Pulled Turkey Sliders with Blueberry Chutney

A little over a week ago I was lucky enough to attend an early Thanksgiving dinner put on by Erika Kerekes from In Erika’s Kitchen and the US Highbush Blueberry Council. It was a twist on your standard Thanksgiving because every single item on the menu had blueberries in it. You wouldn’t think blueberries would pair well with things like turkey or brussel sprouts, but I’m here to tell you that sweet pop of blueberry deliciousness actually goes quite nicely with the savory flavors usually associated with Thanksgiving.

We had everything from pumpkin soup with blueberry dust to brussels sprouts covered in a blueberry balsamic glaze to the pièce de résistance – roasted turkey breast with a blueberry salsa. It was all delicious and gave me some great ideas for both the Thanksgiving feast itself as well as all those leftovers. That’s why I’m posting these awesome pulled turkey sliders. I wanted to share an alternative to the standard and kind of boring turkey sandwich. Don’t get me wrong, I love turkey sandwiches. But I also like to change things up, and Erika’s pulled turkey sliders seemed like the perfect alternative.

These sliders are super easy to make and will have all your relatives thrilled they decided to stay an extra couple days. If you’re wondering how you turn cooked turkey into pulled turkey sliders, it’s as simple as simmering the shredded turkey in orange juice for an hour, then plopping it on little King’s Hawaiian rolls. But what makes this leftover dish really sing are the blueberries.

While you may think blueberries are a summer fruit, that’s just not true anymore. Now thanks to Chile and other South American countries, you can get fresh blueberries from October all the way through March.  Although I used frozen blueberries for this chutney, I’m sure fresh would be just as good. As a matter of fact, I picked up a few pints of fresh blueberries for another holiday recipe at my local grocery store. While this blueberry chutney is perfect for these pulled turkey sliders, it can be served with a variety of other meats. And if stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container, this chutney will take you straight through to New Year’s… if you can stay away from it for that long.  I know I couldn’t.

Pulled Turkey Sliders with Blueberry Chutney (adapted from In Erika’s Kitchen)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups shredded turkey
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 (10 oz.) bags frozen blueberries
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• small soft dinner rolls
• cole slaw mix

 Directions:

1. Place the blueberries, raisins, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and rosemary into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until the chutney is thickened and looks glossy. Transfer the chutney to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve. (The chutney can be made up to 1 month ahead, and will taste better if made in advance.)
2. Place the shredded turkey in a 3 quart sauce pan.  Add the orange juice and cumin and stir together. Simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
3. To serve, pile the turkey on a dinner roll, top with the cole slaw mix and a spoonful of the chutney. Serve immediately.