Indulge in the scrumptious nostalgia of a classic Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich, a delicious, comforting way to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
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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
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.
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!)
More Hot Sandwiches
Open-faced Roast Beef Sandwich: Same idea as a basic hot turkey sandwich; just use sliced roast beef instead of turkey.
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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Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy
Equipment
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
Nutrition
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.
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