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Made with simple ingredients that create sumptuous textures and flavors, elevate your typical lunch routine with the ultimate turkey avocado sandwich recipe.
Back to school season is officially upon us, y'all! Wow, this lazy summer came and went fast. We've picked fruit at the farms, shot fireworks, had barbecues, and even friends over. But now school is literally just a couple weeks away.
Which is alright by me, it means The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (aka Autumn) is right around the corner.
It's a tradition to fill Greyson's lunch box with his absolute favorites during the first week of school, so I figured I'd share those easy recipes with y'all! One of those being the amazingly simple and crazy-good Ultimate Turkey Avocado Sandwiches.
One of Greyson's favorite foods, it's a flavor bomb full of healthy fats and lean protein to fuel all of his activities, his school allows 'older elementary' to join the robotics team (can you believe he's going into the third grade?!), he's already joined the gardening club and reading club last year...and he just joined the local karate dojo his friends go to.
In other words, I am going to be up to my neck in school lunches, after school snack ideas, and quick weeknight meal plans, and I'm sure you are, too!
So before we get to those warm and cozy autumn foods that I am so excited about, I want to share some end-of-summer/back-to-school recipes that are going to be some life savers as the kids go back to school and our days become livelier.
Keep this recipe for turkey avocado sandwiches in your back pocket for a quick lunch, especially after Thanksgiving!
Jump to:
Ingredients.
Rye bread. We really enjoy that earthy, nutty flavor of rye bread. For Grey, he loves the marbled rye and pumpernickel bread and I do, too: it's earthy, dense, with some sour notes, and a really sturdy bread that holds up to this really resplendent sandwich.
Cheese. No one's gonna say no to cheese. Which one you use depends on what flavor you want: cheddar cheese is tangy, gouda cheese is creamy and a little sweet, swiss cheese is nutty, and that deli-style provolone cheese is really mild.
Turkey breast. You can use leftover turkey from Thanksgiving dinner, which we do all the time in the fall and winter months when turkey is always on our table, or deli turkey, whatever you like.
Ripe avocado. Buttery avocado slices that are carefully sliced thinly and seasoned with a little salt and pepper!
My pro tip for finding a perfectly ripe avocado? First, have a dark avocado, if it's more green than black it's unripe. Next, see if you can pop the stem off the top of the avocado. If it easily comes off and the flesh underneath is a vibrant green, it's ripe! If the flesh is black, it's overripe.
Fried egg. This one doesn't go on Greyson's school lunches, it's an 'at home' mid-day meal situation. But man, is it delicious and definitely not a part to miss in this.
Greens. Now, use whatever greens you like. I used mixed greens here, but another favorite is arugula, or rocket, and baby spinach.
Sprouts. Optional, but they have a flavor and texture that I really love on my turkey avocado sandwiches.
'The Juice'. You know when you're at Jersey Mike's or Subway and they ask if you want the juice or oil and vinegar and it gives your sub that 'made at a sub shop' flavor. It also cuts through that richness from all the meat, cheese, and other creamy or fatty toppings.
How to Make and Layer an Avocado Turkey Sandwich
First I fry the egg. It's super simple to do, all you need is a little butter, a nonstick frying pan, and a tight fitting lid for it. Cook the egg for 3 minutes with the lid on and you have a perfect sunny-side up egg!
Next, I toast my slices of bread in the nonstick pan with a little more butter. I flip them so both sides get toasted (very important so your bread can handle all those toppings!) and place my favorite cheese slices on the bottom slice of bread. The cheese gets melty while the bread gets toasty.
After that I layer my 'heavy' ingredients. Thin slices of turkey, the avocado slices, the fried egg. Season them with a little sea salt and black pepper. If you're using any heavy sandwich spreads like green goddess, some cream cheese, or anything else rich or thick, put it on top of the melted cheese before layering the heavy boys.
Now the greenery. Whatever greens you like, add on! Then sprinkle on those sprouts, if using. This is when I drizzle on that 'juice' the sub places use. I absolutely love that stuff, and it's so easy to make at home!
Last, I spread a little herbed aioli mayo on the remaining slice of bread and pop it on top.
Variations
Turkey Club Sandwiches. Use iceberg lettuce, whole wheat bread, red onion, and some juicy slices of tomato to this sandwich. Add crispy bacon and cut the sandwich into quarters and secure with picks.
Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich. Swap the cheese for a little cream cheese, smooth on some cranberry sauce. Drizzle a little maple syrup or gravy, and a smear of honey mustard.
Turkey-Pesto Sandwich. Add a spread of homemade pesto to this sandwich.
Frequently Asked Questions
Turkey sandwiches are full of lean meat, which is a healthier option than other deli meats. With the addition of avocado, this recipe is also full of healthy fats. For a low carb option, forego the bread for lettuce wraps.
My favorite cheeses to add to a turkey sandwich are havarti, cheddar, swiss, gouda, and gruyere!
There are so many great side dishes that can go with your sandwiches: french fries, coleslaw, your favorite chips, baked beans, fresh fruit, thanksgiving leftovers, basically anything you like!
More Sandwich Recipes:
- Chipotle Chicken Panini (Panera Bread Copycat)
- Crispy Chicken Sandwiches (Popeye's Copycat)
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Turkey Avocado Sandwich
Ingredients
Herbed Aioli Mayo
- 2 tablespoon good mayonnaise
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely minced
Fried Egg
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large egg
Turkey Avocado Sandwich
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 slices rye-and-pumpernickel bread
- 2 slices havarti cheese
- Thinly sliced smoked turkey breast
- ½ Hass avocado, thinly sliced
- Handful of your favorite greens and sprouts
- Kosher Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, as needed
Instructions
Make Herbed Aioli Mayo
- Whip together the mayonnaise, grated garlic clove, and parsley together with a fork or whisk in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.2 tablespoon good mayonnaise, 1 garlic clove, 1 teaspoon fresh parsley
Fry the Egg
- In a nonstick frying pan, melt the butter over medium heat.1 tablespoon butter
- Once melted and hot, carefully add the egg to the pan and cover with a well-fitting lid.1 large egg
- Let cook for 3-5 minutes undisturbed, until the egg white is cooked but the yolk is still runny. Remove the egg carefully from the pan onto a plate and season with salt and pepper.
Build the Turkey Avocado Sandwich
- In the nonstick skillet, with another pat of butter, toast both sides of the sandwich bread slices over medium-high heat until they're golden brown.1 tablespoon butter, 2 slices rye-and-pumpernickel bread
- While the second side is toasting, add the cheese to one of the bread slices and let melt. Once the cheese is melted, remove the toasted bread from heat onto a serving plate.2 slices havarti cheese
- Layer the turkey slices, avocado slices (sprinkle a little salt and pepper on the avocado!), greens and sprouts.Thinly sliced smoked turkey breast, ½ Hass avocado, Handful of your favorite greens and sprouts, Kosher Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Smear the garlic-herb mayo on the top slice of bread and place on top of the avocado turkey sandwich.
- Enjoy immediately.
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