Recipe for Gobbler Sandwich With Stuffing, Gravy and Cranberry Sauce

A meal worthy of raving (loudly) about, inspired by 'When Harry Met Sally'

Hannah Selinger

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Published December 23, 2022

three gobbler sandwiches on buns on a cutting board sitting on a wood table with a stem glass with a pink drink and a plate of pickles

Photos by Noah Fecks

Our Dinner and a Movie series features nostalgic essays on some of our favorite films from the ’80s and ’90s paired with recipes inspired from movie moments. Don’t miss our essay on When Harry Met Sally.

For a sandwich that will make you as ecstatic — well, one hopes, at least — as Sally Albright (will you have what she’s having?), try repurposing holiday leftovers into a so-called Gobbler. You can use what you have hanging around for this sandwich, or you can use these recipes to make your own cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy and roast chicken breasts as a substitute for turkey.

Also try these inspired recipes:

Pear Galette
Cranberry Aperol Spritz

Gobbler Sandwich

Serving: 1 sandwich

1 large potato bun
½ tablespoon mayonnaise
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 ounces roast or grilled chicken breast, sliced
¼ cup prepared stuffing
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons prepared gravy

Lightly toast the bun in a conventional toaster or toaster oven. Spread the mayonnaise on the bottom slice of the bun and the mustard on the top slice. Begin to layer the sandwich, placing the chicken on the bottom, atop the mayonnaise, and the cranberry sauce on the top, on the mustard side. Top the chicken with the stuffing and spoon gravy over the stuffing. Combine both halves of the sandwich, pressing the cranberry sauce into the stuffing and gravy side. Don’t worry if some spills over in the process — it’s meant to be overstuffed.

Chicken

Serves 4

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 package of 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

gobbler sandwich and pickles on a wood cutting board, with salt and pepper, knife and fork, glass of water and a few loose cranberries

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large bowl, combine the poultry seasoning, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add chicken and coat completely. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Place the chicken on a baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until thermometer reads 150 F. Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board and allow them to rest for a minimum of 15 minutes, or until the temperature has risen to 165 F. Slice on the bias and serve as directed.

Stuffing

Serves 8

1 loaf stale bread cut into cubes or torn into bite-sized pieces
3 tablespoons salted butter
4 cups celery, leaves and stalks, rough-chopped
4 cups white onion, chopped
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
3 cups chicken stock
¼ cup oatmeal
Nonstick cooking spray
Salt, to taste

Set oven to 350 F. Lay the bread out in an even layer on a sheet tray and toast for five to 10 minutes, or until just brown. Remove and adjust oven to 375 F. Prepare a large and deep casserole dish, spraying it with nonstick spray. Set aside.

In a large saucepan or skillet, melt butter and add celery and onion, seasoning with salt and one tablespoon of the poultry seasoning. Sauté on medium for two or three minutes, or until the onion has become translucent and the celery has just started to become tender. Remove from heat and transfer vegetables to large mixing bowl.

Add toasted bread to the bowl with the vegetables and stir, adding the remaining tablespoon of poultry seasoning. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and stir until the stuffing comes together. Add salt to taste. Add oatmeal and combine stuffing by hand, until it starts to stick together, adding chicken stock a few tablespoons at a time until it is the appropriate consistency.

Transfer the stuffing to the prepared casserole dish, topping with another few tablespoons of stock. Place the stuffing uncovered on the center rack for 45 minutes, then check every 10 minutes, stirring stuffing from the bottom up and adding additional stock if it appears dry. The stuffing is done after about one hour and 30 minutes, or when it is soft and consistently cooked in the center and brown and even-crusted on the top.

Cranberry Sauce

Serves 4

¾ cup white granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 12-ounce bag of fresh cranberries
½ teaspoon orange extract

Combine sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until it reaches a rolling boil. Add the cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes, or until most of the berries have popped and the consistency resembles jam. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in orange extract. Transfer to a refrigerator-safe container and cool before refrigerating. This sauce can hold for up to a week.

Gravy

Yields three cups

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then immediately whisk in flour until a blond paste, or roux, is formed.

Lower the heat to medium and, while whisking, add about a quarter of a cup of the chicken stock. The mixture will immediately thicken. Make sure to continue whisking and to get to every corner of the pan, integrating the roux and the stock.

Once integrated, slowly add more stock while whisking, adding in small, slow increments so the gravy doesn’t break.

Continue whisking and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Once gravy reaches a boil, cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until it naps the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper. Strain if necessary.