Best Cranberry Turkey Sliders Recipe

These sliders are a great way to repurpose those Thanksgiving leftovers or use deli-style, oven-roasted turkey. It’s a tasty pairing using whole berry cranberry sauce, which is nicely offset by the creaminess of mild cheddar and the more distinct flavor of gouda. Safe to say, it’s a real GOUDA idea to make these sliders for out-of-town guests visiting for Thanksgiving or the holidays. The herby butter made with chives (an under-used and under-rated herb in my opinion) sends this bun sliding in for a home run.

The buns:
The only way to go here is a Hawaiian sweet roll. They’re soft, sweet, and buttery, and play well against the more savory components in this recipe.

The turkey:
Go with either a deli-style, thick-cut, oven-roasted turkey or use Thanksgiving turkey leftovers, thinly sliced. Pile it high to get a hearty bite.

The cheese:
I prefer the complexity of using two cheeses, but feel free to use just one. I like mild cheddar for its meltability factor, flavor, and pretty orange hue. The gouda pairs nicely without being overpowering. Alternatively, I like a nice Havarti and fontina combo.

The cranberry sauce:
I prefer whole berry cranberry sauce because I like biting into the whole cranberries that explode in your mouth with flavor. If you like the smoother jellied cranberry sauce, use that!

The butter sauce:
Use softened butter and mix in the chopped chives, poppyseeds, onion powder, and a little Worcestershire sauce, then brush onto the buns. Keep some chives for topping the buns for a pop of color once heated.

Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!