Easy Turkey Cranberry Sliders Recipe
Perfect way to enjoy Thanksgiving flavors year-round. Soft Hawaiian rolls layered with creamy cheese, sweet-tart cranberry sauce, and savory turkey, baked until warm and melty.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 sliders 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 package Hawaiian rolls (or gluten-free, keto, or brioche slider buns)
- 8 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1 ½ cups whole cranberry sauce (not jellied, fresh or canned)
- 2 cups leftover turkey (cut into bite-size pieces or shredded, or use deli turkey slices)
- 6 slices havarti cheese
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick, melted; if using unsalted, add ¼ teaspoon kosher salt)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon garlic (pressed or minced, about 1 small clove)
- ½ teaspoon dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Pinch kosher salt
- ½ tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
- Keep slider rolls intact together. Slice the whole package lengthwise into top and bottom halves, making the bottom half slightly thicker to hold fillings better.
- Place bottom half of buns in prepared dish. Spread softened cream cheese evenly across the surface.
- Spoon whole cranberry sauce gently over cream cheese layer. Use back of spoon to distribute without tearing bread.
- Evenly distribute turkey pieces over cranberry layer. Lay havarti cheese slices on top. Place top half of buns back on, covering all sandwiches.
- In a pourable container, whisk together melted butter, garlic, dried onion, Worcestershire sauce, and pinch of kosher salt.
- Pour butter-garlic mixture gently over tops of buns, letting it soak in. Sprinkle poppy seeds across top if desired.
- Cover dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese has melted and filling is heated through.
- For crispier top, remove foil for last 10 minutes of baking. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes before slicing into individual sliders. Serve warm.
Notes
- For best results, use whole berry cranberry sauce rather than jellied. Make sure cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature for easy spreading.
- Can be made ahead and refrigerated, then baked before serving. Easily adapted for gluten-free or low-carb diets.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slider
- Calories: 240 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 380 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg