillings between 3 slices of toasted bread. It is often cut into quarters and held together by hor d'oeuvres sticks. The traditional club ingredients are turkey on the bottom layer, and bacon, lettuce and tomato on the top, sometimes specifically named a turkey club.”

I took a wee bit of artistic license, and messed with the order of ingredients, but only very slightly. I placed the bacon beneath the middle bread slice; it was better balanced to my eye. The Pepperidge Farm bread slices I used were small, so I cut them across diagonally, to make triangle halves instead of quarters. I have radishes that need to be used, so I used them for color, spice and crunch. Pitted olives or cornichons would be a fine substitute.

In the sandwich world, the classic club is in its own league. Call it pretentious if you will; a decked-out BLT with a frilly toothpick, as a feather plume perched upon a chapeau. But a classic Club Sandwich is democratic; a sandwich for every man, woman and child. And today, if you've turkey to spare, it offers you an invitation to join the club.

Yield: 3, double-decker sandwiches (6 skewered halves)

Ingredients

9 thin slices of bread (any variety), toasted
2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise, Hellman’s brand preferred
2 heaping tablespoons honey mustard, Honeycup brand preferred
6 (at least 1/4-inch thick) slices turkey, trimmed to accommodate bread triangle
6 pieces fried bacon, each piece cut in half
6 tomato slices, seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 pieces of leafy lettuce or arugula
6 thin slices of radish
6 toothpicks

Directions

1. If your bread is small, cut in half diagonally to make triangles. If using wide slices of bread, cut in quarters. You should have 18 or 36 toasted triangles (quarters).
2. Combine mayonnaise and honey mustard to make a sauce. On one side of a triangle, spread sauce. Place a piece of turkey on sauced side of bread and two bacon pieces over turkey.
3. Spread sauce over both sides of another piece of bread; place over bacon. Place a slice of tomato and greens on top of bread. Spread sauce on one side of another triangle and place sauced side of bread on top of greens.
4.Skewer radish slice into sandwich with a toothpick to secure sandwich. Repeat sequence with remaining ingredients. Serve.

My new web site (packed with holiday recipes) is coming soon! But in the meantime, If you're looking for a specific recipe, click here for dinnerFeed's recipe search engine; type the recipe or ingredient into the search box. I am a real-time food writer and photographer posting daily feeds on my website and in the Food & Drink section of Annarbor.com. You may also e-mail me at peggy@dinnerfeed.com.




Comments

Mary Bilyeu

Thu, Nov 24, 2011 : 2:52 p.m.

Now THIS is what I want!!! Frankly, I want it right now - why bother with the hot meal, I'd rather just move straight on to the perfect sandwich ... :)