Turkey and Brie Panini with Cranberry Chutney

I know you are already starting to wonder what you are going to do with all those Thanksgiving leftovers, right?  Of course there are turkey sandwiches to be made.  - and then there are paninis!  I am completely a sucker for a toasted sandwich with melty cheese, and this one certainly does the trick!  I could definitely see this one on the marquee at a fancy deli sandwich shop!

Let's talk about the flavor elements of this panini for a minute.  You have all that leftover roasted turkey in the fridge.  A smear of mayo just doesn't seem to do it justice after all the work that went into it.  Then there is that homemade cranberry sauce - both sweet and tangy, that you've always had snuggled up to your turkey on the plate anyway.  It will be a great accompaniment to the turkey yet again!  As the cheese for our sandwich, I chose Brie - so smooth and creamy with a soft buttery taste.  The sweet/tart chunky cranberry sauce and the richness of the melted Brie are in sharp contrast to each other, which works beautifully here.  And then the peppery bite of the arugula provides us both flavor and texture balance as there is still a bit of crunch as you bite into the sandwich. 

Can you taste it yet?!  A fine re-purposing of your left over ingredients!

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Ingredients:  

• Slices of leftover turkey
• Leftover cranberry chutney
• or a nice chunky cranberry sauce
• A wheel of Brie
• A lettuce blend with arugula
• Multigrain chiabatta sandwich rolls

Please notice the links in the ingredient list, in case you haven't been given a refrigerator full of leftover Thanksgiving goodies and are looking to make your own components. 

Step-by-Step:

I'm sitting here laughing to myself because I'm not sure what to put here.  Here's the lowdown - cranberry chutney first and last, with everything piled in between!

These gorgeous multi-grain chiabatta sandwich rolls appeared in the grocery store that looked just perfect.  Hearty enough to hold up to all these great ingredients, with the perfect "rustic" feel to them with all the seeds and stuff.  So anyway, I spread them with a generous layer of the cranberry chutney...

Then add slices of roasted turkey and some gorgeous peppery arugula salad greens.  If you like a different type of salad, go for it!

Remove the rind from a wheel of brie and cut yourself a generous slice of it, topping the arugula.

Finally, another layer of the cranberry chutney over the brie.

Top this baby with that amazing bun and we are ready to do some business!

I have a panini maker.  Yep, I do.  I just couldn't find it for the life of me when I made these.  Sigh - too many cooking "things" here tucked into less than optimal storage spaces.  So I pulled out a grill pan.  If you don't have one, you should add one to your Christmas wish list.... I use the ones I have quite frequently!!  But if you don't have one, grab a regular skillet.  It won't have the grill lines in it, but it will still taste amazing.  You will also need something to "press" the sandwich with.  I allowed my cast iron press to heat up on another burner while the grill pan was preheating.  You could also use a small round heavy pan on top, or even a brick that you have cleaned and wrapped in aluminum foil.  You get the message - something heavy.

To my grill pan, I sprayed a thin layer of cooking spray.  Add the sandwich and your press while grilling. 

Don't put it on too high of a heat because you want to give the ingredients time to warm up and melt the cheese while the bread is toasting.  Turn when the bottom is golden brown.  The press will obviously lose its heat after a bit, so when you flip and add it to the first side, it really just helps to press the bread.  So you don't have to worry about it over toasting the first side.

Now I can practically hear the "crunch" sound the bread will make as you cut into it!  Then when you open it, the melted cheese starts to ooze slightly, the thick slices of turkey are warm and juicy, and the interplay of flavors and textures is purely symphonic in your mouth!

Wanting to bring your leftover Thanksgiving bounty to work in your own grown-up brown bag lunch?  Well this sandwich is a very hearty lunch.  I was full after half!  Later when I heated up the second half in the microwave for a bit, the cheese got all oozy and melty, and it was delicious all over again!  Enjoy my friends!

I hope you have enjoyed this recipe and are seriously considering making one this very second!  For more great recipes, visit my Recipe Index - you are sure to find something that will strike your fancy, whether made from scratch, from leftovers, or from convenience items that you picked up on the way home from work!

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Here are some "bonus" recipes for you:
Cajun Crawfish Bread

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Butter Pecan Sweet Potatoes

Meatballs Stroganoff

Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter and Crispy Sage

Rosemary Black Pepper No-Knead Artisan Bread

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Martini

Salted Caramel Appletini

Written Method:

Here's the lowdown - cranberry chutney first and last, with everything piled in between!  Spread the bottom with a generous layer of the cranberry chutney...Then add slices of roasted turkey and some gorgeous peppery arugula salad greens.  If you like a different type of salad, go for it!  Remove the rind from a wheel of brie and cut yourself a generous slice of it, topping the arugula.  Finally, another layer of the cranberry chutney over the brie.  Top this baby with that amazing bun and we are ready to do some business!

Grill the sandwich in your panini maker, grill pan, or regular skillet or griddle. If you don't have a panini maker, you will also need something to "press" the sandwich with.  I allowed my cast iron press to heat up on another burner while the grill pan was preheating.  You could also use a small round heavy pan on top, or even a brick that you have cleaned and wrapped in aluminum foil.  You get the message - something heavy.

To my grill pan, I sprayed a thin layer of cooking spray.  Add the sandwich and your press while grilling. Don't put it on too high of a heat because you want to give the ingredients time to warm up and melt the cheese while the bread is toasting.  Turn when the bottom is golden brown.  The press will obviously lose its heat after a bit, so when you flip and add it to the first side, it really just helps to press the bread.  So you don't have to worry about it over toasting the first side.

Now I can practically hear the "crunch" sound the bread will make as you cut into it!  Then when you open it, the melted cheese starts to ooze slightly, the thick slices of turkey are warm and juicy, and the interplay of flavors and textures is purely symphonic in your mouth!

Wanting to bring your leftover Thanksgiving bounty to work in your own grown-up brown bag lunch?  Well this sandwich is a very hearty lunch.  I was full after half!  Later when I heated up the second half in the microwave for a bit, the cheese got all oozy and melty, and it was delicious all over again!  Enjoy my friends!