Better Than Cheddar: Using This Southern Topping Gives Turkey Sandwiches Extra Flavor

Turkey sandwiches get plenty of love throughout the year, whether served deli-style, open-faced with gravy, or pan-grilled with punchy cheeses. Things get even more serious when post-holiday turkey perches in the fridge, patiently waiting for second-chance sando fame. But let's be honest: Those unadorned, piled-high slices of leftover turkey typically rate pretty low in the flavor category. Fortunately, that creates a nifty niche for one of the South's beloved sandwich spreads: pimento cheese.

Ordinary cheddar cheese pales in comparison to its pimento spread compatriot, especially when layered over turkey and topped with sandwich bread. Since cheddar is a primary component of Southern-style pimento cheese, you get plenty of cheesy flavor plus added personality through its creamy texture, sweet red pimento peppers, and seasonings. 

Versions vary, but our Tasting Table classic pimento cheese recipe combines shredded cheddar with cream cheese, mayonnaise, pimentos, garlic powder, chives, and smoked paprika, plus crumbled bacon for an extra layer of savory oomph. It's closely associated with Southern cooking, though the roots of pimento cheese apparently originated outside of the South — but once farmers in the state of Georgia started growing the sassy little pimento peppers, the tasty spread in which they now star was forever clad in Southern lore. Nonetheless, pimento cheese can enhance a turkey sandwich in any region.

Pimento cheese was recognized in Tasting Table's list of unexpected spreads for upgrading a turkey sandwich, along with plenty of other suggestions that can be combined to jazz it up even more. Juicy tomato slices add freshness and acidity, while pickles provide crunch and tang to balance the rich cheese spread. Chopped green onions or fresh chives can lighten things up; crispy bacon brings smoky, salty flavors; or a thin layer of mustard cuts through the creamy cheese.

Even crisp lettuce can be transformative in pimento cheese sandwiches, by introducing a cooler texture between the bread, turkey, and rich spread. Then there's the option of going in the other direction. When heat enters the equation, things really start to sizzle. Build the sandwich on sturdy bread and press it in a panini maker until the outer bread turns crisp and the pimento cheese gets warm and melty. The creamy ingredients soften the turkey as it forges a path to your table.

No panini press? No matter — just butter the bread on the outside and cook the sandwich in a stovetop skillet, much as you would for any number of grilled cheese sandwich recipes. Remember to use moderate heat so the bread lightly browns while the turkey and pimento-cheese filling warms through. Add other goodies as desired. No matter how you make it, pimento cheese transforms a basic turkey sandwich into something much richer, tangier, and way more Southern by nature.