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thanksdiggity!

Recipe: turkey cranberry green chile sandwich

Hey, it’s Elastic Waistband Day Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving, good people of the interwebs! Our day is going to be filled with non-Thanksgiving activities like hitting the backcountry, eating miso black cod, cleaning the house, playing with Kaweah. Despite the voluntary lack of the turkey feast, this holiday – for me – is ALL about giving thanks.


thankful for sunsets (and sunrises)



I’m in a different place than where I used to be on Thanksgivings past. It used to be that we’d contemplate what we were thankful for as the holiday neared. We’d write lists in school and bring them home for our parents to read. Now, my life’s experiences have put me in a mindset that is ever-grateful for being alive, for having my health, for my loved ones, for my community, for this community, for the beautiful world around me. And even though Grandma and Kris are no longer here, I’m am so very very thankful that they were such important parts of my life. It doesn’t matter if it is Thanksgiving or the first day of Spring – I give thanks daily. It’s kind of like Thanksgiving every day without the feasting.

thankful for this little goofball

my pup romping in the snow



So yeah, I dissed Thanksgiving dinner again this year. The only thing I made that is remotely Thanksgiving is the cranberry sauce, because it goes with everything. While people at the store were picking up a whole turkey, I was the only one getting sliced turkey for sandwiches. That’s right… just because I didn’t roast a bird this year doesn’t mean I have to go without the sandwich. You know of what I speak.

turkey, bread, cheese, green chiles, cranberry sauce (hells yeah!)

slice some good bread



Leftovers. Chances are good that you’ll have leftover turkey and that can be a wonderful thing in my book. Definitely use that carcass for turkey broth. But back to sandwiches: use that turkey for some sandwich action, won’t you? Turkey reubens, open faced hot turkey sandwiches, turkey BLTs, and why not a grilled turkey and Swiss with cranberry sauce and roasted green chiles?

butter the bread

set on a hot skillet



I was already there with the grilled turkey and Swiss with cranberry sauce. It was Jeremy who suggested the addition of roasted green chiles because 1) we have a lot in our freezer and 2) he’s a New Mexico native. The sandwich had the creamy, salty, tangy, sweet, and now we added spicy. We could all use a little more spice in our lives.

melt the cheese without burning the bread

slather on that cranberry sauce



I can’t believe I had never thought to add roasted green chiles to this sandwich. Most turkey sandwiches make me sleepy, but the extra little zing in this one livens it up nicely. [If you didn’t score Hatch green chiles during the harvest, you can probably purchase roasted green chiles in the can or if you’re lucky – frozen. If you can’t find any, a Google search on hatch green chiles will bring up some vendors from New Mexico who will ship them frozen. I love the Big Jims.] It’s a great way to put a dent in those leftovers, but I wouldn’t let the holiday dictate when to make this sandwich – you can make it any time. Happy Thanksgiving!!

pretty strata of colors

and some extra cranberry sauce on the side



Turkey Cranberry Green Chile Sandwich
[print recipe]

butter
2 slices bread, your choice (I used French bread)
1-2 slices Swiss cheese (or any cheese you like)
2-3 roasted Hatch green chiles, peeled and seeded
2-3 slices turkey breast
1/4 cup cranberry sauce

Heat a skillet on medium flame. Butter one side of each piece of bread and place the buttered side down on the skillet. Lay the cheese on top of one slice of bread, then layer the green chiles on top of the cheese. Place the turkey on top of the other slice of bread. Monitor the bread bottoms – they should turn golden, but not black. Meanwhile, the cheese should be melting too. Ideally, you want the cheese to be melted when the bread has turned a deep golden brown. Remove the sandwich from the pan and spread cranberry sauce on the turkey (or under the turkey – I like it on my bread). Serve hot. Makes one sandwich.

22 nibbles at “thanksdiggity!”

  1. Rosa says:

    Happy Thanksgiving!

    That is a beautiful sandwich!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  2. Debbie says:

    Have a wonderful Thanksgiving day!

  3. melanie says:

    Happy Thanksgiving ! Thank-you for all the great posts and amazing photos ! Cheers !

  4. Elle says:

    Happy Thanksgiving, Jen! I’m thankful for the day I first came across your blog. You’ve got a truly inspirational story (and the fantastic recipes and photos don’t hurt either)!

  5. Judy says:

    Have a wonderful day! Love the addition of green chiles. (Uncle Bill and I are back in touch now, by the way.)

  6. nicole downey says:

    came searching for candied pecans, saw this sandwich. woah! this looks good. hope you are having a good day on the slopes!

  7. vanillasugarblog says:

    it’s all about that cranberry sauce
    so glad you did a little extra something something on the side. oh yeah
    happy thanksgiving to you as well.

  8. Kristin says:

    Yum, yum, yum!! Happy Thanksgiving!

  9. Tia says:

    Love the pics of your dog! How gorgeous!

  10. ARC says:

    Nice! I like the idea of a low-key Thanksgiving meal. Too bad we’re not having that here, but a girl can dream :) We were in AZ during the Hatch chile season and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t bring any home…

  11. Rumpy Drummond says:

    Oh man, that sounds yummy!

  12. The Dinner Belle for Kimberlybelle.com says:

    Love the roasted green chililes on this sandwich! I love heat with a bit of sweet so I put some chiplote peppers in my cranberries too. Also spreading a bit of sweet potatoes or butternut squash could be good on a hot panini.

    The Dinner Belle for Kimberlybelle.com

  13. Connie says:

    Wonderful combination. I have lots of cranberry left over because I went a little nuts for only 6 people. This will be a good way to use it up. That dog is so cute. His eyes….

  14. Jill says:

    Love that little goofball!
    We too are thankful everyday. Life events can humble you quickly!
    thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us.

    hugs, jill and tom

  15. Margie says:

    That puppy dog makes me ever so thankful that I have eyes to see with (and the puppy dog in this house allows me to tell her, on a daily basis, just how thankful I am that she is in my world, or rather, that I am in hers!).
    I agree, everyday is for giving thanks to all that make our lives special, it matters not whether they still exist in this physical realm, they live wholeheartedly within our being. Celebrating them allows us thanks.

  16. Choo says:

    Someone may have already posted something similar, but we do this except w’ cream cheese (Gina Marie) jalapeno pepper jelly that we make. So good! I like the idea of the Hatch chilies though and will try. Awesome!

  17. jenyu says:

    Rosa – thanks and happy thanksgiving to you :)

    Debbie – you too!

    melanie – you’re welcome, and thank you.

    Elle – so sweet – thanks!

    Judy – that’s great! I think I’m going to see him over the holidays.

    nicole – thanks, sweetie xo

    vanillasugarblog – looooove the cranberry sauce!

    Kristin – thank you!

    Tia – aww, thanks.

    ARC – I can’t believe you didn’t bring them back!

    Rumpy Drummond – :)

    kimberly – great ideas, thanks.

    Connie – that’s a good girl – I make lots of extra cranberry sauce too for this very reason.

    Jill – this is so true, Jill. Love to you both. xo

    Margie – happy thanksgiving, Margie.

    Choo – I’m not a fan of cream cheese, although that doesn’t mean it hasn’t found its way into many a dip and dish that I didn’t go nuts over ;)

  18. Tricia says:

    I have made this sandwich twice since I read about it. It’s unbelievably good. I have put chile’s on many a burger but never with turkey & cranberry. It’s so perfect with the cranberry. This is my new obsession.

  19. Alexandria says:

    This is awesome! When I first saw the recipe before reading anything the photo looked like you were putting jam on a turkey sandwich! lol At any rate, I have made these several times now because everyone loves them! It does add a nice zest to a turkey sandwich!

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