Apple-Cheddar Turkey Slider Pockets

Ingredients

Slider pockets

• 8 small whole-wheat slider buns, about 25 g each
• 240 g fully cooked sliced turkey breast, chopped
• 1 small apple (120 g edible weight), peeled and coarsely grated
• ¾ cup (80 g) shredded mild cheddar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp olive oil, for brushing the tops

Sides

• 200 g cucumber, sliced into thin half-moons
• 200 g strawberries, hulled and halved or sliced

Equipment

Small baking dish, grater, instant-read thermometer

Allergens and ingredient notes: Wheat, milk, mustard; buns may contain egg, soy, or sesame. Use fully cooked turkey; this is not a raw-turkey recipe.

Step by step

1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly squeeze the grated apple in a clean towel to remove excess juice. Mix the apple with chopped cooked turkey, cheddar, and Dijon.
2. Split the buns without cutting all the way through the hinge. Divide filling evenly among the 8 buns. Arrange snugly in a small baking dish and brush the tops with olive oil.
3. Cover loosely with foil and bake 8 minutes. Uncover and bake 2–4 minutes more, until cheese melts and the turkey filling reaches 165°F (74°C). If needed, cover and continue in 2-minute intervals so the bread does not dry out.
4. Cool briefly on a rack, then refrigerate in shallow containers within 2 hours. Once fully cold, pack 2 sliders per lunchbox with one quarter each of the cucumber and strawberries, kept separate from the buns.

The Devotti twist: Grated apple softens into the turkey-cheddar filling, adding sweetness without a separate sugary glaze.

How to pack

Pack sliders in a dry section or wrap in parchment inside the chilled box. Keep wet produce in separate cups. Eat chilled; remove any unsuitable wrapping before reheating sliders to 165°F (74°C) if desired.

Swaps and preferences

If mustard is unwelcome, omit its 1 tsp from the filling. Use pear instead of apple in the same peeled, grated weight. For a bread-averse eater, pack the chopped turkey, apple, and cheddar as a forkable filling alongside the bun.

For cold lunches, pack fully chilled perishable food in an insulated bag with at least two cold sources. Keep at 40°F (4°C) or below and refrigerate on arrival when possible. Discard perishables left out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).

Make ahead and storage

Refrigerate sliders within 2 hours and use within 2 days, or the opened turkey’s label storage limit if sooner. Pack freshly cut produce the morning of use when possible.