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Thanksgiving is almost here, which means we’re about to experience some of the most food-centered weeks of our year. And while we have been frantically menu planning and writing out shopping lists, we’ve also already been daydreaming about all of the ways that we can use our leftovers. We love Molly Yeh’s Thanksgiving leftovers hotdish recipe, but for times when we’re craving something a little brighter, Giada De Laurentiis’ turkey Parmesan panini with roasted tomatoes totally hits the spot.




Yes, you can make these sandwiches with sliced deli turkey, but they’re the perfect use for your thinly sliced leftover turkey, too.




Thanksgiving leftovers can be so bland and heavy, but De Laurentiis keeps things bright by pairing the turkey with sweet roasted cherry tomatoes, which add a blast of vibrant flavor to each sandwich. It’s these little touches that make all of her recipes, like those in her cookbooks Everyday Italian and Giada’s Italy, ones that we turn to time and again. 


She spreads the bread (she uses a soft white bread) with store-bought pesto and jarred marinara, then layers on provolone cheese and turkey, and spreads the roasted cherry tomatoes over the top. Last but not least, the sandwich gets a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Courtesy of Clarkson Potter.

Though Parmesan and provolone are the cheeses of choice for these paninis, you could also swap in pretty much any sharp-flavored cheese you have leftover from Thanksgiving. Just choose one nutty hard cheese and one cheese that’s a melter. Whether it’s coming from a cheese platter that didn’t get finished, or if it’s the last bit of gruyere from your mac and cheese, this is one of the tastiest and simplest ways to use up leftover cheese.


After the paninis are grilled (you can use a panini press, or just press on them with a pot lid), you’ll be left with a delicious reward: crispy golden bread, melted cheese, and turkey with an Italian twist so convinving, you might not even remember that you’re actually eating Thanksgiving leftovers.













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