A tasty quick meal or a hot snack? This open-faced sandwich with a spicy turkey and veggie blend will satisfy both requirements. I promise you'll love it!
➜ About this recipe
Just to be clear. We Czechs call this recipe "ďábelské topinky", which could be translated as devilish toasties. It's a slice of crusty pan-fried bread topped with a hot meat and vegetable mixture seasoned with pepper and chili flakes.
The recipe's benefit is that the topping can be made with any leftovers that are found in the refrigerator. You are given plenty of leeway to play around with the preparation because the recipe is not given in its entirety.
The core of the spicy mixture is always meat and vegetables. I used leftover turkey fillet, but feel free to substitute it with raw chicken, lean pork, or even sausage!
MY TIP: Have you heard of the chlebicky, classic Czech open-faced sandwiches? These are beautiful slabs of sliced veka bread or baguettes garnished with potato salad, vegetables, various types of sausages, and sliced cheese. Often served at holiday gatherings, parties, and New Year's Eve celebrations!
➜ Ingredients
To make a hot open-faced sandwich with turkey and veggies, you need:
For pan-fried bread:
- Slices of bread; about ⅓-1/2 inch thick. Rye bread is best; feel free to use stale bread two-three days old. The bread you see in the recipe is called Moskva in the Czech Republic. It is baked with 100% rye, and the loaf is typically square in shape. The recipe also works well with any white crusty bread cut into slices.
- Butter; to spread on both sides of a bread slice. Later, we fry the slice in a frying pan.
Fun fact: A slice of old bread pan-fried in fat is called topinka in the Czech language!
For the turkey sandwich topping:
- Turkey breast meat; feel free to replace the turkey with chicken breast or pork tenderloin. The meat should be raw, as it needs to be fried in a pan.
- Yellow onion
- Frying oil; such as sunflower or rapeseed oil
- Fresh garlic
- Tomato passata; not ketchup or tomato paste. Tomato passata is made from pressed tomatoes that have been cooked and reduced to produce a thick juice.
- Bell pepper
- For seasoning: salt, black pepper, and chili flakes
- To garnish: Green spring onion, green part, chopped into rings. Or fresh parsley, both for added color.
✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.
➜ Instructions with photos
STEP 1: Cut the turkey fillet into small cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the garlic clove and mash it with a knife or push it through a press. Clean the bell pepper and cut it into short strips.
TIP: Learn how to cut a bell pepper into rings
STEP 2: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry while stirring for about three minutes until soft. Add the turkey meat to the onions, season with a little salt, and fry for about 3-5 minutes, until the juices released by the meat have evaporated.
STEP 3: Mix in the chopped peppers and tomato passata. Reduce the heat to low and sauté for about 5 minutes. The peppers will soften, and the tomato passata will thicken the mixture. Add a bit of water if the passata is too thick or evaporates too quickly.
STEP 4: Remove the skillet from heat, add the chili flakes, and season with pepper and salt to taste. Set the mixture aside and keep it warm in the pan.
STEP 5: Fry the slices of bread: Spread a thin layer of butter on both sides of each bread slice. Cook the bread in a frying pan over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. It takes about two minutes on each side if the pan is hot enough. Make sure not to burn the bread.
STEP 6: Assemble the hot open faced sandwich: Layer a warm turkey and vegetable mixture on a slice of fried bread. Serve with sliced green spring onions, and enjoy!
➜ How to eat a hot open faced sandwich
If the bread forms a firm base, is comfortable to hold in hand, and is not piled high with too much hot mixture, it can be eaten by picking it up and taking individual bites. I always recommend having a paper napkin and/or plate on hand to catch any crumbs or mess.
If you're dining in a setting where formal dining etiquette is expected, eat a hot open-faced sandwich with a fork and knife, even if it could be eaten with your hands.
This open-faced turkey sandwich dish is quick and simple, making it ideal for a weeknight dinner.
➜ Useful tips
- Depending on your taste preferences, adjust the intensity of the mixture. If you like your food spicy, add more chili flakes or chopped hot peppers to the mixture.
- Optional (but I recommend it for cheese lovers): Add a layer of grated cheese to the sandwich. A good choice is Edam, Cheddar, or your other favorite cheese.
- This hot turkey sandwich contains no additional sauce. The meat and vegetable mixture is bound together with a tomato passata that thickens slightly as it cooks.
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Hot Open Faced Sandwich with Fried Turkey
Ingredients
Pan-fried bread:
- 2 slices rye bread
- 2 teaspoons butter
Spicy Turkey Veggie mixture:
- 5 ounces turkey breast fillet raw
- 2 Tablespoons frying oil sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- ¾ cup tomato passata
- ⅓ paprika bell fresh
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 pinch black pepper ground
- salt
- 2 Tablespoons green spring onion rings to garnish
Instructions
- Cut the turkey fillet into small cubes. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the garlic clove and mash it with a knife or push it through a press. Clean the bell pepper and cut it into short strips.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and fry while stirring for about three minutes until soft. Add the turkey meat to the onions, season with a little salt, and fry for about 3-5 minutes, until the juices released by the meat have evaporated.
- Mix in the chopped peppers and tomato passata. Reduce the heat to low and sauté for about 5 minutes. The peppers will soften, and the tomato passata will thicken the mixture. Add a bit of water if the passata is too thick or evaporates too quickly.
- Remove the skillet from heat, add the chili flakes, and season with pepper and salt to taste. Set the mixture aside and keep it warm in the pan.
- Fry the slices of bread: Spread a thin layer of butter on both sides of each bread slice. Cook the bread in a frying pan over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. It takes about two minutes on each side if the pan is hot enough. Make sure not to burn the bread.
- Assemble the hot open faced sandwich: Layer a warm turkey and vegetable mixture on a slice of fried bread. Serve with sliced green spring onions, and enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 2 hot open-faced sandwiches.
- Depending on your taste preferences, adjust the intensity of the mixture. If you like your food spicy, add more chili flakes or chopped hot peppers to the mixture.
- Optional (but I recommend it for cheese lovers): Add a layer of grated cheese to the sandwich. A good choice is Edam, Cheddar, or your other favorite cheese.
DISCLAIMER: Because I come from Central Europe, my recipes are based on metric units such as grams or milliliters. Check out how I convert metric units to the U.S. system:
Conversion chart
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