Florida OJ Cranberry Turkey Sliders Recipe
These Florida OJ Cranberry Turkey Sliders combine a tangy homemade cranberry orange sauce with savory turkey and melted Swiss cheese on soft sweet dinner rolls. Perfectly brushed with a garlic Dijon herb butter and baked until golden, these sliders are an ideal festive appetizer or easy party meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 sliders 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cranberry Orange Sauce
- 1 cup Florida Orange Juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 small bundle fresh rosemary and thyme sprigs, optional (3–4 sprigs each, tied together with kitchen twine)
- 3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
Sliders
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 package (12 count) sweet dinner rolls
- 3/4 cup cranberry orange sauce
- 7 ounces thick-sliced deli turkey or leftover holiday turkey
- 4 ounces (about 6 slices) Swiss cheese
- Additional fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Make Cranberry Orange Sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, orange zest, granulated sugar, and the herb bundle over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in cranberries and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens and most cranberries burst, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove herb bundle and discard. Let sauce cool completely; it will thicken further as it cools.
- Prepare Garlic Dijon Herb Butter: In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepper, rosemary, thyme, and parsley until well combined. Set aside.
- Assemble Sliders: Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a serrated knife, slice the sweet dinner rolls horizontally, keeping top and bottom halves intact as one piece. Place bottom half on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush half of the garlic Dijon herb butter evenly on the bottom half. Spread cranberry orange sauce evenly over buttered rolls.
- Add Turkey and Cheese Layers: Layer sliced turkey evenly over the cranberry sauce covering all slider sections. Top with Swiss cheese slices, cutting and overlapping as needed to cover all buns.
- Finish Assembly and Bake: Place the top half of the rolls over the cheese. Brush tops with remaining garlic Dijon herb butter. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5-10 minutes until tops are golden and cheese is melted.
- Serve: Remove from oven and let rest 2-3 minutes. Slice into individual sliders along roll perforations. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.
Notes
- Sliders can be assembled up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerated before baking; add 5 extra minutes to baking if baking from cold.
- Use leftover holiday turkey or thick-sliced deli turkey for convenience.
- The cranberry orange sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, then warmed slightly before using.
- Fresh herbs add aromatic flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- For a sharper cheese option, try gruyere or fontina instead of Swiss.
Keywords: cranberry orange sauce, turkey sliders, holiday appetizer, Florida orange juice, sweet dinner rolls, sweet and savory sliders, baked sliders, party food
