Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy

Turn leftover Thanksgiving dinner into a Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy for a cozy meal that feels like a hug on a plate. Piled high with mashed potatoes, turkey, and peas, and drenched in gravy, it’s the ultimate comfort food. No leftovers? No problem! You can enjoy the sandwich year-round with store-bought deli meat.

I was inspired to create this sandwich after seeing Matty Matheson’s Hot Turkey Sandwich in his New York Times bestseller, Matty Matheson: A Cookbook. I never thought I could swoon quite so much over a turkey sandwich until I saw his. It was packed with sliced turkey breast, smothered in a pool of gravy, and covered with a blanket of bright green peas. It’s a thing of beauty! (By the way, I adore his loveable character, Neil Fak, on The Bear!)

With Thanksgiving coming up, I figured, why not make a version that puts those turkey day leftovers to good use—especially the turkey and mashed potatoes we always make extra of on purpose. My spin’s a little more laid-back than Matty’s: instead of roasting a fresh turkey breast, I just grab the leftovers. And while he went all out roasting then simmering turkey necks for hours to make the gravy stock, I cheated with a quick but flavorful 15-minute version.

My leftover turkey sandwich isn’t fancy, but it hits that cozy comfort food vibe—perfect for lunch or dinner. And the best part? You don’t have to wait until Thanksgiving. Just pick up some roasted turkey in-store (mine’s next to the rotisserie chicken) or get a few slices from the deli, and you can enjoy the sandwich whenever you feel like it!

Ingredients needed:

• Turkey—this is a great recipe for using up leftover Thanksgiving turkey; however, roasted turkey in the prepared food section of the grocery store is quite good as a substitute. Deli turkey meat is also a quick and easy option.
• Mashed potatoes—if you don’t have leftover mashed potatoes or don’t want to make them from scratch, this hot turkey sandwich recipe includes instructions to make instant potatoes without the usual instant taste. I use Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flakes, which contain only unseasoned dehydrated potatoes.
• Sandwich bread—a sturdy sandwich bread that can hold the weight of the filling and absorb the gravy without falling apart is best. Good options include sturdy white bread, country bread, Canadian bread, French bread, Italian bread, or even dinner rolls. I don’t toast the bread, but you can certainly do so if you like.
• Frozen Peas—simply cook in the microwave or on the stovetop with water and dress with butter before plating.
• Gravy—this recipe includes a tasty roux-based gravy made with butter, flour, ground thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, chicken or turkey broth, Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base, cornstarch, and water. As a shortcut, you can also substitute it with leftover gravy, jarred gravy, or make it from a gravy mix.

Recipe highlights:

• Combine the broth, Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base, and seasonings for the gravy in a bowl. Blend well and set aside. Combine 2 tablespoons of broth and cornstarch in a separate bowl for the slurry. Blend well and set aside.
• Make the roux: Cook the butter and flour over medium-low heat to make the roux for the gravy. Cook until the mixture turns a rich caramel in color, stirring frequently.
• Slowly add the broth and seasoning mixture in portions, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring to a boil. Slowly add the slurry, whisking constantly until the gravy thickens.

• Make the instant mashed potatoes: Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add butter, salt, black pepper, and milk, then bring to a second boil. Remove from the heat and add the potato flakes. Stir until smooth.
• Make the peas: Bring the peas and salt to a boil in a small saucepan.
  Cover and simmer for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the peas are heated through. Drain the water and stir in butter.
• Reheat the turkey in a steamer basket on the stovetop or in the microwave.
• To assemble the two sandwiches, start each with a slice of bread at the bottom.  Add half of the mashed potatoes, a drizzle of gravy, and half of the turkey. Then, place a slice of bread on top, followed by a generous amount of gravy. Finish with half of the peas.
• Refer to the recipe card below for detailed instructions.

Substitution options:

Although I’d love for you to try the sandwich as written, it also works well with substitutions. Try adding cranberry sauce, stuffing, or both. You can do it alongside the mashed potatoes or instead of them.

If you don’t want to make gravy, canned or jarred varieties also work well. And of course, if you don’t like peas, just leave them out, but they really add freshness, and the vibrant color makes the sandwich really pop!

For additional side ideas, consider French fries, chips, coleslaw, salad, a side of vegetables, or any leftover side dishes from your Thanksgiving dinner.

How to serve:

This substantial and lofty sandwich needs to be eaten with a knife if you don’t want to be wearing it. It’s wonderfully messy, just like my Chicken Chow Mein Sandwich!

How to store:

You can store and reheat leftovers of leftovers. Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. For freshness and quality, reheat it only once.

To keep the turkey meat moist, I recommend reheating it over a steam basket until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel.

Recommended supplies:

(Affiliate links. The products I recommend are either what I use, are on my wish list, or are highly rated.)

• 1-quart and 1.5-quart saucepans for making the mashed potatoes, peas, and gravy.
• Wire hand whisk
• Spatulas

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Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy

Author: In Good Flavor Cooking Method:Layering Stovetop Cooked Cuisine:American Courses:Appetizers

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 25 minutesTotal time: 30 minutesServings:2 servings

Description

Turn leftover Thanksgiving dinner into a Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy for a cozy meal that feels like a hug on a plate. Piled high with mashed potatoes, turkey, and peas, and drenched in gravy, it’s the ultimate comfort food. No leftovers? No problem! You can enjoy the sandwich year-round with store-bought deli meat.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces leftover turkey meat (substitute with store-bought roasted turkey or deli meat)
• 4 slices of bread (country or Canadian bread is a good option)
• 2 cups leftover gravy (or the easy 15-minute recipe below)
• 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes (or the easy instant potato recipe below)
• 1 1/2 cups peas
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• pinch of salt

For the gravy:

• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can 40% lower-sodium chicken broth, divided*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base
• 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon sugar
• 1/16 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the mashed potatoes:

• 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flakes**
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• pinch of black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the broth with cornstarch to make a slurry. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining broth with the turkey base, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, sugar, and black pepper and blend well. Set aside.
2. For the gravy: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour, stirring continuously until smooth. Continue to cook until the mixture turns rich caramel in color, about 13 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Slowly add about 2/3 cup of the broth and seasoning mixture, whisking constantly to thin the roux and remove any lumps. Add the remaining broth mixture, whisking continuously as you pour. Bring it to a boil, whisking often. Slowly stream in the slurry, whisking constantly until the gravy thickens. Let it boil for a minute, whisking continuously, and lower the heat if it bubbles excessively. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.
4. To make the instant mashed potatoes: Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add butter, salt, black pepper, and milk, then bring to a second boil. Remove from the heat and add the potato flakes. Whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside.
5. To make the peas: Bring the peas, water, and salt to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the peas are heated through. Stir occasionally for even cooking. Drain the water and add butter, stirring to coat the peas evenly as it melts. Cover and set aside.
6. To reheat the turkey: Place it on a microwave-safe plate. Cover with a damp paper towel and heat in 20-second intervals, flipping the turkey each time for even cooking. Alternatively, steam it over a steamer basket on the stovetop for a few minutes until warmed through. You can also reheat them in the gravy, but this method tends to make the turkey look muddied.
7. To assemble the sandwiches: Place a slice of bread on each of two plates. Spread half of the mashed potatoes over each slice. Drizzle with some gravy. Top each with half of the turkey meat, then cover with the second slice of bread. Spread a generous amount of gravy over the bread, then divide the peas evenly between the two.
8. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Notes:

• *Avoid using chicken broth with the full amount of salt, because the turkey soup base is already salty. The combination of the two will make the gravy too salty.
• **I use Bob’s Red Mill Potato Flakes. It’s probably available at your local grocery store.

Keywords:Thanksgiving, Leftover Turkey, Hot Turkey Sandwich Recipe, Matty Matheson, The Bear, Leftover Turkey Sandwich, Cozy Comfort Food, Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey

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