Turn Your Thanksgiving Leftovers Into a Yummy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Cheers to the holiday season and good, nourishing food! Andrea Bemis/TNS

I look forward to Thanksgiving all year long, so it feels totally wrong to only enjoy that wonderful food, the great company, and those festive cocktails for just one afternoon. I like to keep the party going all weekend long by using the Thanksgiving leftovers in as many different ways as I can.

This simple grilled cheese sandwich is a great way to use up any leftover cranberry sauce and cheese from your Thanksgiving spread. It makes a great lunch, but is also hearty enough to enjoy as a light dinner with leftover Brussels sprouts or green beans.

I absolutely love how the melty cheese, tart cranberries, and grainy mustard complement each other in this grilled cheese. It’s so tasty that I’m not sure I can go back to a traditional grilled cheese sandwich for a while. The great news is that this sandwich is amazingly easy to whip up and definitely a crowd-pleaser—perfect for post-Thanksgiving guests. I think these taste best with a little leftover bubbly and plenty of napkins.

Cranberry and Brie Grilled Cheese

Serves 2

• 4 slices bread (left over from Thanksgiving stuffing is great!)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce
• 2 tablespoons good-quality whole-grain mustard
• Pinch salt
• 4 ounces Brie cheese, sliced about 1/4 inch thick, or any other leftover cheese

Butter 1 side of each slice of bread. Place the bread butter-side-down on a cutting board. Spread cranberry sauce on one slice and mustard and cheese on the other slice of bread. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and join the slices together to make a sandwich. Repeat with the remaining slices to make a second sandwich.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sandwiches for about 3 minutes per side or until the bread has browned and the cheese has melted. Slice in half and enjoy!