Turkey Sliders – Rachel Sandwich Sliders
Posted: 03/18/2020
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Turkey sliders, aka Rachel sandwiches or turkey Reubens, are a delightful twist on a traditional Reuben. You’ll love these sliders stuffed with sliced turkey, creamy coleslaw and nutty Swiss cheese, baked in the oven until golden.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Baked sliders are great for crowds. Everyone loves them!
How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 35 minutes to bake
Equipment you’ll need: baking dish, small bowl, serrated knife, foil
Servings: 12 sliders
Table of Contents
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It’s almost a little embarrassing to write about a Rachel sandwich. I didn’t name these sliders in honor of myself, guys. Even though these Rachel sandwich sliders are super delicious, it seems a little weird to have a sandwich named after you. Popcorn, maybe….
But, here’s the facts: a Reuben sandwich made with turkey and coleslaw instead of corned beef and sauerkraut is called a Rachel sandwich. Reuben, masculine — Rachel, feminine. I guess turkey is more feminine than corned beef?
All I know is that these turkey sliders are super delicious. Traditionally, a Rachel sandwich is made with rye bread and grilled. These turkey sliders are baked in the oven. I love that you prepare a dozen sliders at a time, making this recipe an easy meal time entree or a fantastic appetizer.
Sliced turkey, Swiss cheese, creamy coleslaw, and Thousand Island dressing encased in a slider bun, topped with a buttery sauce studded with caraway seeds, baked in the oven until they’re hot, melty, golden and crisp — Yum!
How To Make Turkey Sliders
Like my popular ham and cheese sliders recipe, this turkey slider recipe uses Hawaiian slider rolls which come twelve to a package. Using a long serrated knife, slice across all twelve rolls at once. You’ll have one large top piece and one large bottom piece.
Place the bottom half of the rolls in a baking dish. Next, spread on a layer of Thousand Island dressing, topped with thinly sliced roasted turkey, and sliced Swiss cheese. Are you with me so far? Pretty easy, right?
Next comes a layer of creamy coleslaw. I like to make my own coleslaw. You’ll use a cup of it for the sliders and then you can serve the rest of it for a salad to accompany your sandwiches. It’s super easy to make especially if you buy the cabbage already shredded. If you’re looking for a lower calorie option, try my healthy coleslaw which has a yogurt based dressing.
Cover the coleslaw layer with the top half of the rolls. Mix melted butter with caraway seeds, minced onion, and seasonings, and spread the mixture over the tops of the sandwiches.
Into the oven it all goes, and in 30-35 minutes, you’ll be serving the most delicious Rachel sandwiches, aka turkey sliders, ever.
FAQs
What cheese goes best with turkey meat?
Often deli turkey sandwiches are made with Swiss cheese. The nutty flavor of Swiss cheese perfectly complements mild tasting turkey. Other popular choices are smoked Gouda, provolone, or cheddar. Really, it’s totally up to you and any of those choices work with the turkey sliders.
What do you serve with turkey sliders?
For sure, you’ll want to serve additional coleslaw with your sliders. I love to serve tart cranberry sauce with my sliders during the holiday season. Air fryer sweet potato fries go great with turkey sliders. Try baked tortilla chips and cranberry salsa (only 2 ingredients!).
Salads are always a good choice with sandwiches. Try a broccoli salad or Brussels sprouts salad with apples, cranberries, and walnuts.
What is a Rachel vs a Reuben?
The more familiar Reuben grilled sandwich is made with rye bread and a filling of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing. A Rachel is also made on rye bread, but with turkey instead of corned beef, Swiss cheese, and coleslaw instead of sauerkraut. The spicier Russian dressing is replaced by Thousand Island.
Make It Your Own
- Have leftover roast turkey? Use it instead of deli turkey. Or use corned beef if you like.
- Not crazy about Swiss cheese? Try another mild tasting cheese such as Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
- Use sauerkraut instead of coleslaw. Or just leave the coleslaw out and spread additional Thousand Island dressing over the cheese layer.
- Use Russian dressing instead of Thousand Island.
- Don’t want to make baked sliders? Instead of the slider rolls, use sliced bread of your choice, maybe rye bread, and make grilled sandwiches instead.
- Looking for a cold sandwich? You could make this slider recipe, omitting the butter sauce, and serve it cold.
- To skinny this recipe up a bit, skip the Thousand Island dressing, and halve the butter mixture. The sliders won’t be quite as ooey, gooey but will be a bit more healthy and still delicious.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Turkey sliders are best served immediately. Leftover turkey sliders can be wrapped well and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. To reheat, wrap in foil and heat in the oven or toaster oven until warm.
More sliders & hearty appetizer recipes
I mentioned my popular ham and cheese sliders above but I have more crowd pleasing recipes I know you’ll love:
- Pepperoni pizza sliders
- Greek meatballs (dip them in tzatziki sauce)
- Crockpot meatballs with cherry bourbon sauce
- Air fryer crab rangoon
- Spicy Asian chicken wings
- Air fryer BBQ chicken wings
- Bacon and mushroom flatbread – with asparagus and ricotta
- Kale flatbread with Parmesan and tomatoes
- Crostini – with lots of topping ideas!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
sliders
Turkey sliders, aka Rachel sandwiches or turkey Reubens, are a delightful twist on a traditional Reuben. You'll love these sliders stuffed with sliced turkey, creamy coleslaw and nutty Swiss cheese, baked in the oven until golden.
Ingredients
FOR SLIDERS:
- 12 sweet Hawaiian slider rolls (12 ounce package)
- 9 oz. thinly sliced roasted turkey
- 12 oz. sliced Swiss cheese
- 1 cup creamy coleslaw
- ¼ cup Thousand Island dressing
FOR TOPPING:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray a 11×8 baking dish lightly with cooking spray.
- Use a serrated knife to slice horizontally through all 12 rolls at once, keeping all the rolls attached. Make the bottom half slightly thicker than the top half. Place bottom half of rolls in prepared baking dish.
- Spread Thousand Island dressing on bottom half of rolls. Layer on half of the cheese. Top with turkey, and remaining half of cheese. Spoon coleslaw evenly over cheese, and then top with roll tops. It’s fine if the turkey and cheese overlap the edges of the individual rolls because you will be slicing them apart when they’re baked.
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, caraway seeds, dried minced onion, garlic powder, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, and then brush over the tops of the rolls. It’s okay if some runs down to the bottom of the pan.
- Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until tops of the rolls are crispy and golden brown.
- With a sharp knife, slice into individual rolls, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Have leftover roast turkey? You can use it instead of deli turkey. Or use corned beef if you like.
- Not crazy about Swiss cheese? Try another mild tasting cheese such as Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
- Don’t want to make baked sliders? Instead of the slider rolls, use sliced bread of your choice, maybe rye bread, and make grilled sandwiches instead.
- Looking for a cold sandwich? You could make this slider recipe, omitting the butter sauce, and serve it cold.
- To skinny this recipe up a bit, skip the Thousand Island dressing, and halve the butter mixture. The sliders won’t be quite as ooey, gooey but will be a bit more healthy and still delicious.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1slider, Calories: 290kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 59mg, Sodium: 492mg, Potassium: 103mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 428IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 235mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
denise says
Love Reubens and Rachels.
Rachel Gurk says
So good, aren’t they?