Turkey, Brie & Cranberry Sliders

Get Excited for Thanksgiving Leftovers!

Some foods are just better the next day. While I love a big Thanksgiving feast—yes, even the turkey (particularly the dark meat and crispy skin)—one my favorite things about the meal is that there are leftovers to eat over the weekend. I can have pie for breakfast (always the best part of the day after a big holiday), and then I can use the leftover turkey to make sandwiches, which is, I think most will agree, the best way to enjoy this particular bird.

Our ritual for the day after Thanksgiving is pretty specific: the sandwiches are made with sourdough bread and avocado, with cranberry sauce and/or gravy to moisten the bread (and maybe some mayo, too). Leftover salad greens can also make an appearance. This is how my mom likes her sandwiches, so this is how we all eat them.

Sometimes, however, you need to shake things up a bit. And 2025 feels like a year to add some extra decadence and delight to family time. So, this year, I have a different plan: turkey and brie on soft, sweet Hawaiian rolls. Slicing through a brick of rolls crosswise and then layering in the ingredients is a quick and easy way to make a dozen sliders all at once. You can set them out as a hefty snack for houseguest or enjoy them as a fun dinner.

Why include brie in these sliders? Well, other than the obvious deliciousness, it’s something we often put on holiday cheeseboards. So, on the morning after a big holiday meal, I’m likely to find part of a wedge re-wrapped and tucked into the fridge. I’ve also added cranberry sauce to these sliders, for a sweet-tart kick, and some slices of Fuyu persimmons, which are a staple in our kitchen in the fall (and a key component of my family’s traditional holiday salad).

Realistically, you could use this method with any leftovers you like, adding stuffing and gravy, etc. If you don’t have brie, some green bean casserole would be a particularly welcome addition, as the sauce would provide the creamy element. (I’m also partial to green beans at Thanksgiving.) You could even follow my mom’s lead and add avocado and salad greens. Any combination will be delicious.

Turkey, Brie & Cranberry Sliders

1 package King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls
2½–3 cups chopped leftover turkey
⅓–½ pound of brie (white rind trimmed off, if you prefer), roughly chopped
Cranberry sauce
½ Fuyu persimmon, very thinly sliced

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Carefully take the brick of rolls out of the packaging, keeping them stuck together. Use a bread knife to cut the brick in half through the narrow end, so that all the tops of the buns come off (still attached to each other). Set the tops aside.

3. Set the bottom halves of the rolls (still attached to each other) on a parchment-lined baking tray. Distribute the chopped turkey on top of the rolls, pressing it a little so that it doesn’t fall off the sides, then sprinkle the brie over it. (If the brie has warmed up and has become blob of cheese, just use your fingers to pull it into small pieces.)

4. Bake the covered bottom buns until the turkey is warm and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes.

5. While the cheese is melting, spread cranberry sauce on the cut side of the bun tops.

6. When the bottoms of the sliders are ready, layer on the persimmon, shingling the pieces a bit, so that you’ll get a good amount of fruit in each bite. Set the tops of the buns on the bottoms.

7. To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the sliders apart. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Photos: Georgia Freedman