Thanksgiving is just 6 days away and I can’t wait for a total day of gluttony. I love turkey and all the side dishes but my favorite part of the meal is the perfect bite. For me the perfect bite is a bit of turkey, stuffing, sweet potato and cranberry sauce. I love salty and sweet combos. I also love Thanksgiving leftovers. Who doesn’t?

I came up with a sandwich this week that will utilize leftovers and give that perfect salty sweet bite. The sandwich consists of roast turkey, arugula, sharp cheddar and of course cranberry chutney. The star of this sandwich is the cranberry chutney. This chutney is so good I could eat by the spoonful. I found the recipe on Epicurious.com. (Check out this site if you haven’t already. They have tons of recipes, menu ideas and helpful articles.) I altered the chutney only slightly by adding clementine zest. The zest adds a brightness to the sweet chutney. Also, I bought a loaf of cranberry fennel bread from my favorite local bakery but I think fresh sourdough or multi-grain bread will work just as well.

Shallots, ginger and garlic simmer with the fresh cranberries for about 12 minutes. I love how sweet shallots become after they cook for a while.

I combined the sugar and clementine zest with my fingers before adding it to the cranberries. Combining the sugar and zest this way allows the oils from the zest to become more pronounced.This chutney takes about 20 minutes to put together and yields about 2 cups. It can made a week ahead and refrigerated. I love recipes I can make ahead of time! so instead of cranberry sauce this year make cranberry chutney. You won’t be disappointed and if you are lucky there will be leftovers for sandwiches the next day.

Cranberry Chutney with Clementine Zest

recipe barely adapted from Epicurious.com

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

5 shallots coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp. canola or vegetable oil

1 (12 oz) bag of fresh cranberries

2/3 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of cider vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp peeled, minced ginger

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

zest of 2 clementines

Directions:

Cook chopped shallots over medium heat in 3 quart sauce pan, stirring occasionally, until soft but not brown, about 5-10 minutes. Add sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, kosher salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until berries pop. Remove from heat and fold in the clementine zest. Allow to cool before serving or cover and refrigerate for up to a week.

Cranberry Chutney, Roast Turkey, Cheddar and Arugula Sandwich 

Ingredients:

Left over turkey or store-bought roast turkey

cranberry chutney

good quality sharp cheddar cheese

arugula

fresh crusty bread (I used cranberry fennel bread but sourdough or multigrain will work as well.)

Directions:

Add a heaping spoonful of cranberry chutney to already sliced bread. Top with as much turkey, cheddar and arugula as you want. Enjoy with a cold beer!

5 Recipes for Thanksgiving Leftovers:

After all the hard work preparing an awesome Thanksgiving meal, the next day should be easy. If you have leftovers, use them! If not order a pizza and relax. You deserve it!

I love Banh Mi sandwiches. Instead of pork, use left over turkey. Find the recipe here.

Turkey BLT anyone? Head here.

Ya, I am on a sandwich kick. If you like bacon and blue cheese, try this sandwich.

If you need a little comfort before tackling Christmas shopping, make this soup.

I love a good Waldorf salad. Check out the food network’s recipe.