Name: Loaded Turkey Cheddar Melt Sandwich
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 slices sourdough bread; 2 tablespoons honey mustard; 2 slices white cheddar cheese, halved; 4 slices deli turkey; 1 medium red tomato, thinly sliced; ½ cup fresh baby spinach; 4 strips cooked bacon; 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Turkey Melt with Cheddar, Spinach, and Bacon | recipesfives.com

The perfect sandwich for cooler weather, this incredible turkey melt is toasty, melty, and mouth-wateringly delicious. With juicy fresh tomatoes, leafy green spinach, crisp bacon, and rich cheddar cheese, these buttery sourdough sandwiches are amazing all on their own or paired with a cup of hot, creamy soup.

What We Love About This Recipe

If you like a good grilled cheese then you will LOVE a turkey melt! It’s sort of a gourmet grilled cheese, stuffed full of tasty ingredients, then grilled until hot and toasty.
Not only is this sandwich super quick and easy to make, it’s also fully customizable. Use any crusty bread you like; try smoked or sweet turkey; throw on your favorite cheese (or cheeses!); work in a little onion or arugula or alfalfa sprouts; add mayo or pesto along with or instead of honey mustard… anything goes!
I use deli turkey in my turkey melt more often than not, BUT! If you have leftover holiday turkey, this is a great way to use it up! You may just need to toast the sandwiches a little longer on a slightly lower heat to warm them all the way through, depending on how thick the turkey is.

Turkey Melt with Cheddar, Spinach, and Bacon Recipe | recipesfives.com

Chef’s Tips

Your mouth will water the whole time you’re prepping your turkey melt, so I know you’ll be tempted to rush the actual toasting process. Don’t! If the skillet and butter are too hot, the bread will toast (and potentially burn) before the cheese melts and the turkey warms. If it’s not hot enough, though, the bread will soak up all the butter and end up more soggy than toasted.
Avoid prepackaged, processed cheese! Seriously, do yourself a favor and pick up a block of fresh cheese that you can slice yourself, or stop by the deli counter and have them slice some fresh cheese for you. The flavors will be so much better, but so will the texture. Fresh cheese just melts so well. Your turkey melt will be good with prepackaged cheese, but it’ll be incredible with fresh cheese.

Easy Turkey Melt with Cheddar, Spinach, and Bacon | recipesfives.com

Frequently Asked Questions

→ What's the best bread to use?: Sourdough works great because it's sturdy and grills well, but any thick crusty bread will do.
→ Can I make this ahead of time?: Best served right off the grill while the cheese is melty. You can prep ingredients ahead but grill just before eating.
→ How do I keep the sandwich from getting soggy?: Pat tomato slices dry with paper towels and place them between the cheese and turkey to protect the bread.
→ What sides go well with this?: Perfect with tomato soup, potato chips, or a simple green salad. Great for dunking in hot soup!
→ Can I make this without bacon?: Sure! Try avocado slices instead, or just leave it out. The sandwich is still delicious with just turkey and cheese.

Loaded Turkey Cheddar Melt Sandwich

Hot grilled sandwich with turkey, melted cheddar, bacon, and fresh veggies. The perfect comfort food for lunch or dinner.

Prep Time

15 Minutes

Cook Time

10 Minutes

Total Time

25 Minutes

By: Halima

Category: Hearty Mains

Difficulty: Easy

Cuisine: American

Yield: 2 Servings (2 sandwiches)

Dietary: ~

Ingredients

→ For the Sandwich

01 4 slices sourdough bread

02 2 tablespoons honey mustard

03 2 slices white cheddar cheese, halved

04 4 slices deli turkey

05 1 medium red tomato, thinly sliced

06 ½ cup fresh baby spinach

07 4 strips cooked bacon

08 2 tablespoons butter, softened

Instructions

Step 01

Start by laying out your bread slices and spreading each with honey mustard. Cut your cheese slices in half so you have 4 pieces total.

Step 02

On two bread slices, layer cheese, turkey, tomato slices, and fresh spinach.

Step 03

On the other two slices, add cheese and bacon. Close up your sandwiches with these pieces facing down.

Step 04

Spread the outside of each sandwich with softened butter, making sure to cover the bread evenly.

Step 05

Heat up your skillet over medium heat. Cook the sandwiches for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and the cheese is all melty.

Notes

Fresh sliced deli cheese works best - skip the pre-packaged stuff

Can make dairy-free with plant-based cheese and butter

Great with soup or salad on the side

Tools You'll Need

Large skillet

Spatula

Cutting board

Butter knife

Allergy Information

Please check ingredients for potential allergens and consult a health professional if in doubt.

Contains dairy
Contains gluten

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

It is important to consider this information as approximate and not to use it as definitive health advice.

Calories: 604
Total Fat: 30 g
Total Carbohydrate: 60 g
Protein: 23 g

Turkey Melt with Cheddar Spinach