Goodbye classic club, hello crowd-pleasing Italian turkey club sandwich! Perfect for picnics, parties, or those nights it’s too hot to cook. Loaded with sliced turkey (or chicken), prosciutto, arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and a homemade Italian dressing. This recipe is so flavorful and fresh.

Not Your Classic Club Sandwich

• Instead of flimsy pieces of bread, we use ciabatta. Goodbye, soggy bread!
• Instead of mayo or dijon mustard, we use a pesto drizzle that’s to-dir-for!
• Instead of the standard bacon, lettuce, and tomato, we use arugula, sun-dried tomatoes, and prosciutto.
• Instead of making them right before serving, you can assemble this Italian club sandwich up to 24 hours in advance. A great picnic recipe! Or quick lunch or dinner.

You can make these turkey club sandwiches quickly and easily double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd. And trust me, if you’re serving a crowd, make enough to go around; this club sandwich is always a huge hit!

Where my sandwich lovers at?! People are often surprised to learn that sandwiches are one of my favorite food groups. Who can resist slices of toasted bread stuffed with meats, cheeses, and veggies?!

From a bacon, lettuce, tomato on toasted white bread to an Italian hoagie to a hot ham and swiss with plenty of dijon mustard! And don’t even get me started on ice cream sandwiches, because we’d be here all day.

So with an obsession this strong, it’s kind of crazy I only have a handful of sandwich recipes on this website! But that changes now, because I have a new club sandwich recipe for you. And this Italian-inspired Turkey Club Sandwich that’s going to rock your world!

This is an Adaptable Club Sandwich Recipe

Need to make some adaptions to this recipe? No worries; unlike baking, cooking leaves room to pivot.

So I’ve added some notes on adaptions and substitutions below. So if you’re looking to play around with the ingredients, be sure to read my notes!

But basically, you can use sliced turkey or chicken or even ham. You could use slices of toasted bread instead of ciabatta. Or use fresh tomatoes instead of sun-dried! You get the point, right?

Let’s Make a Turkey Club Sandwich!

• Bread: Every good sandwich starts with good bread, so be sure to use quality here! I suggest using a large ciabatta loaf, but you can definitely use a long baguette instead. A French loaf may also work!
• Turkey: You can use sliced deli meat or freshly shaved turkey breast. Have leftover turkey from thanksgiving? Yup, that’ll work, too!
• Prosciutto: I prefer every thinly sliced prosciutto for this recipe. It adds a delicious flavor and a great chew! But if you’re not a fan, feel free to sub in crispy cooked bacon here.
• Sharp Provolone Cheese: But mild will work! You could also sub in Swiss or American, which will make it less “Italian”, but still delicious!
• Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Add a great chew, and are much easier to find in the dead of winter! That being said, feel free to sub these with fresh juicy tomatoes if you prefer.
• Arugula: This is our “lettuce” and gives the sandwich a peppery flavor! Feel free to sub baby spinach or just regular lettuce. Just keep in mind if you use regular lettuce and tomato slices, the sandwich will get soggy faster from the added moisture.
• Pesto: Store-bought or homemade will work here! If you want a healthier version, my spinach basil pesto!
• Olive Oil: For our dressing! Use your favorite brand!
• Red Wine Vinegar: Adds a slight tang to our vinaigrette. While I do prefer red wine, balsamic can work in a pinch!
• Sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness. Granulated sugar works best.
• Salt and Pepper: To season our dressing to perfection! Just a small amount of both to start, then taste and add more as/if needed.

While I don’t toast my bread before making this sandwich, you definitely can if that’s your preference! Simply preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the sliced ciabatta on a baking sheet, and toast for a few minutes. Then assemble as directed in the recipe box!