Mason Hereford is the chef at Turkey and the Wolf in New Orleans, a quirky, nostalgic, counter service–only sandwich spot and our number one Best New Restaurant in America this year. Turns out there’s no better person to construct the ultimate leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich. Here’s Hereford’s recipe, but pay close attention to that gravy mayo. Very close attention.
Hereford loves this holiday so much, he has a Thanksgiving-themed tattoo
Around midnight we go back to leftovers in their purest form—directly out of the fridge—but the day after, they taste different. The textures are different. Things are more, or less, salty. Sauces have congealed, gotten stronger, or developed more flavor. Put them on a sandwich and you can make them familiar again. People who have Thanksgiving memories almost always have a post-Thanksgiving sandwich recipe. When I was growing up, it was always cold turkey (usually the dark meat) and reheated gravy on white bread with little else on there. When I got older and more adventurous, I started putting weirder leftovers on my sandwich. Eventually, if you’re like me, you graduate to a sandwich like this, stacked with green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, greens, and gravy mayo. When you put it all between two slices of bread, you give your leftover meal new, more delicious life, and that’s awesome.
White Bread Rules
Don’t mess around with fancy rolls and artisanal bread. All you need is fat pieces of white bread sliced a thumb thick to hold all your ingredients.
Rest It Like a Steak
For sturdier slices, toast the bread in a pan with lots of butter like you’re making a grilled cheese, then let it sit on a wire rack for 30 seconds so it can dry out again.
Get Weird
Strange combos just work better on a sandwich. Create the perfect bite by making sure all the flavors—tart, sweet, bitter, salty—are represented.
More Mayo, Please
Rich gravy mayo is the glue that binds all these unlikely ingredients together. Slather it on both slices of bread.
