This diner-style dinner is the best use of Thanksgiving leftovers ever.
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Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- The combination of creamy gravy, savory turkey slices, and thick potato bread is pure comfort food.
- This is a great way to use Thanksgiving leftovers for a quick lunch or budget-friendly dinner (or make it with deli turkey any time of year.)
- Homemade gravy is super simple to make, takes just a few minutes, and you likely have all the ingredients already.
Creamed turkey sandwiches make a delicious meal when you don't really feel like cooking but still want something warm and hearty.
Combining all the flavors of Thanksgiving day into a satisfying snack, these hot turkey sandwiches are truly the best part of holiday leftovers.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Use leftover turkey or pick up some shaved roasted turkey from the deli.
- Substitute with sliced chicken if you're not a fan of turkey.
- Chicken broth will work just fine in place of stock if the grocery stores have run out... or if you're trying to avoid the grocery stores!
- Not a fan of sage? Swap it for another savory herb, like dried thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
- Homemade bread makes the best creamed turkey sandwiches ever, but store-bought will work. Just try to find a really fresh loaf.
- Some people like to stir in peas or top the sandwiches with a drizzle of cranberry sauce. Feel free to have fun with it!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Melt the butter over medium heat and whisk in the flour.
- Carefully pour in the chicken stock.
- Add cream cheese, half and half, and seasoning—whisk constantly.
- Stir in slices of turkey. Serve over a thick slice of bread.
🥫 How to store leftovers
Creamed turkey sandwiches are best enjoyed as soon as you've assembled them! Left to stand, the bread will get soggy.
You can keep the creamed turkey in the refrigerator for a few days, but it depends on how old your turkey is, to begin with. Reheating cooked meat doesn't "reset" its expiration date.
Deli meat lasts for about four to five days, and leftover Thanksgiving turkey lasts about three or four. So, take this into account when storing the leftovers.
Reheat the creamed turkey over the stove for just a few minutes until it's heated through (I don't recommend the microwave for this.) Add a splash of milk or cream if it's too thick.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Don't dry out the turkey by overheating it. After all, the bird's already been cooked once—you simply want to warm it up and serve.
- Allow the flour and butter mixture to brown, but don't let it burn. This can happen quickly, so don't step away from the pan.
- Choose a good, strong wire whisk, and don't stop whisking! Otherwise, the gravy might burn on the bottom or taste lumpy.
- Feel free to toast your bread if you like your sandwiches a little more crisp.
👩🍳 FAQs
The cut or texture of the turkey doesn't really matter; it's all up to personal preference. Some people grew up enjoying this recipe with chopped turkey, while others, like me, prefer slices.
Sure, these sandwiches are the perfect way to use your leftovers, including gravy. Just skip the cream sauce portion of this recipe.
I never say "no" to more cheese! However, I recommend choosing a cheese like Swiss or Brie. Yellow cheeses won't pair as well with the other flavors, and there is already cream cheese in the gravy.
Yep, they'll taste fine. Potato bread is mild and sooo delicious, but if you need to use something else in a pinch, go ahead.
Just grab a fork and knife and dig in. Open-faced sandwiches are a little too messy to eat using your hands—try at your own risk!
📚 Related recipes
- Craving more creamy, classic sandwiches? Whip up a batch of this Southern-Style Chicken Salad and enjoy it for lunch all week!
- Super easy to prep and great as a quick dinner, Creamy Crockpot Ranch Shredded Chicken Sandwiches have great flavor that everyone will love.
- Perfect for game day snacks, Ham, Cheese, and Apple Biscuits are easy to make during the holiday season using Christmas dinner leftovers.
- Honey Pecan Chicken Breasts
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Bacon Cheeseburger Skillet Casserole
- Cheesy 4-Ingredient French Onion Meatballs
🍽️ Serve with...
You can't have creamy gravy and hot turkey without a heaping spoonful of buttery mashed potatoes. Throw in some delicious maple-glazed carrots to make a complete meal everyone will enjoy.
After a classic, homestyle dinner, nothing satisfies like a slice of old-fashioned double chocolate fudge Coca-Cola cake. It's decadent, rich, moist, and gooey—basically, everything you want from a dessert.
📞 The last word
This recipe is comfort food in every sense of the word. It's been popular in diners for decades as a "blue plate special" because it's hot, hearty, and inexpensive.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars!
📖 Recipe
Hot, Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 pounds turkey breast, thin sliced from the deli, or sliced turkey leftovers
- 6 Potato Bread, thick slices are best
- 1 cups half and half cream
- 2 cup turkey stock, or chicken stock or broth
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.
- Add broth, salt, pepper, sage, cheese, and cream, whisking all the while, and simmer until thick and smooth.
- Add sliced turkey and heat through. Serve steaming hot, over thick slices of potato bread.
Notes
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- Don't overcook the turkey. Just heat it gently in the gravy.
- Allow the flour and butter mixture to brown, but don't let it burn. This can happen quickly, so don't step away from the pan.
-
- Choose a good, strong wire whisk, and don't stop whisking! Otherwise, the gravy might burn on the bottom or taste lumpy.
-
- Feel free to toast your bread if you like your sandwiches a little more crisp.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
Camden Rusincovitch says
A creamed turkey sandwich is definitely on my radar now! Can't wait to bring this out around the holidays 🙂
Alyssa says
This creamed turkey sandwich is a great weeknight meal!
Cynthia Rusincovitch says
We always make way too much turkey for holidays. Printing this turkey and gravy sandwich to add to my holiday binder! We are tired of eating the same recipes!
Brittany says
This creamed turkey sandwich recipe is a great way to use leftover turkey that's a bit too dry for my liking.
Kristen says
I love leftover turkey after the holidays, but I don't like how dry the turkey tends to get in the fridge! This creamed turkey sandwich recipe seems like the perfect (tasty) solution! I can't to try it on Black Friday!