Are you up to your ears in Thanksgiving recipes and planning? For the first time in a long time, I’m not. We’re having a scaled-back Thanksgiving this year because we have a busy week – and we’ve ordered the food. Yup. I’m a food blogger who will be doing no cooking on Thanksgiving.

I was super conflicted about it at first. I love the whole event of planning and cooking a big meal. But, we were a smaller crowd this year and I couldn’t figure out when to fit in the cooking with all the other stuff we have going on – so outsourcing the food prep was the obvious choice.

What sealed the deal, though, was hosting a little Friendsgiving a few weeks ago. I got the chance to cook all of my favorites without the time crunch – and I got plenty of leftovers to rework.

This sandwich is a super quick an easy to make your leftover turkey not feel like just another turkey sandwich. Big, bold flavors take center stage and the result is delicious!

(Leftover) Turkey Banh Mi
(adapted slightly from Oprah)
Serves 4

1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder
1 pound cooked turkey pieces
4 club rolls
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. sriracha sauce
Cilantro, optional, to taste

Whisk together the sugar, salt, and vinegar in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Combine the carrots and cucumber in a heatproof bowl and pour the hot vinegar over. Let sit for at least an hour.

In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and 5-spice powder. Add in turkey and toss to coat.

In a third bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and sriracha. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to cook, heat a grill pan over medium heat and place turkey pieces on the grill until warm and just starting to caramelize.

Split the rolls and toast them under the broiler until warmed and slightly brown. Spread one side of the roll with sriracha mayonnaise, top with turkey and then the cucumber mixture. Add cilantro, to taste, if desired.