Leftover Turkey with Pistachio Pesto and Arugula Sandwich

Leftover Turkey with Pistachio Pesto and arugula sandwich is a perfect way to use some of that leftover turkey. This pesto is made with pistachios.

Thank God it’s the weekend. I actually had to work yesterday. All my fault, really. I left no vacation time at all for the Christmas holidays. But that’s OK, because it’s a very quiet time at work during the holidays, so it’s good for catching up on work with no interruptions.

Now if you’re like me, you probably have lots of turkey leftover from Christmas and as much as my dear dog would love for me to give her all the leftovers, I know it’s probably not good for her, though she would stand to argue otherwise if she could talk, so while I left some turkey for her, I also decided to make these yummylicious sandwiches. I got inspired when I was surfing through one of my favorite blogs Damn Delicious, and saw her chicken pesto sandwich. I thought it would be perfect use of some leftover turkey.

I had lots of pistachios leftover from my Christmas baking so I decided to make a pistachio pesto. If you’ve never made pesto before it’s so easy. The ingredients are simple; basil, pistachios, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, garlic and a bit of salt and pepper. I used my Magic Bullet for this, which I really love, so handy and so easy to use and clean because it’s so small.

 Anywhooo, this pesto is ah-maazing!! So versatile! You could use it in sandwiches, or my favorite, over pasta. It’s crazy good! You probably will have leftover pesto, so don’t throw it away, put it in an air tight container, or jar, and freeze it, it freezes really well, so the day before I’d take it out and let it thaw out. This pesto is so good, you could even just spread it over bread or crackers and just eat it! Trust me, I know what I’m talking about!

I used about 2 cups of leftover turkey, dark and white meat, with about 1/2 cup of that delicious pesto and just as Chung-Ah from Damn Delicious added some Greek yogurt for extra creaminess, I did too. I’m all about the extra creamy factor! Uh-huh! Now, around this time, Mia was going nuts around me, trying her hardest to somehow climb on the island to get to the turkey. But this is when I succumbed and gave her some. She’s just too damn cute for her own good, can’t resist. Such a manipulator!

Mix all those yummy ingredients together with a fork or spoon, or spork, lol. Now look at that. Doesn’t that look delish? I could stop right now and just eat this by the spoonful.

But I forced myself to continue with my sandwiches and I’m so glad I did! I added avocado too, just because I love avocados on sandwiches. And if you want a little extra zing, drizzle with some lemon juice, this was my hubby’s idea and oh so worth it! Every once in a while I have to give him credit for his brilliant ideas.

So let’s recap. Baby arugula, avocados, fresh mozzarella cheese, pistachio pesto turkey, tomatoes and all this in a gorgeous fresh baguette drizzled with a bit of lemon juice. What do you think? I tell you what I think. This here my friends, is money! This sandwich is worth a million bucks. So don’t throw away that leftover turkey make this yummylicious sandwich.

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Leftover Turkey with Pistachio Pesto and Arugula Sandwich

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Prep: 10 mins

Total: 10 mins

Author: Joanna Cismaru

Serves: 4

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Ingredients

For Pistachio Pesto

• about a cup of fresh Basil
• 1/2 cup Pistachios
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

For Sandwiches

• 4 baby baguettes or 1 baguette cut into 4 equal size pieces
• 2 cups leftover turkey or chicken
• 4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese
• 2 large tomatoes sliced
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 cups baby arugula
• lemon juice optional

Instructions

• To make the pesto, add all the pesto ingredients to a food processor and pulse until fully emulsified.
• Mix about half the pesto, turkey, and yogurt in a bowl. Store the remaining pesto in a jar or air tight container and freeze until ready to use.
• To assemble sandwiches, cut baguettes in half, and layer starting with baby arugula, avocados, mozzarella cheese, turkey mixture, tomatoes and drizzle with lemon juice if preferred.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1gCalories: 611kcal (31%)Carbohydrates: 40.9g (14%)Protein: 43g (86%)Fat: 32.1g (49%)Saturated Fat: 9g (56%)Cholesterol: 75mg (25%)Sodium: 612mg (27%)Fiber: 6.8g (28%)Sugar: 5.9g (7%)

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Enjoy!