Pitmaster Erica Blaire Roby Makes Barbecue Pulled Turkey Sandwiches with Leftover Cranberry Sauce

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Victor Protasio

“I love leftover recipes that are stress-free for us kitchen warriors, because no one wants to cook a full meal on the day after Thanksgiving!” says the season 2 winner of Food Network’sBBQ Brawl.

½ cup barbecue sauce

½ cup leftover jellied cranberry sauce

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

2 cups leftover shredded turkey, at room temperature

1 mandarin orange, peeled and segmented

2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar

¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

4 brioche buns, split

4 Swiss cheese slices

1 cup arugula

1.Stir together barbecue sauce, cranberry sauce, brown sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and darker in color, 4 to 5 minutes. Fold in shredded turkey, and stir until warmed through, about 1 minute.

2.Stir together mandarin segments, vinegar and cinnamon in a medium bowl; chill in the refrigerator 10 minutes.

3.Remove mandarins from refrigerator. Add arugula, and toss until well coated.

4.Broil bun halves on low until lightly toasted and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on each bun bottom; broil on high until cheese is just melted, 1 to 2 minutes.

5.Layer ½ cup turkey mixture over melted cheese on bun bottoms; top with the orange and arugula mixture. Cover with bun tops, and serve immediately.

Serves:4Active time:15 minutesTotal time:25 minutes

source: people.com