6 slices of bread like brioche, white or whole wheat
1 large tomato, sliced
4 leaves curly lettuce
3 bacon strips, cooked, halved
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
8 cheese slices
sprinkle WATC Poultry & Pork Seasoning
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
For the spicy mayo:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon WATC BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
drizzle toasted sesame oil
To serve:
coleslaw
chips
Takes ,
serves 2.
Instructions
Cook turkey: Preheat oven to 400°F. Season turkey with our Poultry & Pork Seasoning (or salt and pepper), then place on a foil-lined baking tray. Transfer to oven and cook for 40 minutes or until turkey is cooked and juices run clear. Remove from oven, cool then thinly slice.
Cook bacon: Cook bacon until almost crispy and fat has rendered. Pat with paper towel to remove excess grease.
Prepare spicy mayo: Place mayo, garlic sauce, BBQ sauce and sesame oil in small bowl. Stir to combine.
Toast bread: Turn oven on to broil. Lay bread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer to oven and toast, watching closely to prevent burning. Turn toasted slices over and repeat. Remove bread from oven and swipe each piece with butter and then the spicy mayonnaise.
Assemble club sandwiches: Lay one piece of bread onto work surface. Add a piece of curly lettuce, a few slices of tomato and a rasher or two of bacon, cut in half. Add a second slice of bread. Add a few slices of cheese on top of that, then slices of both light and dark turkey meat. Add slices of avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Invert the third slice of bread on top, mayo facing down. Cut the sandwich in half from corner to corner, then repeat in the other direction to create triangles. Run a sandwich pick down into each triangle to keep assembled.
Serve: Transfer sections to a large board and serve as snacks or transfer the four sections to a lunch or dinner plate. Serve immediately with matchstick potatoes or chips and a favourite salad or coleslaw.
The Ultimate Turkey Club Sandwich
Ingredients
12 ounce turkey breast and/or thigh
6 slices of bread like brioche, white or whole wheat
1 large tomato, sliced
4 leaves curly lettuce
3 bacon strips, cooked, halved
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
8 cheese slices
sprinkle WATC Poultry & Pork Seasoning
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
For the spicy mayo:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon WATC BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
drizzle toasted sesame oil
To serve:
coleslaw
chips
Directions
Cook turkey: Preheat oven to 400°F. Season turkey with our Poultry & Pork Seasoning (or salt and pepper), then place on a foil-lined baking tray. Transfer to oven and cook for 40 minutes or until turkey is cooked and juices run clear. Remove from oven, cool then thinly slice.
Cook bacon: Cook bacon until almost crispy and fat has rendered. Pat with paper towel to remove excess grease.
Prepare spicy mayo: Place mayo, garlic sauce, BBQ sauce and sesame oil in small bowl. Stir to combine.
Toast bread: Turn oven on to broil. Lay bread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer to oven and toast, watching closely to prevent burning. Turn toasted slices over and repeat. Remove bread from oven and swipe each piece with butter and then the spicy mayonnaise.
Assemble club sandwiches: Lay one piece of bread onto work surface. Add a piece of curly lettuce, a few slices of tomato and a rasher or two of bacon, cut in half. Add a second slice of bread. Add a few slices of cheese on top of that, then slices of both light and dark turkey meat. Add slices of avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Invert the third slice of bread on top, mayo facing down. Cut the sandwich in half from corner to corner, then repeat in the other direction to create triangles. Run a sandwich pick down into each triangle to keep assembled.
Serve: Transfer sections to a large board and serve as snacks or transfer the four sections to a lunch or dinner plate. Serve immediately with matchstick potatoes or chips and a favourite salad or coleslaw.
The Ultimate Turkey Club Sandwich
5 / 5. 1
The classic double-decker sandwich with oven-roasted turkey, juicy tomato, curly lettuce, cheese, bacon, avocado and a spicy mayo…
So this sandwich recipe goes way back—we’re talking more than 120 years back— and like so many classic, treasured recipes, the exact origin is in dispute. Some say the original first appeared on the menu of The Union Club in New York City, while others claim it was created for the Saratoga Club in Saratoga, New York. Whether you call it a CLUB SANDWICH or a clubhouse sandwich, one thing’s guaranteed: you’re going to love it. What’s not to love about an expertly crafted sandwich stacked with layers of delicious flavour? We decided this storied turkey sandwich staple was deserving of an upgrade, so prepare to be amazed by THE ULTIMATE TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH!
Before listing what we did to craft it, we want to share some additional links to crowd-pleasing sandwiches like our super-popular PANINI made on a sandwich press, this SMOKED SALMON BREAKFAST SANDWICH and this open-faced CROQUE MONSIEUR. Hope you enjoy!
Now, let’s get into THE ULTIMATE TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH:
INGREDIENTS
The ingredients for a traditional club sandwich are pretty straightforward: take two slices of bread, add lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced turkey or chicken, mayonnaise, butter and sometimes thinly sliced ham. So what’s with the two cheeses, spicy mayo and bacon in the above pic? Them’s the upgrade! But before we get to that, here’s the takeaway: everything needed to make this award-winning sandwich is readily available at your local grocery store. Hurray!
TURKEY AND BACON
As mentioned, we often see diners and casual restaurants serving clubhouse sandwiches made with thinly sliced meat like roasted deli turkey, chicken loaf and smoked or honey-cured ham. If that’s you’re vibe, purchase them in the deli section of your favourite grocer. For our upgrade, though, we determined that freshly cooked turkey and thick-cut strips of bacon add way more flavour.
OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY
For the turkey, we purchased a small turkey breast and a turkey thigh. We then seasoned them with our famous POULTRY & PORK RUB. If you don’t have our rub handy, just use kosher salt and black pepper to season before roasting the turkey in a 400°F oven for about 40 minutes. Cooking turkey this way is easy.
Once the meat is cooked through to the bone and juices run clear, cool the cooked turkey, then slice it as thinly as possible. The thing we really like about this simple enhancement to a classic club sandwich is the boost of delicious home-cooked flavours. Pro tip: crafting this sandwich with both light and dark turkey meat is a win-win.
COOKING BACON
“I don’t even like bacon!” said no one, ever. Because bacon is so wonderful on sandwiches—think BLTs and bacon cheeseburgers—we decided it would be a better pairing with the turkey than ham. You can cook the bacon in the oven, on stovetop in a deep pan or cast-iron skillet, or do as we did and cook it on a flat-top griddle. The one important tip about how to cook bacon for a club sandwich: don’t overdo it. Very crispy bacon simply shatters when you bite into it. Bacon that’s cooked so the fat renders, but the rashers still have a tiny bit of chew is the way to go. Whichever way you cook it, don’t forget to place the cooked bacon on paper towels to remove any excess grease.
FRESH VEGETABLES
So here we go again, making changes to the recipe, but we know everyone will love this upgrade too. While doing the testing for this recipe, we discovered juicy vine-ripened tomatoes and curly lettuce won our tastebuds over. If you don’t have a head of vibrant green curly leaf lettuce at hand, romaine or iceberg lettuce will do.
The add-on we’re most chuffed about is avocado. Using slices of perfectly ripened avocado adds a wonderful butteriness to this sandwich – love! Of course, these three vegetables also add loads of vitamins, minerals and nutrients into this sammie too. Together, the nutrition components include: vitamins C, E, and K, plus niacin, folate, magnesium, copper and beta carotene.
ADD CHEESE
So cheese is not an ingredient traditionally included in a club sandwich. Of course, I instantly thought, “Let’s change that!” This is a great opportunity to make this sandwich recipe your own. If a sharp Canadian cheddar cheese or nutty Emmental or Swiss cheese is to your liking, bring it. If you’d rather a funky blue cheese, a mild mozzarella or a punchy, spicy Monterey Jack cheese, that’s okay too. We actually added two types of cheese to our club, a stellar smoked Gouda and a sharp Canadian cheddar. I now believe cheese should always be added to a turkey club sandwich recipe. It noticeably ups the flavour quotient and overall taste.
BREAD FOR A CLUB SANDWICH
Although I’d love to say use your favourite bread for this, there are a few exceptions. For best results, try it first using sliced white bread, whole wheat bread, whole grain or an eggy brioche loaf, which is what we enjoyed most. You can also make it using a multigrain, pumpernickel or rye bread, although you may struggle to get even, presentable triangles when you go to cut the sandwich. For sure, don’t try this recipe using pita bread or a baguette. The pita bread is too thin, and the baguette will be tough to slice horizontally into even thirds. (Remember, I warned you, LOL!)
I’d like to propose a toast. No joke. The bread for a club sandwich has to be toasted for best results. Of course, you can use a toaster to accomplish this, but we found toasting the bread on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper works best, toasting the bread more uniformly. Important: if using the oven method, make sure to flip the bread halfway so both sides of the bread are toasted.
SPICY MAYONNAISE
Listen, if you’re one of those busy people with tons on the go, just add a swipe of mayonnaise to this sandwich when you make it. But if you’re chasing some heightened flavours for this sandwich-making adventure, stir up a spicy mayonnaise. I swear, it is a complete joy!
Making our spicy mayonnaise need not be a complicated step. Simply use your favourite mayonnaise, add a hot sauce like garlic chili sauce or sriracha or Tabasco, plus our amazing BBQ SAUCE. Then do a tiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil to give the mayonnaise a boost of nuttiness. Yes, we know this mayonnaise concoction is reminiscent of the mayonnaise we often enjoy on sushi or California rolls. Funny how it works in this sandwich as well.
PICK ME
Before assembling the club sandwich, make sure you have sandwich picks on hand to keep the cut triangles together. What kinda picks, Nik? You can use toothpicks topped with frilly, coloured cellophane, fancy cocktail or hors d’oeuvres picks or the longer bamboo sandwich picks. Look for these items at your local grocer or a party store. If you’re in a pinch, trimmed bamboo skewers will work too.
STACK IT UP
In the VIDEO attached to this post, I explain how assembling this double-decker sandwich takes it next level, literally. Make sure to watch the video to see the process, or simply follow the simple directions and instructions listed below. When stacking the various, delicious elements within, remember to vary colour and texture. I like the tomato slices paired with the green lettuce, the cheese next to the turkey and avocado, etc. This sandwich is as much a treat for the eyes as it is for the tastebuds.
ENJOY!
Go ahead and laugh, but yes, I do like serving this sandwich with simple matchstick potatoes or potato chips. Although restaurants and clubs often present them with fries, making them at home or at the cottage isn’t always easy. Feel free to also serve with a favourite coleslaw like our CLASSIC or ASIAN COLESLAW, POTATO SALAD or something store-bought, which is oftentimes the easiest. I also like this sandwich with a few of my famous GARLIC DILL PICKLES, too. One final thing on enjoying THE ULTIMATE TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH is to think outside the meal.
You can make a few sandwiches and serve them on a big charcuterie or cocktail board as an afternoon or party snack. This sandwich works whenever guests and friends gather.
PIN IT!
This classic sandwich idea is so wonderful, we suggest you PIN the recipe to a favourite sandwich, lunch, dinner and party snack board on PINTEREST or BOOKMARK this tab for easy access. SHARE it with friends so they can make them too. We’d also appreciate seeing pics of all the delicious dishes you’re making these days. Use #weekendatthecottage when you post those pics on Facebook and Instagram. Thanks!
Whether for lunch, dinner or a snack, THE ULTIMATE TURKEY CLUB SANDWICH is for you!
Cook Mode Use cook mode to keep your screen on while cooking.
Ingredients
12 ounce turkey breast and/or thigh
6 slices of bread like brioche, white or whole wheat
1 large tomato, sliced
4 leaves curly lettuce
3 bacon strips, cooked, halved
1 avocado, peeled and sliced
8 cheese slices
sprinkle WATC Poultry & Pork Seasoning
sprinkle kosher salt
sprinkle black pepper
For the spicy mayo:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon WATC BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
drizzle toasted sesame oil
To serve:
coleslaw
chips
Directions
Cook turkey: Preheat oven to 400°F. Season turkey with our Poultry & Pork Seasoning (or salt and pepper), then place on a foil-lined baking tray. Transfer to oven and cook for 40 minutes or until turkey is cooked and juices run clear. Remove from oven, cool then thinly slice.
Cook bacon: Cook bacon until almost crispy and fat has rendered. Pat with paper towel to remove excess grease.
Prepare spicy mayo: Place mayo, garlic sauce, BBQ sauce and sesame oil in small bowl. Stir to combine.
Toast bread: Turn oven on to broil. Lay bread out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Transfer to oven and toast, watching closely to prevent burning. Turn toasted slices over and repeat. Remove bread from oven and swipe each piece with butter and then the spicy mayonnaise.
Assemble club sandwiches: Lay one piece of bread onto work surface. Add a piece of curly lettuce, a few slices of tomato and a rasher or two of bacon, cut in half. Add a second slice of bread. Add a few slices of cheese on top of that, then slices of both light and dark turkey meat. Add slices of avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Invert the third slice of bread on top, mayo facing down. Cut the sandwich in half from corner to corner, then repeat in the other direction to create triangles. Run a sandwich pick down into each triangle to keep assembled.
Serve: Transfer sections to a large board and serve as snacks or transfer the four sections to a lunch or dinner plate. Serve immediately with matchstick potatoes or chips and a favourite salad or coleslaw.
Until Cottage Season
