My baby brother was able to pop by for lunch recently. I love an excuse to catch up as much as I love fixin’ the boy a hearty lunch – one that I know he appreciates.
Unfortunately, this visit, I didn’t have a spare minute to plan anything fancy or fussy and completely winged the creation. But, with a quick trip to the grocery you can pack a picnic lunch, like we did, [or a simple weeknight dinner] in no time!
Turkey Club with Sweet Herbed Aioli
For the Spread:
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
3 tablespoons peach preserves
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
The other fixins’:
2 slices of italian artisan bread
2 tablespoons delish olive oil
1/4 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
1/4 fugi apple, very thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, thinly sliced
2 strips bacon (I like oscar meyer’s pre-cooked bacon because it is super thin, always crispy and ready in seconds)
1 red onion, sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar (I use splenda brown sugar)
1 slice provolone cheese
1/4 lb deli turkey, very thinly sliced or shaved
And here’s what to do!
To make the aioli, mix ingredients, set aside
Drizzle the bread with olive oil and throw on the grill for a quick toast, leaving lovely char marks
Drizzle the sliced red onions with a little olive oil and add to a hot non-stick skillet
Sprinkle with a dusting of brown sugar. Flip onions. Onions are done when there is a slight char and caramelization
Spread 2 slices of grilled bread with the herbed aioli
Building from the bottom:
Add the spinach leaves
Apple slices
Bacon
Avocado
Turkey
Onions
Provolone cheese
Throw the open-faced sandwich on foil and add to the still-warm grill to allow the cheese to melt
Top with second piece of bread, slice sandwich on a diagonal
For a picnic, I wrap each sandwich half in parchment paper, pack with a side of pretzels, crisp grapes and a cookie. For dinner, I serve with a side salad and ice cream for dessert!
We loved this sandwich – I will for sure add it to the ‘in a pinch‘ rotation!
[photos shot by me]