The Grill-Meister has made a turkey patty melt before on Sandwich Wednesday, but this new recipe, the Texas-Sized Turkey-Avocado Patty Melt, is a different animal. Back in 2022, he made a Turkey Patty Melt Panini with fontina, sautéed red onions and Dijon.
That panini was simple, comforting and very, very good. But the Glover Gardens Sandwich Wednesday repertoire has room for more than one turkey patty melt. After all, The Grill-Meister makes some kind of hand-held dinner every Sandwich Wednesday, and there’s nothing wrong with a little diversity in our patty meltiness.
Our latest version is bigger, bolder and decidedly Texas-sized: a half-pound turkey patty seasoned with our Zippy Sicilian spice mix, layered with melted cheese, deeply sautéed red onions, smashed avocado and peppery arugula between thick slabs of toasted brioche, with condiments left up to the diner. With a sandwich this size, we knew going in that there might be leftovers, and we were just fine with that.
Texas-Sized Turkey-Avocado Patty Melt
Ingredients
Instructions
- If you’re using our Zippy Sicilian spice mix (highly recommended!), whip up a batch. Find the recipe below Notes.
- Heat 1½ tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 thinly sliced red onions and stir to coat them with the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very soft, deeply browned and considerably reduced. Cover and set aside.
- While the onions are cooking, place the 8 slices of bread on a platter. Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper and have a sheet of aluminum foil handy. Smash the 1 ripe avocado in a small bowl, and gather the condiments.
- Place the 2 lbs. ground turkey in a large bowl and add 2 tbsp Zippy Sicilian. Mix gently with your hands just until the seasoning is distributed, taking care not to overwork the meat. Divide the turkey into 4 equal portions and shape them into large rectangular patties roughly the size and shape of the bread. Place the patties on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle the tops with a little additional Zippy Sicilian.
- Heat a large cast-iron plancha or skillet over high heat. When the surface is hot, add 1 tbsp vegetable oil, tilting the pan to distribute it evenly. Add the turkey patties and cook for about 3–4 minutes per side, depending on their thickness, until nicely browned and the centers reach your desired level of doneness. (165°F on an instant-read thermometer is recommended).
- While the patties cook, discard the wax paper or parchment paper from the baking sheet, leaving it ready for the cooked patties.
- Transfer the cooked patties to the baking sheet. Immediately top each patty with 2 slices of cheese, then loosely tent with aluminum foil and let the patties rest for about 5 minutes while the cheese melts.
- While the cast iron is still hot, toast the 8 slices of bread directly on the cooking surface for about 10 seconds per side, or just until browned. Watch them carefully; thick brioche can go from beautifully toasted to burned very quickly. Return the toasted bread to the platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- To assemble each sandwich, spread one slice of toasted bread with one-fourth of the smashed avocado. Top with arugula, followed by a turkey patty and one-fourth of the sautéed red onions. Spread the second slice of bread with whatever condiment or combination of condiments makes you happy—or leave it plain—and place it on top. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
- Devour immediately.
Notes
- Texas-sized by design: these are enormous sandwiches, with a full ½ lb. of turkey and 2 slices of cheese per person before we even start talking about avocado and onions. That’s not an accident. We made them Texas-sized for a reason, preferring in this case to have a thick, juicy, well-spiced patty.
- Trim down: if your bread is smaller or your appetite is more restrained, you could easily divide the 2 lbs. of turkey into six ⅓ lb. patties.
- Cheese choices: you can go “dealer’s choice” and prescribe the cheese, or let the diners pick their own. We thought the three best choices for this sandwich were American for maximum meltiness, sharp cheddar for stronger flavor and pepper jack for a little creamy heat.
- Spice it up: Zippy Sicilian is our homemade zesty Italian seasoning blend, with oregano, basil, thyme, plenty of garlic, black pepper and red pepper flakes. If you don’t want to make it, substitute a robust Italian herb-and-garlic seasoning blend with a little heat (add salt if the blend is salt-free).
- Condiments or not: there’s no official answer. The Grill-Meister preferred his without any, asserting that the avocado was all the condiment he needed. Mayo plus our own Spicy-Sweet Honey-Chipotle BBQ Sauce made my Bonus Sister happy; coarse-ground mustard plus Honey-Chipotle BBQ Sauce was my choice. Thousand Island would take the sandwich in a more traditional patty-melt direction, but that’s not really this sandwich. It’s a different animal, if you remember.
Recipes for Zippy Sicilian and our fab BBQ sauce below!
Double the Patty Melt, Double the Fun
So yes, Glover Gardens now has a perfectly pleasing pair of turkey patty melts. There’s room in the world (and certainly on this blog) for both delicious sandwiches. After all, Sandwich Wednesday comes around once a week, rain or shine.
©️ 2026, Glover Gardens
