Apple Turkey Cheddar Sandwich Recipe

This apple, turkey, and cheddar sandwich recipe is a combination of salty, creamy, sweet, and tangy flavors, all wrapped in one cheesy package. It's a festive, flavor-packed recipe that's perfect for reusing leftover turkey or for sprucing up your lunch routine.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, apple and turkey are a perfect match, with the fruit's tart sweetness cutting through the lean meat and adding nuances to its flavor profile. And apples and cheddar are another classic combination, especially if you're pairing a tart-sweet apple like Gala with a strong, sharp aged cheddar. Putting them all together in a grilled sandwich seems like a no-brainer, and when the flavor is this explosive? You'll be tempted to eat this every day of the week.

The one surprise component in our sandwich is the addition of sauerkraut to the secret sauce. When chopped finely and folded into the sauce, the sauerkraut adds a zippy, vinegary element that really works with all the fall-themed flavors here. The whole sandwich feels inspired by German cuisine, and you just might want to pair it with a cold Pilsner.

For the secret sauce that goes with this sandwich, you'll need mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, and finely chopped sauerkraut. For the sandwich itself, you'll need an apple of your choice — we love Gala and Honeycrisp for this, but it's really up to you — salt and black pepper to taste, your favorite sourdough bread, sliced turkey breast, sliced aged cheddar, and room-temperature butter. For serving, this sandwich goes well with dill pickles and ripple chips.

Combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey, and chopped sauerkraut for secret sauce.

Season the apple slices lightly with salt and pepper.

Spread the secret sauce on 2 slices of bread. Layer the turkey, cheddar, and apple. Top with the remaining bread.

Spread butter on the outside of each bread slice.

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and cook the sandwiches 3-4 minutes per side until they're golden and the cheese is melted.

Rest for 1 minute before cutting diagonally.

Serve immediately, accompanied with dill pickles and ripple chips, if desired.

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Sauerkraut, whether it's homemade with the best cabbage or store-bought, adds a distinctly tangy, acidic kick to the sauce that works well with the sugary apples and the rich cheese. But if you're not a fan, then you can absolutely skip it in the sauce, and we even have a few additions for substitutions.

The easiest replacement is pickle relish, or finely diced dill pickles. Both have a sweetness, tang, crunch, and a similar acidity, while also being pickled, as is sauerkraut. If you opt for pickles with a higher sugar quotient, like bread and butter pickles, your sandwich will veer in a sweeter direction. 

For something milder but still with some sharpness, try adding finely minced red onions or shallots to the dressing. The allium would add the zesty element without the overwhelming sourness. Capers are another great substitution with a briny complexity that goes well in sauces.

If you don't want to grill this turkey, apple, and cheddar sandwich, know that it would work just as well as a cold sandwich. This would make it easier to pack for lunch or to make ahead and keep in the fridge.

Without melting, the sharp cheddar obviously wouldn't become creamy, but would instead keep more of its sharp bite and natural tang, as well as the little crystals in its aged texture. This would actually work to make the sandwich more complex and distinct, though it would lack some of the comforting factor of a grilled cheese. The apples would still stay crisp and juicy, while the turkey can be warmed up or kept cold.

In a cold version, the sauce would actually become more prominent, providing all the creaminess and a lot of the flavor to the sandwich. You may want to adjust the saukeraut in this case, as it may become a bit much without the heat to mellow its acidity.

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