I’ve said it a million times and I’ll say it again, if I ever opened a restaurant (which I have no desire to ever, ever do- way too much work for me!) it would 100% be a sandwich and soup joint. I’ll never, ever tire of a great sandwich! Lately I’ve been keeping a plentiful stash of Trader Joe’s demi baguettes in my freezer because they’re the perfect size for one gourmet sandwich big enough to share, but not too big you couldn’t eat it all on your own. I’ll often make a sandwich for my lunch when I’m home alone, or share one with my husband when we’re both working from home. Here’s what we’ve got today: A toasted soft and chewy bagette, spread with a combo of mayo and a sweet jam (peach or apricot are my favorites), piled high with sliced roasted turkey, topped with a crumble of cheese, juicy pears, and greens tossed in oil and vinegar. It’s a great flavor combination that elevates your every day turkey sandwich!
Ingredient and Equipment Notes
I’ll tell you exactly what I’ve been using, but there’s obviously a lot of flexibility here depending on where you shop and what your store carries! You can use a variety of ingredients and still have a delicious sandwich with this same basic concept.
- Sandwich baguette or favorite sliced bread -I love the demi baguettes from Trader Joes so that’s usually what I’m using, but you can use any high quality loaf, roll, hoagie, or sliced bread you like. You’ll just want to use something hearty that can hold up to the stack of ingredients.
- Jam – I suggest apricot or peach jam here, the mild sweetness complements the other flavors without taking over. However if you’re making this around Thanksgiving, it would be super delicious with some cranberry sauce!
- Mayonnaise – the mayo combines with the jam to form kind of a sweet creamy sauce.
- Roasted Turkey – use a high quality deli sliced turkey. Oven roasted or smoked is great.
- Pears – not too firm, not too soft. Go for a perfectly ripe sweet pear! If you can’t get your hands on good pears, you could use thinly sliced honeycrisp apple instead.
- Cheese – I’m using a fancy cheese, and it’s not one that’s even very great for slicing or melting, but it tastes amazing! haha. It’s a limited edition cranberry stilton from Trader Joes. They also have an apricot stilton that is just as delicious here. I’ve found both of these cheeses in my regular grocery store as well, in the fancy cheese section! If I didn’t have the fancy cheese on hand, my go-to for a sandwich like this is Havarti.
- Greens – I’m using spring mix, I like how it’s kind of daintier and blends well into the other ingredients as opposed to super crunchy romaine or ice berg. But feel free to use what you’ve got if you need to!
- Oil & Vinegar – Dressing your greens is one of the best secrets for a great sandwich! It adds so much flavor and depth. I use extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. For the vinegar, my favorite is Baker and Olive Cranberry Pear, or Baker and Olive Peach (I order these online, my affiliate code OURBESTBITES will give you a discount!). If you don’t want to order a special vinegar, I’d use a little apple cider vinegar. Rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar would also be fine.
How to make my Turkey Pear Sandwich
- I toast the bread in a pan to brown the inside and give it a little crunch. I also feel like toasting helps to support all the fillings.
- Spread a thin layer of jam onto the toasted bread, top with a layer of mayonnaise, this creates a creamy sweet and tangy sauce.
- Pile on sliced turkey.
- Add sliced pear.
- Top with cheese of choice.
- Toss greens with olive oil, salt and pepper, and vinegar (see my recommendations above in the ingredient list.)
- Slice and enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
Want to make a fancy sandwich a meal? I love pairing a really hearty sandwich with a really simple soup, Butternut Squash Soup, for example, would be fantastic here. Or a store-bought jar of a simple favorite. You could also go deli style and add some kettle chips and a pickle spear!
Turkey Pear Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 large ciabatta baguette or hoagie, or hearty sandwich bread
- 1 tablespoon butter
- one handful spring mix
- extra virgin olive oil
- vinegar of your choice I like Cranberry Pear White Balsamic, but apple cider vinegar or rice wine work well too.
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2-3 tablespoons apricot or peach jam
- 3-4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- Sliced high quality turkey breast
- 1 ripe pear
- 2 slices Harvarti or specialty cheese of your choice Apricot or cranberry Stilton are delicious
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on the stove top to medium heat.
- Slice baguette in half length-wise.
- Melt a pat of butter in skillet and place bread in, cut side down. Toast until golden brown.
- While your bread is toasting (keep an eye on it!) Place your greens in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a little vinegar and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss and set aside.
- Spread each toasted side of bread with a thin layer of jam (no need to overdo it- you just want some subtle sweetness!) followed by a layer of mayo.
- Top bottom half of bread with roasted turkey, layer on sliced pear, top with cheeese.
- Top with prepared greens and then close sandwich and slice in half.
Questions & Reviews
Made these Sunday…so Good! A great flavor combination. Will definitely make them again!