Open-faced turkey spinach mushroom melts are just 5 ingredients and 15 minutes to make and are a delicious, filling and warm lunch using leftover turkey.
Despite 2020 trying to ruin everything, and despite it looking a lot different this year, I'd say Thanksgiving was a success.
Yes, I had to do all the cooking by myself, instead of with my mom at my side. Yes, we had to stay home instead of going to the beach.
But, we ate all our favorites and had a huge spread of delicious food. And best of all, because they live in town, my parents came over and were able to join us safely for dinner. They sat on the screened in porch outside, we sat at the table inside, and we opened the windows to chat. (Luckily, it wasn't very chilly that night.)
My mom even said it was the best Thanksgiving meal she can remember us having. I told her it's just cause she didn't have to cook any of it. Still, I'm thankful we were able to be together safely, however strangely.
But let's get on to the food.
Last week I shared two new recipes for Thanksgiving leftovers: turkey and black bean quesadillas and one pot turkey and white bean skillet.
Cause finding new ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers is maybe my favorite food-related part of the holiday.
(I know, that’s a bit strange. But we all get tons of new, yummy recipes out of it, so let’s just go with it.)
Today, we’re keeping it easy yet again with a new lunch recipe.
Open-faced turkey spinach mushroom melts are just 5 ingredients but warm, filling and so delicious.
Plus, they only take 15 minutes to make. Cause I know you are probably over spending very much time in the kitchen. (I usually am for a couple of days after the big meal myself.)
They are a great option, too, if you’re sick of turkey sandwiches. I personally never tire of my leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and cream cheese. I could eat it for a week straight. But again, I may be a bit strange in this department.
Plus, everyone from the kids to the grandparents can enjoy these melts for an easy lunch.
Simple, so satisfying and perfect for using your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
(And if you love melts like I do, check out these 15+ ideas for sandwich melts. They make such a great easy lunch or light dinner!)
OK, let's get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes and substitutions coming up on how to make open faced turkey melts. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on turkey spinach mushroom melts:
- This recipe requires cooked turkey, so please plan accordingly. If you don’t have leftover Thanksgiving or roasted turkey, you could also substitute a rotisserie chicken or roasted chicken that's been chopped instead.
- I personally love the meatiness and earthiness from the mushrooms, but you could skip those if you prefer or if you don't have any.
- English muffins are something we usually have on hand and they work great for quick sandwich melts like this. However, you could also use leftover sliced bread or rolls from your Thanksgiving meal. Or use bagels to make a turkey bagel melt with this recipe.
- Feel free to toast your English muffin or other bread before assembling the melts, if you want a toasty crust on the bread.
- We use shredded mozzarella cheese to top these with. It gets nice and melty. But you can substitute a different cheese if you prefer.
I keep these pretty simple, but you could also add a fun spread on your bread if you want to amp up the flavors.
Here are a few ideas.
Spreads to use for turkey melts:
- Dijon or regular mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Cranberry sauce
- Marinara
- Pesto
And if you love toppings to a worrisome degree like I do, I’ve got some thoughts on that too.
Feel free to mix and match here with your favorites.
Topping ideas for turkey spinach mushroom melts:
- Sliced or diced avocado
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Pickled red onions
- Hot sauce or sriracha for a kick
The recipe as written makes enough for 4 people (each with 2 halves of the English muffin melt). But you can certainly scale this up or down to make as many as you like.
And if you happen to make extra, they do reheat well. Here’s what I did.
How to store leftover turkey melts:
- Wrap the leftover turkey melts in aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a toaster oven, regular oven or microwave oven. Once reheated, you can broil for a minute to get the browning on the cheese.
- Serve hot and enjoy again!
I hope you had a lovely, safe Thanksgiving holiday, even if it looked a lot different this year.
And I hope you give these a try for a new lunch to make with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. You might also love these easy turkey tostadas for a warm meal with leftover turkey.
Open-faced turkey spinach mushroom melts
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 oz. white button mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed, mushrooms sliced or chopped
- 2 cups chopped leftover cooked turkey
- 2 big handfuls fresh spinach
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 English muffins, halved (or use rolls or bagels)
Instructions
- Adjust an oven rack so it is within 3-4 inches of the heating element. Preheat broiler.
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chopped mushrooms and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until they are tender and have given off some of their liquid.
- Add the turkey and spinach and stir to combine. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is warmed through and the spinach is wilted, 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, place the English muffin halves on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
- Divide the turkey, spinach and mushroom mixture among the 8 halves. Top each one with about 2 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Broil on high for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully, until the cheese is melted and browned.
- Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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