Equipment
Ingredients
Bread and Exterior
- 100 g thick-cut sourdough bread
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
Festive Filling
- 60 g brie cheese, thickly sliced
- 30 g cranberry sauce, whole berry or smooth
- 50 g leftover roast turkey or ham, sliced or shredded
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 754 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbohydrates
- 60 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 11 g
- Sodium
- 1529 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 22 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 170 mg
- Potassium
- 218 mg
- Calcium
- 125 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 27 mg
- Phosphorus
- 226 mg
- Zinc
- 3.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 249 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 1.9 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.07 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.51 mg
- Niacin
- 3.8 mg
- Folate
- 44 mcg
- Water
- 81 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Spread the softened butter evenly over one side of each slice of bread, ensuring the butter reaches all the way to the edges for an even crust.
Place the bread slices butter-side down on a clean board. Spread the cranberry sauce onto the unbuttered side of one slice. Layer the brie cheese and leftover turkey over the sauce. Top with the second slice of bread, butter-side facing outward.
Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat, approximately 160°C/320°F. Gently place the assembled sandwich into the dry pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, pressing lightly with a spatula, until the bottom is deeply golden and crisp.
Carefully flip the sandwich over. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes until the second side is equally golden and the brie has melted entirely. If the bread browns too fast, lower the heat slightly.
Transfer the toasted sandwich to a cutting board. Let it rest for 1 minute before slicing in half, allowing the hot cheese to set slightly so it does not spill out.
Chef's Notes
- Applying a thin layer of mayonnaise instead of butter to the outside of the bread creates an exceptionally crispy crust due to the higher smoke point of the oils and the egg proteins.
- Ensure your brie is taken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking. Room temperature cheese melts far more evenly than cold cheese, preventing a burnt crust.
- A pinch of flaky sea salt sprinkled on the buttered exterior before toasting creates a wonderful savory contrast to the sweet cranberry sauce inside.
- If your leftover meats are quite dry, lightly toss them in a teaspoon of warm gravy before adding them to the sandwich for extra moisture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 day — Uncooked, assembled sandwiches can be kept in the fridge for 1 day. Cooked sandwiches do not keep well.
Reheating: Reheat in a dry skillet over medium-low heat to restore the crispness of the bread. Microwaving is not recommended as it will make the bread soggy.
Troubleshooting
Bread burns before the cheese melts entirely
Cause: The pan was too hot, toasting the exterior faster than the heat could penetrate the center.
Fix: Remove the sandwich from the pan, lower the heat, and return it to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid to trap the ambient heat and melt the cheese without direct intense heat on the bread.
Prevention: Cook over medium-low heat and use room-temperature cheese to ensure an even melting process.
Sandwich falls apart when flipping
Cause: Flipping too aggressively or stacking ingredients too high.
Fix: Quickly use the spatula to push the displaced ingredients back between the bread slices while still in the hot pan.
Prevention: Press down gently with a spatula while the first side cooks to help the melting cheese bind the ingredients together.
Cultural Context
The post-holiday leftover sandwich is a cherished culinary tradition in many Western households, famously peaking after Christmas and Thanksgiving. Combining sweet, tart fruit preserves with rich roasted meats and creamy cheeses honors the spirit of avoiding food waste while creating a flavor profile that many argue rivals the main feast itself.
