Summer Time Turkey Club

This seems like an odd recipe to feature on a cooking blog, however this sandwich is one of my favorites. We’ve all gone to restaurants and ordered the typical club sandwich or maybe even a fancier version with cucumbers and sprouts.  There’s no question they’re good, but you can make just as good of a sandwich at home, if not better.   

I’m an avid lunch packer during the work week as going out to eat every day can be very expensive, not to mention unhealthy too.  If you make a sandwich like this it’s filling and just as good as a restaurant version.  One of the best tips I’ve discovered over the years is to toast your bread.  This is especially helpful if your sandwich is going to be sitting in the fridge for a few hours.  Toasting the bread helps prevent soggy sandwiches.  There’s really nothing worse than mushy bread.  If you love tomatoes on your sandwich like I do, pack them separately in a Ziploc bag.  When you’re ready to each your sandwich, then add the tomato slices.  Adding the tomato slices right before you eat ensures the bread doesn’t become saturated from the tomato juices.

Mayo basil spread

I’ve also discovered that sprouts are a nice alternative to lettuce.  Very seldom do we buy lettuce at our house.  I feel guilty buying a whole head of lettuce when I only need a few pieces, knowing the rest will go to waste.  Sprouts are sold in small packages and when added to a sandwich they add a nice subtle flavor as well as texture. 

A time saving tip for this recipe is to buy packaged hard boiled eggs.  Eggland’s Best produces these and they’re stocked next to the regular eggs in most grocery stores.  I used to judge the people who bought these (who can’t boil eggs?), but then I tried them and saw the benefits first hand.  They’re packaged in a convenient, re-sealable bag with 12 in each.  They’re PERFECTLY cooked and there are absolutely NO traces of shells left behind!  If you choose to buy a package and are wondering what to do with the remaining eggs, eat them as a small snack, or add to salads, as they’re a good source of protein.  

Follow the directions below and you’re guaranteed to put together a good sandwich.  We all have different tastes so if there’s an ingredient below that you don’t care for, substitute it for one you like.  Make this ‘your’ sandwich.

Summer Time Turkey Club by Alissa Hebert

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 mins.

Total Time: 15 mins.

Ingredients:

• 4 slices multigrain bread
• 6 slices honey roasted turkey lunch meat
• 2 slices provolone cheese
• 1 medium sized tomato
• 1 small avocado
• 1 hard boiled egg
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil leaves (approximately 12 leaves)
• alfalfa sprouts
• honey dijon mustard

Directions:

1. Lightly toast the bread slices.
2. Slice hard boiled egg (lengthwise) into 4 slices.  Cut tomato into 4 slices.  Thinly slice avocado (lengthwise).
3. Place mayo in a small bowl.  Chop basil leaves and add to mayo, mixing well.
4. Begin making both sandwiches by spreading the mayo basil mixture onto 2 slices of bread.  Top each slice with provolone cheese.
5. Lay sprouts over cheese.
6. Place 2 tomato slices on top of the sprouts (2 tomato slices per bread slice).
7. Add 3 slices of turkey to each sandwich.
8. Add 2 slices of hard boiled egg on top of lunchmeat.  Add the avocado slices around the egg slices and over the egg slices. 
9. Spread honey dijon mustard onto remaining bread slices.  Add each slice on top of the prepared sandwiches.  Cut sandwiches in half and serve.

Please note the completed Summer Time Turkey Club photos above do not follow the same order as my directions above.  This is the first recipe I've written and I wrote it afterwards.  The sandwich can be put together in any order and the results will still taste good.