Mini Teriyaki Turkey Sandwiches

Thanksgiving preparations. The dual feast: Lourdes's house on Thursday, ER potluck at my apartment on Friday. The planning is automatic now — five years of dual Thanksgivings, five years of the same menu, the same people, the same excessive quantities of food that Lourdes produces regardless of the guest count.

This year's Lourdes table: Lourdes, Angela (nine months pregnant, due in six weeks, the belly requiring its own consideration in seating arrangements), James, Pete, and me. Plus the twins on FaceTime — Mark propping Marco and Sofia in front of the camera so Lourdes can see them eat mashed sweet potatoes, which Sofia likes and Marco regards with the suspicion of a six-month-old who has opinions about texture.

The ER potluck: fifteen colleagues, my apartment, lumpia and adobo and the standard Santos deployment of food in quantities designed for twice the guests. Pete will eat at both events — Lourdes's on Thursday, mine on Friday — and will eat enough at each to constitute a full Thanksgiving on its own. Pete's capacity is impressive and Lourdes-approved.

I made pork adobo for the potluck prep — the dark, rich version, braised until the sauce reduces to a glaze. The apartment smelled like vinegar and gratitude, the two scents that define my November, the two things I bring to every table: the sour and the thankful.

The adobo and lumpia are the heart of the Santos potluck spread — they always are — but fifteen hungry ER colleagues need more than a centerpiece, they need something easy to grab between conversations, something that passes hand to hand without ceremony. These Mini Teriyaki Turkey Sandwiches have earned a permanent spot on the Friday table precisely because of that: sweet, savory, assembled in under an hour, and gone before anyone thinks to count how many they’ve had. When you’re already carrying a tray of lumpia in one hand and a pot of adobo in the other, a slider that practically plates itself is exactly the kind of backup that makes a dual Thanksgiving possible.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 12 sliders

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs cooked turkey breast, thinly sliced or shredded
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
12 Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls or slider buns, split
1 cup shredded green cabbage or coleslaw mix
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions

Build the teriyaki sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, about 3–4 minutes.
Thicken the sauce. Stir cornstarch and cold water together in a small bowl until smooth. Pour into the simmering sauce and whisk continuously for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon. Remove from heat.
Coat the turkey. Add shredded or sliced turkey to the saucepan and toss gently to coat every piece. Let it sit in the sauce for 5 minutes off heat so the flavors absorb.
Toast the rolls (optional). Arrange split rolls cut-side up on a baking sheet and place under the broiler for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Watch closely — they go fast.
Assemble the sliders. Layer a small handful of shredded cabbage on each roll bottom, then pile on a generous spoonful of teriyaki turkey. Replace the roll tops.
Garnish and serve. Arrange sliders on a platter, scatter sliced green onions and sesame seeds over the top, and serve immediately — or cover loosely with foil and keep warm in a 200°F oven for up to 30 minutes before the potluck crowd arrives.

Nutrition (per serving)

Mini Teriyaki Turkey Sandwiches — The Potluck Table That Never Lets You Down