Don't let those holiday leftovers go to waste with these Leftover Turkey Sliders that feature soft Hawaiian rolls piled high with roast turkey, cranberry sauce, and stuffing and topped with a savory, buttery sauce to crisp up the outsides!
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After putting in all the hard work of preparing your Thanksgiving feast, nobody wants to see a scrap of food go to waste! But rather than just heating up the leftovers and repeating the meal the next day, why not try making a batch of these leftover turkey sliders to give new life to your leftovers!
These are so delicious with a buttery topping that crisps up the bottom and tops of the sweet Hawaiian rolls that everybody loves for making sliders. These are perfect for throwing together and enjoying a casual lunch or snack while playing games or watching a show. And if you prefer a cold turkey sandwich, be sure to check out our Turkey, Bacon, Avocado Sandwich with copycat Kneader's sauce.
If you have leftover turkey that you want to use up, you can use it in any recipe that calls for a rotisserie chicken. Some of our favorites include Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells, Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole, White Chicken Enchiladas, and Chicken Spaghetti.
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- King's Hawaiian Rolls - These are the perfect size for sliders but if you have leftover homemade rolls you could use them instead.
- Shredded turkey - Use light meat or dark meat, whichever you like best! If you don't happen to have turkey leftover from your holiday meal, you can purchase carved turkey from the deli at the store.
- Cranberry sauce - You can use leftover jellied cranberry sauce (the kind from a can with the ridges) or homemade cranberry sauce - whatever you prefer!
- Stuffing - I'm partial to cornbread dressing, but any leftover stuffing will work. If ours all got devoured on Thanksgiving Day I'll quickly throw together a box of easy stovetop stuffing just to make these sandwiches.
- Mashed potatoes - These are optional (my husband actually prefers the sliders without them) but I like them and it's another great way to use up leftovers.
- Dijon mustard - Adds a punch of flavor to the sliders. You can omit if you aren't a mustard fan.
- Salted butter - For the buttery topping that is brushed onto the outsides of the sliders.
- Minced onions - Adds wonderful depth and even more savory flavor that compliments the sweet rolls.
- Worcestershire sauce - Just a teaspoon gives some oomph to the buttery topping.
- Pepper - I love adding coarse ground black pepper to the turkey.
- Fresh parsley - Chop it really fine and add it to your buttery topping for a bit of color.
How to Make Leftover Turkey Sliders
- Slice buns. Open the package of King's Hawaiian rolls and slice them in half horizontally. It's easiest to do this with a long serrated bread knife with the rolls intact instead of pulling them apart first. Place the bottom half into a 9x13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray to keep the sliders from sticking.
- Add mustard. We like a layer of Dijon mustard on the bottom of our sliders for a little kick. But other great options would be your favorite aioli (especially an herby one like basil aioli) or even just good old mayo.
- Add mashed potatoes. Warm up your mashed potatoes in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring partway through and adding a little milk if necessary, so they are easy to spread without tearing the rolls underneath. Spread a layer of mashed potatoes on top of the mustard.
- Pile on the turkey! This is the star of these leftover Thanksgiving sliders. I like to shred the turkey by hand for the pulled texture, but you could used sliced turkey or even chop it if you prefer. Sprinkle the turkey with a generous amount of coarse black pepper.
- Spread with cranberry sauce. Use the back of a spoon to spread the cranberry sauce over the turkey so you get some in every bite of these little sandwiches. It's one of my favorite parts.
- Add the stuffing. If your stuffing is feeling a little dry, you might want to drizzle it with a little chicken stock or water and pop it in the microwave for a minute or two to warm it up first. Spread it in an even layer on top of the sliders.
- Make buttery topping. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then stir in the minced onion, worcestershire sauce, and chopped parsley. Drizzle or brush the buttery topping over the sliders, making sure to coat the tops of each roll.
- Cover and bake. Wrap aluminum foil over the sliders in the pan and bake for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and finish baking for another 5-10 minutes until golden brown and a little toasted on top, and everything is hot all the way through.
- Slice & serve. Use a large, sharp knife to slice the sliders apart to separate them and serve immediately while hot.
Recipe FAQ's
Our Juicy Roast Turkey always comes out exceptionally moist and delicious so I didn't feel the need for gravy to resurrect dry turkey, and I didn't want our leftover turkey sliders getting too soggy so I left out the gravy. But if you have leftover gravy and want to use it, my recommendation would be to toss the turkey in the gravy and warm them up together on the stove or in the microwave for a minute or so before adding them to the rolls.
I haven't tried freezing these since we usually just eat them all with leftovers. My recommendation would be to freeze the individual components - the rolls, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, etc. - and thaw and assemble fresh when you are ready rather than assembling a batch of sliders first and thawing them later.
These don't store great, especially if you used mashed potatoes which can make the bottom rolls slightly soft the longer they sit, and it is generally not recommended to reheat turkey multiple times, so I don't recommend storing them even in the fridge. Instead, I would only make as many as you know are likely to be eaten and hold the other ingredients in reserve for when you are ready to make more. The good news is they don't take long to assemble!
Tips & Variations
- Add cheese. If I have some provolone or havarti cheese in the fridge, sometimes I will add a layer of cheese to these and it's delicious.
- Cranberry aioli. Another option that is delicious is to mix equal parts cranberry sauce and mayo and use that instead of mustard. It's so good!
- Add arugula. These peppery greens are the perfect way to liven up any sandwich and they go especially well with the other flavors in these sliders. I would pile them on top of the stuffing layer before adding the top buns.
What to Serve With Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Sliders
These sliders pretty much have it all, but if you are looking to round out the meal, here are some ideas.
- Your favorite chips - We love them with SunChips!
- A fruit salad
- A crisp green salad - Our Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts would be especially good.
- A cup of soup - I think our Creamy Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup would be perfect with these sandwiches.
More Slider Recipes
- Cheesy Breakfast Sliders
- Cheesy Meatball Sliders
- Roast Beef Sliders
- Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork Sliders
- Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders
More Turkey Recipes
- Best Brine Recipe for Turkey
- Homemade Turkey Gravy from Drippings
- Bacon Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey
- Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey
Soup Recipes
Creamy Leftover Turkey Wild Rice Soup
Thanksgiving
Juicy Roast Turkey with a Butter Herb Rub
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Leftover Turkey Sliders Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (12-count) package King's Hawaiian rolls
- 2 Tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 cup mashed potatoes, warmed up (optional)
- 1 pound shredded or sliced leftover turkey or carved deli turkey
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 cup cranberry sauce
- 2 cups stuffing, warmed up
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons minced dried onion
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 6 slices provolone, havarti, or muenster cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- Slice the King's Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally with a long serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the sheet of rolls into a 9x13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray to keep the sliders from sticking.
- Spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on the cut side of the rolls, then add a thin layer of mashed potatoes.
- Add the turkey, piling it up as high as you would like. I like to shred the turkey by hand for the pulled texture, but you could used sliced turkey or even chop it if you prefer. Sprinkle the turkey with a generous amount of coarse black pepper.
- Use the back of a spoon to spread the cranberry sauce over the turkey so you get some in every bite of these little sandwiches, then pile the stuffing on top of that in an even layer. Cover with the top half of the sliced rolls.
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then stir in the minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, and chopped parsley. Drizzle or brush the buttery topping over the sliders, making sure to coat the tops of each roll.
- Wrap the pan in aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and finish baking for another 5-10 minutes until toasted on top and heated all the way through.
- Use a large, sharp knife to slice the sliders apart to separate them and serve immediately while hot.
Notes
- Gravy: If you have leftover gravy and want to use it, my recommendation would be to toss the turkey in about ½ to ¾ cup of gravy and warm them up together on the stove or in the microwave for a minute or so before adding them to the rolls, especially if your turkey was on the dry side.
- Storing: These do not store or freeze well. I recommend storing the components separately, then assembling and baking shortly before you are ready to eat.
- Add cheese. If I have some provolone or havarti cheese in the fridge, sometimes I will add a layer of cheese to these and it's delicious.
- Add arugula. These peppery greens are the perfect way to liven up any sandwich and they go especially well with the other flavors in these sliders. I would pile them on top of the stuffing layer before adding the top buns.
- Cranberry aioli. Another option that is delicious is to mix equal parts cranberry sauce and mayo and use that instead of mustard. It's so good!
