Roasted Tomato and Turkey Club Sandwich

Recipe: Roasted Tomato and Turkey Club Sandwich

 

Club sandwiches are usually best in the summer when tomatoes are at their peak, but what do you when the craving hits in cold-weather season and the only tomatoes available are rock-hard and sad? Just pop those tomatoes into a hot oven and you'll have juicy oven-roasted tomatoes in just 30 minutes. Stack them into a club sandwich that you can enjoy — even with a few feet of snow outside.





When you scoop out the seeds of plum tomatoes, flavor them with some oil and garlic, and then roast them, the tomatoes get succulent, juicy, and meltingly tender. These tomatoes add a bright and savory note to sandwiches or salads.

A club sandwich is all about the right proportions: the right thickness of bread, not too much meat, crisp lettuce, and crispier bacon. You want just enough of each one where you can taste it, but not too much where the sandwich becomes large and hard to eat. So stick with the thin sandwich bread here, since you use three slices, and remember to cook the bacon extra-crispy!


Roasted Tomato and Turkey Club Sandwich

For the roasted tomatoes:
2 plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 clove garlic, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the sandwich:
3 slices bacon
3 slices white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 iceberg or romaine lettuce leaves
3 ounces thinly sliced roast turkey

For the roasted tomatoes:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out the core and the seeds with a spoon or melon baller. Place the oil, vinegar, and garlic in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat. Transfer to the baking sheet cut-side up and roast until collapsed and completely softened, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bacon.

For the sandwich:
Cook the bacon on the stovetop or in the oven until very crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

When the tomatoes are ready, toast the bread. Spread a tablespoon of mayonnaise over one side of each slice of toast. Divide the lettuce over 2 of the slices of toast, tearing them as needed to fit. Divide the tomatoes over the lettuce, then divide the bacon over the tomatoes, tearing them as needed to fit. Divide the turkey over the bacon.

Carefully pick up a topped bread slice, turkey-side up, and place it on the other topped bread slice. Finish by topping with the third slice of bread, mayonnaise-side down. Gently press down on the sandwich to compact slightly.

Using a serrated knife, cut the sandwich diagonally into 4 pieces. Secure each quarter with a toothpick, if desired.