If you are looking forward to Thanksgiving dinner this year, you’ll love this Leftover Turkey Cranberry Sliders recipe. The combination of turkey and cranberry reminds me of Thanksgiving — my all-time favorite holiday! It’s a simple slider recipe that’s perfect for a quick dinner or a tasty appetizer.
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The melted cheese and deli turkey pair perfectly with the flavors of the sweet honey mustard and cranberry sauce. I love using whole berry sauce because it takes these turkey and cranberry sliders to the next level!
If you like easy turkey recipes, you will love these Crock Pot Turkey Breast, Air Fryer Turkey Legs, Turkey Club Wrap and our Leftover Thanksgiving Stuffing Patties.
Why You’ll Love This Turkey Cranberry Sliders Recipe
- Ready in less than 30 minutes: Preparation and baking takes less than 30 minutes to complete, making this recipe ideal for a busy weeknight.
- Balanced flavors: These cranberry turkey sliders hit every note—sweet, savory, and tangy!
- Great for the holidays: I love these as holiday sliders with Thanksgiving or Christmas leftovers.
Ingredients
Here is everything you need to make Thanksgiving leftover sliders. The simple mustard mixture is key to adding color and flavor to your sliders.
- Hawaiian sweet rolls: These are my favorite rolls to use for sliders. They are perfectly soft and a little sweet! Plus, they brown wonderfully in the oven.
- Turkey: I like to use regular sliced deli turkey. Try this recipe with smoked or honey turkey for a slightly different flavor. You can even use leftover turkey after Thanksgiving!
- Cranberry sauce: I prefer whole cranberry sauce for this recipe. It’s thicker and the whole berries add a little texture.
- Provolone cheese: You can use any sliced cheese, but provolone is my favorite. It melts great and has a subtle sharp flavor that balances the sweetness of the other ingredients.
- Honey mustard: I like the addition of honey mustard because it’s subtly sweet with a tangy zing.
- Butter: I make a melted butter mixture to brush on the tops of the Hawaiian rolls so they become perfectly golden brown in the oven. I also add it to the middle for more flavor.
- Onions: I use a combination of minced yellow onions and diced green onions. They are added to the butter and mustard mixture for crunch and depth of flavor.
- Poppy seeds: These are optional, but I sprinkle poppy seeds on top before baking the turkey sliders as a fun garnish.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Spicy: Use Cranberry Jalapeno Jam instead of cranberry sauce for a kick of heat.
- Ham: Try these sliders with sliced ham instead of turkey. Use deli ham or leftovers from another recipe.
- Maple: Use maple mustard instead of honey and a maple variety of turkey!
How to Make Turkey Sliders with Cranberry Sauce
To get started making these turkey sliders on Hawaiian rolls with cranberry sauce, preheat your oven to 375° F and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Step 1: Slice the rolls. Slice the Hawaiian rolls in half and place the bottom piece into the prepared baking dish.
Step 2: Make the honey mustard butter. Add melted butter, honey mustard, minced onions, and green onions to a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients until they are well combined.
Step 3: Brush and add turkey. Brush ¾ of the sauce mixture onto the bottom half of the Hawaiian rolls. Then, layer the slices of turkey on top evenly.
Step 4: Spread the cranberry sauce. Add the cranberry sauce and spread it evenly over the turkey layer.
Step 5: Add cheese. Place the slices of provolone cheese on top of the cranberry sauce.
Step 6: Top with rolls and more honey mustard. Place the top half of the rolls over the cheese and brush them with the remaining honey mustard mixture. Then, sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
Step 7: Bake and slice. Place the sliders in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown. Slice the sliders into portions and enjoy!
⭐ Hint: Plan for 2-3 sliders per person when you make this recipe, and adjust the ingredient measurements accordingly!
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these Turkey and Cheese Sliders, BBQ chicken pulled chicken sliders, BBQ Meatball Sliders, crack chicken sliders For more ways to use your leftover turkey, try our Leftover Turkey and Stuffing Muffins recipe.
Storage Directions
- Storing: Store leftover sliders tightly covered or in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Allow the sliders to fully cool and store tightly covered in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat the sliders individually in the microwave or in a 350° F oven until warm, about 5-7 minutes.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the sliders up to 24 hours in advance and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake and eat them.
Serving Suggestions
- Leftovers: Instead of deli turkey, make leftover turkey sliders on Hawaiian rolls with extra turkey from another recipe (even Thanksgiving dinner!).
- Side dishes: Serve these turkey sliders for an easy dinner with Grandma’s Coleslaw and Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts on the side.
- Holiday appetizer: Treat these as Christmas sliders or Thanksgiving turkey sliders and serve them at a party. Some other great appetizers to serve along with them are Ham and Cheese Pinwheels, Cocktail Seafood Salad, and Buffalo Chicken Spinach Dip.
Recipe Tips
- Prep them ahead of time: These turkey sliders can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.
- Make a dipping sauce: Use leftover gravy or make a quick homemade gravy to dip these sandwiches in.
- Slice the turkey thinly: If you use leftover turkey in these sliders, slice it evenly so it warms all the way through in the oven.
Recipe FAQs
Of course! Just double the filling ingredients and the honey mustard sauce, and make two pans of these sliders.
If you are concerned about the turkey becoming dry, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for the first few minutes of cooking.
Sure! Use your favorite recipe or try this Instant Pot Cranberry Sauce.
More Delicious Slider Recipes
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Turkey Cranberry Sliders
Ingredients
- 16 Hawaiian sweet rolls
- 1 pound shaved deli turkey
- 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
- 8 slices provolone cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 tablespoons honey mustard dressing
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 2 tablespoons green onions diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cut Hawaiian rolls in half and place the bottoms in your prepared baking pan.
- In a small bowl, melt butter. Add honey mustard dressing, minced onions, and green onions. Spread 3⁄4 of this mixture on rolls.
- Evenly place turkey over top of rolls. Spread cranberry sauce on top of turkey. Add provolone cheese on top of cranberry sauce. Place the tops of the rolls on top.
- Brush remaining butter mixture over top of the rolls.
- Sprinkle poppy seeds evenly on top..
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and rolls are golden brown.
Notes
- Prep them ahead of time: These turkey sliders can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them.
- Make a dipping sauce: Use leftover gravy or make a quick homemade gravy to dip these sandwiches in.
- Slice the turkey thinly: If you use leftover turkey in these sliders, slice it evenly so it warms all the way through in the oven.
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