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Turkey Muenster Focaccia Melt. Homemade garlic pesto mayo spread over crusty focaccia, layered with shredded deli turkey, melty Muenster cheese, and fresh summer tomatoes. Baked until golden and crisp, then finished with crispy prosciutto and fresh summertime greens. Perfect for picnics, beach days, or served warm from the oven for an easy summer dinner.
It’s officially summertime! While it’s felt like summer in my world for the last couple of months, I’m still excited that it’s actually here. I love the long sunny days, the warm evenings, and all the incredible seasonal produce.
For me, summer cooking looks like big salads, grilled meats and vegetables, simple pastas, homemade pizzas, and, of course, sandwiches for picnics, beach days, and easy dinners. The less time spent in the kitchen, the better.
This year, my summer theme is effortless cooking—recipes that let the ingredients do the work. Lots of tomatoes, sweet corn, garden zucchini, fresh berries, peaches, and plenty of herbs. When ingredients are at their peak, you really don’t need much else.
And this Turkey Muenster Focaccia Melt is one of those recipes I make all summer long. It’s a sandwich I’ve been making year after year for lunches and dinners. I used to make it with ciabatta, but lately I’ve been loving it with focaccia. Trader Joe’s has a great loaf that works perfectly here. The bread gets crisp around the edges while staying soft and chewy in the center.
We’re using Muenster cheese, too. I know it’s not the most talked-about cheese, but it’s what my mom always used on our turkey sandwiches growing up. It’s become such a comfort food ingredient for me. When melted, it’s creamy, mild, and just a little sweet. It reminds me of homemade turkey sandwiches and pizza bagels, which I made constantly as a kid.
Layer everything together with ripe summer tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, fresh greens, and a garlicky pesto mayo. Then simply bake until melty and golden. It’s simple, satisfying, and one of those recipes everyone always loves.
The Details
IngredientsÂ
Garlic Pesto Mayo
- mayo
- olive oil
- lemon juice
- garlic
- basil pesto
For the Turkey MeltsÂ
- focaccia or ciabatta
- fresh tomatoes (use your favorite variety)
- salt and black pepper
- muenster cheese – it is not fancy, but still great (or use your favorite)
- deli turkey – ask for shredded or thinly sliced
- prosciutto – make it crispy
- arugula, romaine, or your favorite summer greens
Tools from the KitchenÂ
- small bowl or jar
- mini whisk
- baking sheet pan
- bread knife
- cutting board
You only need a handful of everyday kitchen basics for this recipe. A small bowl or jar makes quick work of the creamy garlic pesto mayo. While a sheet pan helps everything bake up golden and melty. Have a bread knife ready to slice through the focaccia and a cutting board for prepping the tomatoes and greens.
The Steps
Step 1: Make the Garlic Pesto Mayo
Start by making the garlic pesto mayo. It comes together in just a few minutes and adds so much flavor to the sandwich. Whisk together the mayo, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and basil pesto until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tip: Make the mayo ahead of time if you’re prepping for a picnic or easy lunch. The flavors only get better after a little time in the fridge.
Step 2: Build the Sandwich
Arrange the focaccia halves on a sheet pan and generously spread the garlic pesto mayo over both cut sides. Layer the tomatoes onto the bottom half and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the Muenster cheese and turkey, then place the remaining cheese slices on the top half of the bread.
Don’t skip seasoning the tomatoes. A little salt brings out all of their sweet summer flavor.
Step 3: Bake Until Melty
Transfer the sandwich to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and just beginning to turn golden around the edges.
If you’re making the prosciutto yourself, let it cool completely before adding it to the sandwich. It stays much crispier that way.
Step 4: Add the Prosciutto and Greens
Remove the focaccia from the oven and layer over the crispy prosciutto. Then add the arugula or summer greens. Place the top half of the focaccia over the greens and gently press everything together.
I love peppery arugula here, but if you’re looking for a little extra crunch, romaine is great too.
Step 5: Finish and Serve
Return the sandwich to the oven for a few more minutes, until the bread is deeply golden and crisp. Let it cool for a minute or two, then slice and serve warm.
This sandwich is delicious straight from the oven, but it also travels well for picnics, beach days, and easy summer dinners all season long.
Turkey Muenster Focaccia Melt
Servings: 6 sandwiches
Calories Per Serving: 462 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Garlic Pesto Mayo
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 cloves garlic grated
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/4 cup basil pesto or chopped fresh basil
Sandwich
Instructions
- 1. To make the mayo. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together all of the garlic pesto mayo ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.3. Place the focaccia halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Spread the pesto mayo evenly over both halves. Layer the tomatoes, 6 slices of Muenster cheese, turkey, and crispy prosciutto over the bottom half of the focaccia. Arrange the remaining cheese slices on the top half.4. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.5. Remove from the oven and layer the greens over the prosciutto. Place the top half of the focaccia over the greens and gently press down. Rub with olive oil. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, until the bread is toasted and crisp.6. Slice into 6 pieces. Enjoy warm or chilled.
This post was originally published on June 22, 2026
Great recipe Served it for friends They all loved it
Hey Cathy,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!
Delicious! We had these the other night and just had the leftovers, which were still really good! Thank you for sharing; we will be having these again.
Hey Brittany,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, love to hear it was enjoyed!
Have the best weekend!
This sandwich was fiiiirrreeeee. Thanks Tieghan! I’ve been cooking nonstop from your Super Simple so I needed a little change of pace but I am a paper book girlie 🙂 I hope you have a new cookbook soon!
Hey Ali,
Perfect! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, love to hear it was a winner!
So, so good. I served this over the fourth for the first time. Within seconds, the table was commenting, yummy! This was a big hit. Thanks so much for the recipe. Nice job!
Hey Mary,
Amazing! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!
Have a great 4th of July weekend!
What a wonderful summer meal! My husband isn’t a fan of prosciutto, so I substituted thick-cut bacon instead, and it was delicious. I also found a soft ciabatta loaf, which was the perfect choice. Thank you for all of the hard work you put into creating such delicious recipes!
Hey Kellie,
Amazing! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!
Have a great 4th of July weekend!
Perfect Summertime sandwich. I substituted sliced nectarines for the tomatoes. Delicious!
Thanks so much, Jeff! So glad you enjoyed this sandwich, I appreciate you making it! Love the idea of using nectarines.
Soooo good. Everyone loved it.
I didn’t cook the prosciutto. I put it on afterward with the greens. Turned out great.
Hey Noel,
Awesome! Love to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and taking the time to leave feedback.
Have a great weekend!
One word: yum! This turned out so well. I had to use bacon since I was out of prosciutto, but it turned out delicious! I’ve been experimenting with baking bread lately, so I can’t wait to try it again with homemade focaccia.
I’m loving all these summer recipes! 🥰
Hey Valerienne,
Thanks so much! I appreciate you making this recipe and taking the time to comment. So glad it was enjoyed!
The flavor combination with this sandwich is delicious. Great for a quick meal when you are short on time.
I would advise against ciabatta bread as it is a bit too hard for my liking.
Couldnt find focaccia so I had to settle.
Hi Erin,
Thanks so much for trying this sandwich and sharing your feedback! So glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great day!
This was a really tasty sandwich! The pesto sauce was the best part.
Hey Adrienne,
I really appreciate you making this recipe and reporting back. Thrilled it turned out well!
I made this and will give a couple tips. First, I don’t know why there is a 1/4th cup of oil in the mayo/pesto. It makes it so gross. The mayo with just the pesto is ok. Mayo is already mostly oil and pesto also has a lot of oil, the addition of even more oil made it almost inedible. Second tip is this sandwich needs double the amount of turkey and half the amount of cheese. Also do not put the lettuce on the sandwich and place it back in the oven unless you enjoy soggy wilted warm lettuce.
Hi Percy,
Thanks for making this recipe and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear you didn’t love it!
This sandwich sounds ahhhh-mazing! Your thoughts on best way to crisp up the prosciutto please?
Thanks so much, Sandy!! I usually crisp my prosciutto on a skillet or just pop it in the oven.
I hope you love this sandwich!