Slow-Cooked Turkey Sandwiches -- Because Some Weeks, You Let the Pot Do the Work

The week after the wedding. Kayla is Mrs. Brooks now — Kayla Henderson-Brooks, she decided, keeping Henderson because she is Michael's daughter and she will carry his name forward the way she carries his face. I love that. I love that my son's name is in her married name and will be in her children's names and will echo forward into a future he never got to see.

The kitchen is quiet after the wedding chaos. The counters are clean. The pans are returned. The leftover chicken is in the freezer (there were exactly zero leftovers, which is the correct number for a Henderson event). My knees are filing a class-action lawsuit against the rest of my body. Six and a half hours of frying chicken on two knees that Dr. Morton says need replacing — the knees did their job and they are not happy about it. I am not happy about their complaint. We are at an impasse.

Devon moved his things into Kayla's house — their house now, the one twelve minutes from me. He's a married man. He no longer brings flowers when he visits, which I mentioned, and he brought flowers the next visit. Married or not, the flower policy stands. That is non-negotiable.

I've been resting. Not cooking — resting. For the first time in weeks, I am sitting at the kitchen table with tea and my journal and the quiet of a house that just hosted a wedding and is now exhaling. The journal entry for this week: "Kayla married. Food perfect. Pearls passed. Knees angry. Heart full. Rest."

I made myself a tomato sandwich. First Cherokee Purple of the season — the garden doesn't care about weddings, the garden just produces. White bread, mayo, salt, thick slice. I ate it at the table and the juice ran down my chin and I didn't wipe it because there's nobody here to see and the mess is the joy and the joy is the mess and I am sixty-eight years old and I just cooked a wedding and I deserve a messy tomato sandwich.

Now go on and feed somebody.

The tomato sandwich took care of me on that first quiet afternoon, but by evening the knees were still filing their grievances and I was not about to stand over a stove. That’s when a good slow-cooker recipe becomes an act of self-preservation — you do five minutes of work in the morning and by suppertime the house smells like something worth sitting down to. These slow-cooked turkey sandwiches are what I make in the weeks after the big events, when the people I love have gone back to their houses and I am feeding only myself and I still deserve a proper plate. Let the pot do the labor. You’ve already done yours.

Slow-Cooked Turkey Sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 6–8 hours (low) | Total Time: Up to 8 hours 10 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless turkey breast
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 sturdy sandwich rolls or hoagie buns
• Optional toppings: sliced tomato, lettuce, mayo, mustard, provolone

Instructions

1. Layer the base. Spread the sliced onion and minced garlic across the bottom of a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker to form an aromatic bed for the turkey.
2. Season the turkey. Pat the turkey breast dry and rub all over with the smoked paprika, thyme, salt, and pepper. Place it on top of the onion and garlic layer.
3. Add the liquid. Whisk together the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar, then pour the mixture around (not over) the turkey so the seasoning stays on the meat.
4. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, until the turkey is completely tender and shreds easily with two forks. Do not lift the lid during the first 4 hours.
5. Shred and rest. Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded meat to the slow cooker and stir it into the accumulated juices. Let it rest on the WARM setting for 10 to 15 minutes to absorb the liquid.
6. Toast the rolls. Split the sandwich rolls and toast them lightly in a dry skillet or under the broiler until the cut sides are just golden.
7. Build and serve. Pile the saucy shredded turkey generously onto the toasted rolls. Add your preferred toppings and serve immediately while the meat is warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 520mg