Blue Plate Open-Faced Turkey Sandwich

When you need a quick, economical meal that’s hot, this open faced turkey sandwich recipe really hits the spot. Onions, flour and broth form a creamy gravy that coats slices of deli turkey; placed on one slice of bread, this turkey-and-gravy mixture is as satisfying as can be. A few spices and some parsley lend even more flavor to the dish.

This type of sandwich isn’t new. Open-faced sandwiches were first served in the Middle Ages when stale bread served as a plate; the sauces from the food would soak into the bread. At first, the bread was just tossed when people were done eating the other food. But eventually, people realized that the bread that had soaked up all that sauce was darn tasty, and soon a slice of bread became part of the recipe and not just a plate. Grab your favorite bread and make this recipe now.

Open Faced Turkey Sandwich Ingredients

• Butter: The butter helps soften the onions and creates a base for the gravy.
• Onion: You can use either a yellow or a white onion for this recipe. White onions can soften faster than yellow when cooked for a long time, but this gravy is cooked for only a few minutes.
• All-purpose flour: This flour will help thicken the gravy.
• Minced fresh parsley: Fresh parsley adds a bright herbaceous note to the gravy.
• Dried spices and herbs: Garlic powder, dried thyme and some black pepper add flavor.
• Reduced-sodium chicken broth: This broth provides the bulk of the liquid for the gravy.
• Deli turkey: You don’t have to have a freshly roasted turkey to make this. Deli turkey works just as well.
• White bread: Try to use thicker slices if possible, as thinly sliced bread can disintegrate quickly when soaked with gravy.

Directions

Step 1: Make the gravy

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Heat the butter in a large skillet or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the onion, stirring and cooking until it’s tender. That should take about four to five minutes. Stir in the flour, parsley, pepper, garlic powder and dried thyme, and then gradually whisk in all the broth. Boil the mixture while stirring constantly, and then keep cooking and stirring for another one to two minutes, until the mixture has thickened slightly.

Step 2: Assemble the sandwich

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Add the slices of turkey to the mixture, one at a time, and make sure each is heated through. Serve the turkey-gravy mixture over the bread.

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Open Faced Turkey Sandwich Variations

• Use another type of gravy: You don’t have to use the gravy in this recipe. If you have another favorite gravy recipe, use that, or try leftover gravy from another dish. For example, you could extra gravy from this kettle gravy recipe would make for a great turkey sandwich.
• Use cranberry sauce: If you want to use this as a way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers, you could try using cranberry sauce instead of the gravy.

How to Store Open Faced Turkey Sandwich

If you can’t finish your sandwich, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container, but don’t store it for longer than a day.

Can you freeze an open faced turkey sandwich?

Every component of this sandwich freezes well on its own; freezing them together can work, but you have to be careful. It’s best to place each serving in its own container, and you need to let everything cool before trying to freeze anything. Use the leftovers within two months. Learn how to reheat turkey and gravy after freezing them.

Open Faced Turkey Sandwich Tips

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Can you use another type of bread?

You can use any bread that you can cut through to eat the sandwich. For example, if you wanted to substitute another type of sliced bread, such as whole wheat, that’s no problem. If you want to use a thick slice of French or Italian bread, though, that might be too thick if you don’t have a knife. Of course, you can also try to contain the turkey and gravy on top of the bread and eat it with your hands, almost like French bread pizza, although that can get messy.

What can you do with leftover gravy?

If you don’t like pouring a lot of extra gravy over your sandwich, freeze the rest for later in an airtight container. Use with future open-faced sandwiches, on meat and potatoes or in other dishes where gravy’s moisture and flavor will be appreciated.

Can you use regular turkey for these sandwiches?

Yes, you can, and this is a great recipe for leftover Thanksgiving turkey. The thinner the slices the better, however; that helps the turkey warm up quickly when cooking in the gravy.