Turkey Club Grilled Cheese (Printer-Friendly)

Hearty grilled cheese featuring roasted turkey, crispy bacon, fresh lettuce, tomato, and melted cheese on golden sourdough bread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 4 slices cooked turkey breast
02 - 4 slices cooked bacon

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 leaves romaine lettuce, washed and dried
04 - 1 medium tomato, sliced

→ Dairy

05 - 4 slices cheddar or Swiss cheese
06 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

→ Bread

07 - 4 slices sourdough bread

→ Condiments

08 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, optional
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat a skillet or panini press over medium heat.
02 - Butter one side of each slice of sourdough bread.
03 - On the unbuttered side of two bread slices, spread mayonnaise and Dijon mustard if using.
04 - Layer in order: cheese, turkey, bacon, tomato slices, lettuce, and another slice of cheese. Top with the remaining bread, buttered side facing out.
05 - Place the sandwiches in the skillet or press. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side in a skillet, or 4 to 5 minutes total in a press, until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
06 - Remove from heat, let rest for 1 minute, then slice and serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It takes everything you love about a club sandwich and makes it warm, melty, and infinitely more satisfying in under twenty minutes.
  • You can throw it together with what you probably already have after a holiday meal or grocery run, no special ingredients needed.
  • The contrast between crispy golden bread and gooey cheese with cool lettuce and tomato hits every texture you crave at once.
  • It feels indulgent enough for a treat but uses simple everyday ingredients, so you can make it whenever the craving strikes.
02 -
  • Do not skip letting the butter soften, because cold butter tears the bread and leaves bald spots that will not crisp up properly.
  • If your tomatoes are too thick or watery, the sandwich will get soggy and fall apart, so slice them thin and blot them dry.
  • Medium heat is not negotiable, high heat will char the outside before the cheese melts and low heat just makes everything sad and pale.
  • Press gently if using a skillet, but do not smash it flat or all the fillings will squish out the sides and you will lose the best parts.
03 -
  • Use a cast iron skillet if you have one, it holds heat evenly and gives the bread an incredible crispy crust that nonstick pans just cannot match.
  • If you do not have a panini press, place a second heavy skillet on top of the sandwich while it cooks to press it down and get that compact, melty texture.
  • Toast your bacon until it is almost too crispy, because it will soften slightly from the heat and steam inside the sandwich.
  • Let the sandwich rest for a full minute before slicing, or the cheese will run out and you will lose all that gooey goodness on the cutting board.
Go Back