The Ultimate Leftover Turkey Sandwich (aka The Gobbler!!)

Must Try


Make the most out of your Thanksgiving leftovers with this mouthwatering sandwich recipe. Filled with all your favorite holiday flavors, this leftover turkey sandwich is the perfect way to use up those extra turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce leftovers.

Inspiration for the Gobbler

Cade and I had noticed a little bread and sandwich shop in kind of an awkward little corner of a shopping area when our first daughter was just a little toddler. We’d passed it so many times and had become quite curious about it. I’d never been a fan of cranberry sauce nor stuffing but I’ll tell you what, this shop literally changed me.

A very nice man was there one evening when we stopped in and to this day it breaks my heart to remember him and his little dream he was trying to build. We bought some cinnamon bread for French toast and asked which sandwich to buy. He raved about his thanksgiving sandwich so we dove in.

My gosh, it was the most satisfying thing I’d ever sunk my teeth into. The flavors, the texture. All of it! I hate that his shop never took off. The bread and sandwiches were legit amazing. I think the location just killed the possibilities, but for me, it was the best of the best.

a photo of a turkey sandwich sliced in half and stacked on top of each other

What Do I Need to Make a Leftover Turkey Sandwich?

It’s not every day that a sandwich or dish gets its own name. We have “The Soup” which is our most popular soup recipe here on the blog, and our Busy Day Casserole which has been a top performer for years. This leftover turkey sandwich needed it’s own name. It’s that good! The Gobbler was born! Pull out your Thanksgiving leftovers and here is everything you will need:

a photo of all the ingredients for the gobblers including white bread, lettuce, turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry saucea photo of all the ingredients for the gobblers including white bread, lettuce, turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce

What Type of Bread to Use

Usually I’m all about the multi-grain bread with loads of seeds and crunchies in it, but for this recipe, it’s all about the plain ol’ white bread. You want a good quality white bread that will hold up to all the delicious layers that will go into this sandwich. Sourdough bread would also be a delicious option!

How to Make the Gobbler

I love this sandwich recipe because I can use up leftovers in a creative and delicious way and it’s so quick and easy! Here are the basic steps:

  1. Warm: Reheat the turkey, stuffing and gravy.
  2. Spread: Slather both slices of bread with may or honey mustard (or both).
  3. Layer: Add a layer of lettuce, sliced turkey, stuffing, a drizzle of gravy, and then cranberry sauce. Top with the other slice of bread.
  4. Serve: Serve immediately!
 A photo of a turkey sandwich with the top removed so you can see the layers of lettuce, turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. A photo of a turkey sandwich with the top removed so you can see the layers of lettuce, turkey, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce.

Tips for the Best Leftover Thanksgiving Sandwich

After many years of Thanksgiving leftovers under my belt (literally, ha!), I’ve learned a few tricks for making the best sandwich using leftovers.

  • Using gravy on the sandwich is a nonnegotiable! It adds that classic Thanksgiving flavor and helps keep the sandwich from being too dry.
  • Mayonnaise and/or mustard on both bread slices is highly recommended. We love the taste of honey mustard the most, but use any type of mustard you love.
  • I know people are anti-turkey for Thanksgiving, so if you have leftover, use that instead! Or use both turkey and ham!
  • I prefer my leftover Thanksgiving sandwich with the turkey, stuffing and gravy warmed up, but you can try it with them cold. Except maybe not the gravy…cold gravy…eww, no thanks!
  • The cranberry sauce is optional. For some people, it is an essential flavor of Thanksgiving, but I know some people are against it, so just skip it if you want.

Variations for the Gobbler

I honestly wouldn’t change anything on this sandwich, but if you want to augment the sandwich a little, you could add a couple slices of cheese. Pepper jack would honestly be delicious, or provolone, Havarti or white cheddar would all be amazing!

I haven’t ever tried it, but I’ve seen some people add mashed potatoes to their leftover Thanksgiving sandwich, so that might be a tasty addition too!

a photo of a loaded turkey sandwich piled with stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and lettuce on slices of white breada photo of a loaded turkey sandwich piled with stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and lettuce on slices of white bread

What to Eat with a Leftover Turkey Sandwich

If you’re eating this sandwich for lunch after Thanksgiving day, then you don’t need anything else to go with it. It is so hearty and filling that it’s all you need. Unless you are a chip lover, then a bag of crunchy potato chips is a great option!

If you’re scaling this recipe up and making several sandwiches for a crowd, then you could serving a delicious roasted butternut squash and kale salad or our harvest cobb salad on the side. Ooh, a winter fruit salad would be great too!

Since it’s Thanksgiving, then you better eat a slice of leftover pumpkin pie or razzleberry pie with it too!

Does The Gobbler Store Well?

Unfortunately this turkey sandwich does not store well. The bread gets soggy quite quickly so it is best to eat fresh. Warm up just enough of the turkey, stuffing and gravy you will need for the sandwich(es) you plan to make.

a photo of two halves of a turkey sandwich stacked on top of each other so you can see the cross section of the two halves loaded with turkey, lettuce, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravya photo of two halves of a turkey sandwich stacked on top of each other so you can see the cross section of the two halves loaded with turkey, lettuce, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy

Don’t let your Thanksgiving leftovers go to waste! Transform them into the ultimate turkey sandwich, also known as The Gobbler. It’s like a full Thanksgiving meal in every bite! This delicious recipe will have you looking forward to leftovers every year.

More Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Leftovers:

Servings: 1 sandwich

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes

Description

Make the most out of your Thanksgiving leftovers with this mouthwatering sandwich recipe. Filled with all your favorite holiday flavors, this turkey sandwich is the perfect way to use up those extra turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce leftovers.

  • Warm the turkey, stuffing and gravy.

    1/2 Cup Leftover Stuffing, 3/4 Cup Leftover Turkey, 2 Tablespoons Gravy

  • Slather the bread with mayo or honey mustard (heck, do both!), lettuce, turkey, stuffing, a drizzle of gravy, cranberry sauce and then top with another slice of bread and mayo. Serve immediately.

    2 Slices White Bread, 1/3 Cup Cranberry Sauce, Shredded Lettuce, Mayo or Honey Mustard

Serving: 1sandwichCalories: 671kcalCarbohydrates: 86gProtein: 39gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 117mgSodium: 966mgPotassium: 410mgFiber: 5gSugar: 35gVitamin A: 394IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 155mgIron: 4mg

Author: Sweet Basil

Course: Fixing Lunch with Sandwich Recipes that Aren’t PB&J

Recommended Products

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Latest Recipes

More Recipes Like This