I have a confession: this recipe has been on repeat in my house for almost a year. And now it’s time to share it with all of you! During our workdays, I usually make Tony a sandwich or quesadilla for lunch and one day I did a little experimenting with ingredients from my fridge.
Let me just say, this sandwich combo was a complete surprise and SO damn good. My cherry jam, turkey & spicy cheddar grilled cheese sandwich is the perfect balance of sweet, savory and spicy and you’re gonna want to make it again and again.
Abra is our resident sandwich lover and I got her completely hooked on this fun grilled cheese twist. It’s the best way to use up leftover Thanksgiving turkey and I’ve included tons of ways to customize! If you have leftover cranberry sauce feel free to throw that in, too. Grill it up this week for the best comfort food lunch or dinner (and thank me later).
Ingredients in this cherry jam turkey grilled cheese
This entire grilled cheese recipe requires just 7 ingredients and the result is mind-blowingly delicious. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Bread: using good-quality bread truly makes a grilled cheese sandwich that much better. I love thick seedy bread or sourdough, but use your favorite (even gluten free!)
- Butter: to cook that grilled cheese to golden perfection.
- Turkey: this is the perfect recipe for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey! Otherwise, feel free to use regular deli-sliced turkey.
- Mustard: add a little tang with grainy dijon mustard.
- Cheese: I love adding a kick of heat by using sharp habanero cheddar, but a regular sharp cheddar will be just as delicious.
- Arugula: oh yeah, we’re getting our greens in with some zippy arugula!
- Jam: the cherry jam in this sandwich is just *chef’s kiss.*
Delicious ways to customize
Yes, I think the flavor combo in this turkey cheddar grilled cheese with cherry jam is perfection, but there are plenty of fun and delicious ways to customize it!
- Choose your cheese. As I mentioned if you don’t have a spicy cheddar, regular cheddar will work just as well. Really any melty cheese will work well (even brie — YUM) but I love the tangy flavor that sharp cheddar gives the sandwich. If you use a non-spicy cheese I recommend adding a few slices of pickled jalapeños!
- More veggie options. Spinach, sliced red onion, and avocado would also be delicious.
- Pick your sauces. Even if you’re not a mustard-lover, the grainy dijon adds a wonderful flavor. Regular or spicy mayo would be great, too. A fig or raspberry jam would also be a great swap for the cherry jam.
- Protein swap. Shredded or sliced chicken would be the perfect swap for the turkey if you don’t have any on hand!
Kid-friendly option
If you’re feeding the kiddos, feel free to use regular cheddar cheese and leave out the spice completely! You can even cut it up into smaller squares or triangles for a fun lunch they’ll love or to feed two kids.
Can I make it vegan or gluten free?
Sure! To make the grilled cheese vegan simply use vegan butter and your favorite vegan cheese. To make it gluten free just use a gluten free bread.
How to make the perfect turkey grilled cheese with cherry jam
- Prep your bread. Start by generously buttering one side of each slice of bread.
- Assemble your sandwich. Flip the bread over so the butter is facing down, then top one slice with the mustard, cheese, turkey & arugula. Spread cherry jam on the other slice of bread, then flip this slice onto the other slice of bread to make a sandwich.
- Grill it up. Cook your sandwich on each side for 2-4 minutes over medium head until it’s lightly browned on the outside and the cheese is melted. Then enjoy!
Don’t forget this cheese-melting tip
There are two keys to getting melty cheese in a grilled cheese sandwich:
- Cut or shred from a block. Cheese that’s in a block tends to melt much better than pre-shredded or pre-sliced cheese because it doesn’t have stabilizers like those two do.
- Cover the pan. If you’re finding that your sandwich is browning faster than the cheese is melting, simply cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes.
More delicious sandwiches & wraps
- Spicy Jalapeño Cheddar Tuna Melt
- Vegan Pecan Apple Chickpea Salad Wraps
- Healthy Pumpkin Seed & Avocado Pesto Chicken Salad Sandwiches
- Crunchy Rainbow Thai Peanut Chicken Wraps
- Smashed Chickpea Avocado Salad Sandwich with Cranberries + Lemon
Get all of my easy sandwiches & wraps here and even more lunch ideas here!
I hope you love this cherry jam, turkey & spicy cheddar grilled cheese sandwich recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Cherry Jam, Turkey & Spicy Cheddar Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
- 2 slices of good-quality bread (i love a good thick seedy bread or sourdough!)
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
- 2-3 ounces sliced roasted turkey (turkey leftovers are perfect!)
- 1 tablespoon grainy dijon mustard
- 2 ounces spicy sharp cheddar cheese, sliced (such as a habanero cheddar)*
- ¼ cup arugula
- 2 tablespoons cherry jam
Instructions
- Generously butter one side of each slice of bread. Flip the bread over so the butter is facing down. Top one slice of the bread with dijon mustard, then add on spicy cheddar (or cheddar + pickled jalapenos), turkey and arugula. Spread cherry jam on the other side of the remaining slice of bread then place on top of the other ingredients (butter side up) to make a sandwich.
- Place a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add in sandwich and grill until it’s lightly browned, then flip over and continue to grill until the cheese is nice and melted. This should take 2-4 minutes per side. Sometimes I find that covering the pan for a few minutes helps to melt the cheese a bit easier. Serves 1.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This is an amazing sandwich! I used some rotissierie chicken, havarti cheese, with a little pepper jack cheese… then spread the Sour Cherry jam I got from Aldis and made this the most amazing dinner ever! Not exactly the recipe, but close enough.
Love that!! This one’s great for customizing 🙂
Every recipe is more delicious than the last! Can’t get enough AK!!
Wonderful! Received compliments from my husband and my kids. Will make again.
Aw I’m so happy to hear that you guys loved it! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂