Santa Fe Turkey Club Recipe

Prepare bacon

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and place a wire rack on top. Lay bacon slices on the rack. Place one jalapeño slice on each bacon strip and sprinkle a little brown sugar and crack of black pepper on top of each, if using.

Bake 12–18 minutes until bacon is crisp to your liking. Watch closely near the end to prevent burning. Remove and transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep warm or cool for later assembly.

If using jarred roasted red peppers, drain and slice into 6 long strips. If roasting fresh: char whole red peppers over a gas flame or under broiler until skin is blackened all over, place in a bowl covered for 10 minutes, then peel, seed, and slice into 6 strips.

Halve and pit avocados; scoop flesh into a bowl. Mash with a fork leaving some texture. Stir in finely diced red onion, chopped cilantro, minced jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Keep covered with plastic touching surface to prevent browning until assembly.

In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, Dijon, yellow mustard, honey, minced chipotle, lime juice and salt until smooth. Taste and adjust sweetness or heat by adding more honey or chipotle. Refrigerate until assembly.

In a blender or a small food processor combine mayonnaise, cilantro, minced garlic, lime juice, lime zest, salt and pepper. Puree until bright green and smooth (or pulse to desired flecked texture). Taste and adjust salt or lime. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Butter one side of each sourdough slice. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Toast buttered side down until golden and crisp, 2–3 minutes. If making double-decker clubs, toast both sides lightly or toast all slices on the buttered side and flip briefly to brown second side—avoid over-crisping.

Lay 3 toasted sourdough slices on your work surface as bases for three sandwiches (or assemble two double-decker clubs by splitting ingredients accordingly).

Spread about 1 tablespoon of chipotle honey mustard evenly on the cut side of each bottom slice.

Top each mustard-coated slice with approximately 4 oz (one-third of the turkey portion for a 3-sandwich yield) of sliced turkey, then one slice of Gouda.

Add 2 slices of jalapeño bacon on top of the cheese, then 1 roasted red pepper strip and 1–2 lettuce leaves. Season lightly with salt and pepper if desired.

Spread about 2 tablespoons of guacamole onto the inside of the top slice of bread, then spread about 1 tablespoon of cilantro-lime aioli on top of the guac (or reverse—aioli on bread and guac on turkey—to preference). Place top slice over the stack.

If making a double-decker club: place the middle slice (toasted) on top of the first layer, spread a thin layer of aioli on both its exposed faces, then repeat turkey, cheese, bacon, peppers, lettuce and top with the final slice spread with chipotle honey mustard and guac/aioli as above.

Press sandwiches gently, then slice each on the diagonal. Secure with toothpicks if desired. Serve immediately while toast is warm and bacon is crisp.