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    Home » Recipes » Sandwiches

    Open-Faced Hot Turkey Sandwich

    Published: Oct 19, 2023 · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    2-panel collage: plain hot turkey sandwich and Deluxe Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing & Gravy. Pin text overlay.

    Indulge in the scrumptious nostalgia of a classic Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich, a delicious, comforting way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.

    Hot Open-faced Turkey Sandwich with Gravy
    Jump to:
    • What You Need for a Hot Turkey Sandwich
    • How to Make a Classic Hot Turkey Sandwich
    • Day After Thanksgiving Deluxe
    • More Hot Sandwiches
    • Leftover Turkey Recipes
    • Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy

    Growing up, our family always had open-faced hot turkey sandwiches for dinner on the Friday or Saturday following Thanksgiving. This classic diner-style blue-plate special is a perfect way to use leftover turkey and gravy, and one of the easiest dinners ever!

    Whether you opt for leftover or deli-sliced turkey, this quick-fix comfort food dinner comes together in under 15 minutes with just turkey, gravy, and bread.

    What You Need for a Hot Turkey Sandwich

    Deluxe Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing & Gravy

    Classic Hot Turkey Sandwich:

    • Turkey: For best results, use leftover turkey or good quality deli sliced turkey.
    • Gravy: Leftover holiday gravy, pan gravy, premade canned gravy, or even packet gravy all work just fine.
    • Bread: Traditionally, hot turkey sandwiches are served on white bread, but sliced French or Italian bread, Texas toast, or even a crusty multigrain bread are all good options.

    Deluxe Sandwich Options:

    • Cranberry sauce: Canned or homemade cranberry sauce add another level of flavor to a turkey sandwich, enhanced by the sweet and savory combo we all know and love.
    • Stuffing

    How to Make a Classic Hot Turkey Sandwich

    My mom always made hot turkey sandwiches on plain, untoasted white bread, and honestly, that's how I prefer them to this day. (So did our school cafeteria when they served them for lunch.) However, many people prefer to toast the bread first. This is a personal choice, and totally up to you.

    If you want your bread toasted, do so in a toaster or under the oven broiler.

    Sliced turkey on a piece of toast. Gravy in the background.

    Gently warm the gravy in a small skillet over low heat. Place turkey slices in the pan, allowing them to heat through. This will not only warm the turkey, but also impart some moisture to it. (Leftover turkey can be a little dry.)

    TIP: If you don't have enough gravy to reheat the turkey in, you can use a little chicken broth instead.

    Lay the bread on a plate, and stack warm turkey slices on top. Add any additional ingredients as desired (i.e., cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc.) and smother with more hot gravy. Serve with a knife and fork.

    That's it. You're done.

    Day After Thanksgiving Deluxe

    With a fridge full of Thanksgiving leftovers, you can take your hot turkey sandwich to new heights. Pile on all your favorites for a post-holiday open-faced Dagwood. Everyone has their favorite combos: consider including stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sliced cheeses, jello salad, cranberry sauce, and so on.

    (I have to admit; I'm more of a purist. Just give me turkey, gravy, and bread, and I'm happy!)

    Deluxe Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing & Gravy

    More Hot Sandwiches

    Open-faced Roast Beef Sandwich: Same idea as a basic hot turkey sandwich; just use sliced roast beef instead of turkey.

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    Leftover Turkey Recipes

    For more ideas on how to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers, visit our collection of main dish recipes for using leftover turkey and leftover turkey soup round-up.

    Leftover turkey makes an excellent protein substitution in most recipes that call for cooked chicken. For example, to indulge in the goodness of leftover turkey pot pie, simply follow our chicken pot pie recipe! Other delectable uses for leftover turkey include curried turkey salad, slow cooker white turkey chili, or a savory mushroom turkey tart.

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      Classic Homemade Chicken Pot Pie
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      Curried Chicken Salad

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    Hot Open-faced Turkey Sandwich with Gravy

    Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy

    Indulge in the scrumptious nostalgia of a classic Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich — a delicious and comforting way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Main, Sandwich
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Low Lactose
    Prep Time:10 minutes minutes
    Total Time:10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 2 sandwiches
    Calories: 155kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 Small Skillet

    Ingredients

    • 4-6 slices cooked turkey leftovers or deli-sliced
    • 1 cup turkey gravy Leftover gravy, pan gravy, canned gravy, or packet gravy
    • 2 slices bread white bread, French or Italian bread, Texas toast, or crusty multigrain

    Instructions

    • If you want your bread toasted, do so in a toaster or under the oven broiler.
    • Gently warm the gravy in a small skillet over low heat. Place turkey slices in the pan, allowing them to heat through. This will not only warm the turkey, but also impart some moisture to it.
    • Lay the bread on a plate, and stack warm turkey slices on top.
      Layer on any additional ingredients as desired (i.e., cranberry sauce, stuffing, etc.) and smother with more hot gravy.

    Notes

    Day After Thanksgiving Deluxe: Take your hot turkey sandwiches to new heights by piling on all kinds of Thanksgiving leftovers - including stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, sliced cheeses, and the like. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 906mg | Potassium: 136mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Love it? Pin it! If you love this Open-faced Turkey Sandwich recipe, be sure to save it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

    2-panel collage: plain hot turkey sandwich and Deluxe Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich with Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing & Gravy. Pin text overlay.

    Thank you for visiting the Good Hearted Woman. Remember to bookmark this site, and come back soon!

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    About Renée B.

    Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.

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