Turkey and bacon subs with chunky sweetcorn relish

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It’s time for another recipe for the Lean on Turkey campaign, and the latest challenge was to create a family friendly summer meal to feed 4 for a budget of £10.

Having had the American wing of our family to stay, I used the stateside combo of turkey and bacon as inspiration for my idea.

To dress up the flavours I marinated the turkey in soy sauce and honey. I left it in the fridge for a good few hours so the meat was beautifully tender when I cooked it. My biggest fear with turkey is that it can get it a bit tough, so this was a great result.

You can buy really decent sub rolls in the supermarkets these days – super light and soft bread which doesn’t leave you feeling bloated.

To elevate the meal from sandwich to something a bit spesh, I knocked up a homemade sweetcorn relish to go with it. The stuff you buy in jars is sweet, jam-like and weird so it’s really worth making it yourself for the full-on fresh flavours you’re rewarded with.

It’s a bung-it-all-in-a-pan-and-simmer type affair, so it’s really really easy. It also makes quite a lot, so you can keep a jar for yourself and give the other one away as a gift if you like. Bonus!

I served the subs up to my good friend Tara after we survived a spontaneous trip to the park in the rain with our unruly boys. They ate fishfingers, swapped football stickers and then rampaged around the house, while we tucked into our classy butties, and may or may not have had seconds 😉

Turkey and bacon subs with chunky sweetcorn relish

serves: 4
prep time: 20 mins
cooking time: 30 mins
Costs: £1.93 per serving

4 turkey steaks
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp runny honey
8 rashers streaky bacon
4 submarine rolls
1 beefsteak tomato, sliced
lettuce leaves

for the relish (makes 2 large jars)

4 cobs sweetcorn
2 stalks celery, diced
2 red peppers, de-seeded, diced
2 large shallots, diced
2 tsp salt
2 tsp mustard powder
230g caster sugar
450ml white wine vinegar

1. Spread the turkey steaks across the bottom of a dish and press down with a fork. Cover the meat evenly with dark soy sauce and then drizzle each with honey. Turn over so both sides are covered. Cover with cling film and put in fridge to chill.

2. To make the relish, slice the kernels of sweetcorn from the cobs using a sharp knife and then blanche briefly in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain.

3. Transfer the corn to a large pan with the rest of the relish ingredients, stir to combine and then bring to the boil. Turn down and simmer for 20-25 minutes.

4. Spoon the relish into sterilised jars, seal with vinegar-proof lids allow to cool and then label. (It will keep for up to 4 months, once opened keep in the fridge)

5. When you’re ready to put your subs together, head a griddle pan and cook the turkey escalopes for a 1-2 minutes each side until cooked. Then repeat with the bacon rashers. Transferring to some kitchen roll once cooked.

6. Split the submarine rolls and spread with a layer of relish, top with turkey, bacon, a slice or two of tomato and some leaves.

Costings: shopping bought at Sainsbury’s & Waitrose

£6.74 for the turkey subs

4 turkey escallops £2.39
dark soy sauce £0.10
runny honey £0.10
4 rashers streaky bacon £0.60
4 submarine rolls £1.50
1 beefsteak tomato, sliced £0.65
1 bag salad leaves £1.40

£6.01 to make 2 large jars of the relish… so approx £3.00 per jar, then use a third of a jar for the meal which is basically £1.00

4 cobs sweetcorn – £2.50
2 stalks celery, diced £0.20
2 red peppers, de-seeded, diced £1.39
2 large shallots, diced £0.42
2 tsp salt £0.05
2 tsp mustard powder £0.10
230g caster sugar £0.30
450ml white wine vinegar £1.05

Grand total of meal £7.74