If you still have any leftovers from the recent holiday, you need to make this sandwich. If you don’t have any more storage containers of goodies in the fridge, you seriously need to consider preparing another holiday meal in order to have what you need to make this grilled thing of wonder. Pure delight is the best way I can describe it. Thanksgivings greatest hits in one amazing dish. The Shangri-la of sandwiches.

It seems to me there should be a better name for this golden goddess of holiday leftovers. Names like the Plymouth, the Mayflower, the Miles Standish, and the Christopher Columbus all came to mind, but none of them seem quite right to me. I guess I will have to continue to work on that a bit, and probably the best way to do so is by enjoying another one of these beauties for inspiration.

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Grilled Thanksgiving Sandwich

A great way to serve some of your holiday left overs ala-sandwich.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• slices of french bread
• turkey
• dressing
• cranberry relish
• brie
• mayonnaise
• arugula
• butter

Instructions

• Spread a generous amount of mayonnaise on the slices of bread. On one slice place some arugula, followed by a slice of dressing, turkey, and cranberry relish.
• On the other half of the sandwich place a slice of brie.
• Put the sandwich together, and spread a layer of butter on the top.
• Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place the sandwich in the skillet buttered side down.
• Butter the top side and grill till golden, carefully turning only once. After turning I applied a bit of pressure with the spatula to help the cheese hold the sandwich together.

Notes

I use a flat lid from my stock pot to add a bit of weight to the sandwiches as I grill them. This also helps hold the heat making sure the sandwich it hot through.

Slices of beef tossed in a tangy sauce, topped with a napa cabbage slaw create this tantalizing collision of spicy and cool. A virtual explosion of flavors, this bun full of beefy goodness is a great way to offer something a bit different at your next backyard picnic. Preparing the roast the day before will give you a chance to attend your party instead of working it.

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Barbecue Beef Sandwich with Napa Slaw

Slices of beef tossed in a tangy sauce, topped with a napa cabbage slaw create this tantalizing collision of spicy and cool. A virtual explosion of flavors.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Ingredients

• roast beef sliced
• barbecue sauce
• Napa cabbage slaw
• dill pickles optional
• buns toasted

Instructions

• Place the slices of roast beef in a sauce pan with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and turn the heat to simmer.
• When heated add enough barbecue sauce to coat the meat.
• Hold on low until ready to serve (You may need to add a little more water and sauce depending on how long the meat simmers).

Serve

• Toast some buns and let your guests build their sandwich however they like. Just pile on the beef, top it with a spoon full of slaw, and crown it with some dill pickles. Delicious!

Notes

This is the perfect sandwich to serve at a BBQ. For a large group, prepare a roast in the crock pot the day before.

This is also a creative way to use up some leftover beef or pork roast, as well as chicken.

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Napa Cabbage Slaw

Cool and creamy slaw, so easy to make. Perfect companion for any BBQ dish!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1 head napa cabbage chopped
• 1 carrot shredded
• ¼ cup white onion diced
• 3 scallions sliced
• 3 tablespoons ranch dressing
• 3 tablespoons green goddess dressing
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place cabbage, carrot, and onions in a large bowl.
• Mix dressings with celery seed.
• Pour dressing over and toss. (You may need more or less dressing depending on the size of your cabbage and your personal taste).

Toast some buns and let your guests build their sandwich however they like. Just pile on the beef and top with a spoon full of slaw and a dill pickle. How easy was that? Now go and enjoy your party.

Having a “big salad” for dinner is a hit at my house, especially when there are lots of goodies to go on it. It is also a great way for me to give leftovers a fresh look. A half an hour of chopping, dicing, and slicing what I already have in the fridge and by introducing a couple of new items, I have a dinner that looks like I spent hours laboring to prepare, and without a trip to the store. Everyone seems to enjoy choosing their personal combination of favorites from the salad bar, and I am able to multi-task by serving  a light and health dinner and clearing out the fridge at the same time.

I added a couple of chopped hard boiled eggs, and re-used the left over cheesy biscuit bread by cutting it into sticks. There is always some cheese in the house, and I was able to use up that single carrot.

The last of the mesquite smoked chicken, some diced ham leftover from a breakfast, and the remainder of the potato salad gives everyone some great options for their “big salad”.

As a food blogger I continually strive to feature interesting and delicious dishes looking their best. Last night as I stood holding the door to the refrigerator open and pondering what I could prepare to share with you, all I could see were piles of storage containers and ramekins covered in cling wrap. The thought of making anything else that might add to this collection of left overs seemed ridiculous. While I enjoy preparing wonderful creative items to feature, I truly dislike being wasteful. The reality is that at our house, it ain’t always pretty.

I lined up the leftovers on the counter and assessed the situation. It appeared that we had more that enough for an ample buffet.  So I stacked some plates, rolled some silver, and voilà, dinner was served.