Cranberry-Turkey Melts

Whenever I make a turkey sandwich with Thanksgiving leftovers, I put a piece of jellied cranberry sauce on top of the turkey instead of mayo, mustard, or butter. I've gotten some weird looks from people before, but now many people are realizing the genius of the turkey-cranberry sauce combination. I just made a batch of Ginger Cranberry Sauce and had some excellent bread and cheese from the farmers' market, so putting these melts together to enjoy with the Packer game Sunday night was only natural. The sweet and tart cranberry sauce is the perfect contrast to the savory and salty cheese and turkey and a great preview for those who can't wait until the Thanksgiving feasts begin.

Cranberry-Turkey Melts
serves 2

4 slices whole-grain, sourdough, or french bread (I used Nut Brown Beer Bread from Silly Yak Bakery)
2 slices Swiss cheese (I used Swiss from Forgotten Valley Cheese)
4 oz. sliced turkey (I used Thumann's smoked turkey breast)
1/4 c. Ginger Cranberry Sauce (see previous post for recipe)
Canola oil cooking spray

1. Preheat a pan or grill pan over medium heat or preheat Cuisinart Griddler or similar appliance (this is what I used).

2. Place one slice cheese and half the turkey on each of two slices of bread. Spread the other two slices with half of the Ginger Cranberry Sauce and put the two halves together.

3. Spray Cuisinart Griddler (or pan) with cooking spray. (Note: if you are using a pan on the stove, you may want to spread each slice of bread with butter instead). Grill sandwiches until cheese is melted and turkey and cranberry sauce are heated through, flipping halfway through cooking if using a pan. Serve warm.