Table of Contents
  1. Watch how to make these croque monsieur sandwiches
  2. Turkey & Cranberry Croque Monsieur Recipe

Do you dream about Christmas parties? Ok, I can’t be the only one! Surely some of you do too. And I don’t mean just any old Christmas party. I’m envisioning one of those idyllic parties you’d see in a movie. Maybe the setting is White Christmas (one of my favorites!) with a mix of The Holiday, Bing Crosby, and Ella Fitzgerald playing in the background, partygoers dressed in their best and ready for a festive time. Everyone is mingling around, some with a plate of food and others with a drink in hand.

Is eggnog pushing this Christmas dream too far? Not when it’s paired with my version of a croque monsieur!

Turkey cranberry croque monsieur sitting on white plate with linen napkin underneath all on white surface

I’ve always dreamed of a party like this. And if you know me, you’ll know that’s no surprise. I’ve always wondered why parties weren’t like the ones of my dreams.

Then I finally realized: I just need to throw one!

The hardest part of any party is just deciding to throw one. Everyone’s busy during the holidays, and I find it quite easy to talk myself out of going to all the work. There are so many things to consider: theme, menu, time, and date… But this year, there are no excuses!

Instead of making an entire meal, I love to serve unique “bites” that guests can enjoy throughout the party. The main bite this year is my take on the quintessential croque monsieur. While traditionally made with Black Forest ham, cheese, and a light white sauce, I pretty much did none of that.

My version layers sliced turkey, smoked Gouda with a quick homemade cranberry jam. The flavors are sweet, savory, salty, and perfectly balanced.

Turkey cranberry croque monsieur sitting on white plate with Christmas lights and greenery in background all on white surface

With these handheld-sized sandwiches, guests are free to take one or two (along with some other bites), mingle, then munch some more. As the host, smaller foods also make the work easier for me. As a rule, I pick items that can be partially prepped ahead of time. It just cuts down on my stress level the day of the party and it frees me up to enjoy the party as well.

Additionally, most of my favorite appetizers are made in larger quantities, then cut down into smaller portions. This also helps to cut down my prep time considerably!

Turkey cranberry croque monsieur held up to viewer with layers of turkey and cranberry jam with extra pieces of sandwich in background
Each layer in this croque monsieur has a different flavor profile, but the combination is perfection!

More Christmas appetizer recipes

Watch how to make these croque monsieur sandwiches

Turkey cranberry croque monsieur sandwiches sitting on white plate with linen napkin underneath on white surface

Turkey & Cranberry Croque Monsieur

No ratings yet
Complete with a homemade cranberry sauce, these turkey croque monsieur sandwiches are the perfect appetizer! When served at a Christmas party, everyone will love them!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 28 servings

Ingredients

For the cranberry jam

  • 12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 orange
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 cup brown sugar

For the sandwiches

  • 1 loaf sliced country-style bread (approximately 14 slices)
  • ½ cup Dijon mustard
  • 1 lb thinly sliced turkey breast
  • 6 oz smoked Gouda shredded
  • 1 cup prepared cranberry jam (ingredients above)

Instructions
 

For the jam

  • Slice the orange as thinly as possible. Then dice into smaller pieces.
  • Combine all the ingredients in a small kettle and bring to a boil.
  • Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and continue to cook until the cranberries have burst and are thick, about 10-12 minutes.
  • Take off the heat and set aside.

For the sandwiches

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Lay out slices of bread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until lightly browned and crisp, 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from oven.
  • Spread half the slices of bread with mustard. Layer on sliced turkey and shredded Gouda. Return to oven just to melt the cheese, 2 minutes.
  • Spread the remaining slices of bread with cranberry jam and place on top of the prepared sandwiches.
  • Sprinkle shredded cheese on the sandwiches and return to oven until melted, 3 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 128kcalCarbohydrates: 18.4gProtein: 6.8gFat: 2.9gSaturated Fat: 1.1gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 431.6mgFiber: 0.8gSugar: 5.4g
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Difficulty Intermediate
Method Baking

You May Also Like

Never miss a post by signing up for my newsletter.

Kaleb

I’m Kaleb! I'm not a chef, professional baker, landscaper, or designer, but I like to play each on Knollgate Farm. Come join me on my journey and let's learn together!

Learn more about me

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

2 Comments

  1. Just a suggestion, but how about a week of the Cranberry for 2021? As far as I can find you only have one recipe for cranberries. There’s cranberry bars, bread, jam, of course stables of sauce and relish. This doesn’t need to be a public comment.