Made with all of your favorite leftovers, this easy to make Hot Open Faced Turkey Sandwich is the best lunch to make the day after Thanksgiving! A hearty slice of your favorite bread is piled high with stuffing, gravy, turkey, and if you’d like, cranberry sauce.

A slice of bread is topped with stuffing, gravy, and sliced turkey.


Hot Open Faced Turkey Sandwich

Year after year, I stare at my containers upon containers of leftover Thanksgiving Roast Turkey and think… what now? Sure, I can just toss it all back on a plate and zap it in the microwave, but there’s gotta be a better way to use up all those . That’s where this quick and easy hot open faced turkey sandwich comes in to save the day!

While some tried and true leftover-friendly recipes use a few of the leftovers you’re bound to have, this open faced turkey sandwich just about uses them all. I love that I can make this simple sandwich for a quick lunch, or even dinner, and make the most out of my giblet gravy, stuffing, turkey, and cranberry sauce. Trust me, when it’s all layered on a slice of hearty bread, it’s so much better than just enjoying it microwaved by itself.

This easy recipe is also thoroughly kid-approved, too! It’s all of their Thanksgiving favorites on a slice of white bread – what could be better than that? I love using up all my leftovers in the days following Thanksgiving not just to be resourceful and creative, but also because I know my whole family will love what’s plated in front of them, no matter how it’s reheated. After all, who doesn’t love Thanksgiving food?!

Ingredients for Hot Turkey Sandwiches

If you want the best ever ingredients to stack on top of this open faced sandwich, here’s a list of my favorite tried and true recipes!

Gravy is being poured on top of an open faced turkey sandwich.

How to Make Hot Turkey Sandwich

  1. Heat it up. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
  2. Warm up the turkey and gravy. Add the turkey and gravy to the skillet and warm through, stirring occasionally.
  3. Microwave the stuffing. Reheat the stuffing in a microwave safe container for 1 minute or until heated through.
  4. Spread the cranberry sauce. If using, spread 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce over the top of each slice of bread.
  5. Assemble the sandwich. Divide the stuffing equally among the four slices of bread and spread over the cranberry sauce. Arrange the turkey on top of the stuffing and spoon some of the gravy over the sandwich. 
  6. Enjoy! Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
A fork is taking a bite out of an open faced turkey sandwich.

Serving Suggestions

If you’re having one of these leftover-made sandwiches as a lunch, I personally think they’re fine all on their own! However, as a dinner, you may want to make it a heartier meal by plating it with (you guessed it) even more leftover side dishes. If you have any leftover Green Bean Casserole or Sweet Potato Casserole, those each go very well with this Thanksgiving sandwich.

What kind of bread should I use?

Make sure that no matter what kind of sliced bread you use, it’s thick and hearty! Thinly sliced bread will go soggy from the gravy and cranberry sauce. While brioche tends to be my favorite, you could also use Easy No Knead Sourdough Bread or even Homemade White Bread! If your white bread is thinly sliced, just stack two pieces on top of one another to form a more absorbent base for the toppings.

Fresh parsley is sprinkled on top of a serving of turkey sandwich.

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Fresh parsley is sprinkled on top of a serving of turkey sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Hot Open Faced Turkey Sandwich Recipe

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Cozy comfort food made with holiday leftovers (or just your favorite roast turkey), Hot Open Faced Turkey Sandwich is classic diner food you can make at home in minutes.
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds leftover turkey, sliced
  • 1 cup leftover gravy
  • 1 1/2 cups leftover stuffing
  • 1/4 cup cranberry sauce, optional
  • 4 thick slices hearty bread
  • Chopped parsley, optional

Instructions 

  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add the turkey and gravy to the skillet and warm through, stirring occasionally.
  • Reheat the stuffing in a microwave safe container for 1 minute or until heated through.
  • If using, spread 1 tablespoon cranberry sauce over the top of each slice of bread.
  • Divide the stuffing equally among the four slices of bread and spread over the cranberry sauce.
  • Arrange the turkey on top of the stuffing and spoon some of the gravy over the sandwich.
  • Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

You can customize your sandwich any way you’d like. Leftover sweet potatoes are an excellent addition to this sandwich, too!
Best if served soon after making.
Calories: 424kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 52g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 185mg, Sodium: 326mg, Potassium: 462mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 74IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 3mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner, lunch
Cuisine: American