“Just a sandwich? Look, I am 30 years old, I’m about to be divorced twice and I just got evicted! That sandwich was the only good thing going on in my life!”—Ross Geller
This is a strong statement to make about a sandwich, but once you take a bite of this heavenly beast of a sandwich loaded with all the best flavors of Thanksgiving, you’ll understand why Ross Geller flipped when someone at work ate his beloved “Moist Maker” sandwich. The exact recipe for this sandwich isn’t divulged on the show, but we think we’ve created a pretty fantastic adaptation that Friends fans will love.
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for a Friends-obsessed friend, check out this Friends gift guide.
What Is the Moist Maker?
“My sister makes these amazing turkey sandwiches. Her secret is, she puts an extra slice of gravy-soaked bread in the middle; I call it the Moist Maker.”—Ross Geller
Made famous by the episode of Friends appropriately titled The One With Ross’ Sandwich, the Moist Maker is a special recipe Monica makes every year using Thanksgiving leftovers. What’s unique about this sandwich? It contains an extra slice of gravy-soaked bread nestled between other layers of tantalizing Thanksgiving ingredients.
It’s not possible for a sandwich to BE any more delicious!
This version is loaded with warm roasted turkey, stuffing, tender sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, mixed greens and, of course, the essential moist maker layer. Additionally, while Ross doesn’t mention mayonnaise, we like to imagine that the chef in Monica would feel compelled to whip up a special homemade sauce to compliment the flavors and make her sandwich extra fancy. Therefore, we slathered the outer toasted bread slices in homemade buttermilk-herb mayonnaise. It’s totally optional, but totally delicious if you have the ingredients on hand.
How to Make a Thanksgiving Sandwich Like Monica Geller
Yield: 1 sandwich
Ingredients
- 3 slices quality artisan bread (We used hearty, multi-grain sourdough bread, but any crusty bread with some body will do.)
- 1/2 cup turkey gravy
- 4-6 ounces leftover turkey meat, shredded
- 1/4 cup leftover sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup leftover stuffing
- 1/4 cup leftover cranberry sauce, canned or homemade
- 1/4 cup mixed greens, baby spinach or green leaf lettuce
Buttermilk-Herb Mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh chives, minced
Editor’s Note: There are no hard and fast rules about what type of sweet potatoes, stuffing or cranberries to use. Ultimately, use the Thanksgiving recipes you love for this sandwich. The real trick to making this sandwich great (besides the moist maker layer) is to create a good balance of the various sweet, savory and tart flavors that are often found on a plate at Thanksgiving.
Instructions
Step 1: Make the buttermilk-herb mayonnaise
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and buttermilk until smooth. Add the fresh minced herbs and fold in to incorporate. Set aside.
Step 2: Toast the bread
Next, toast your slices of bread. It should be no surprise that this sandwich has a lot of moisture. Toasting the bread helps it hold up and not fall apart as you eat it.
Step 3: Prepare the moist maker layer
Warm the gravy in the microwave (or on the stovetop) until steaming. Then transfer the gravy to a shallow bowl or plate with a rim. Dredge one piece of bread in the gravy on both sides and then let it continue to soak in the gravy until ready to add to the sandwich.
Step 4: Reheat ingredients
While the moist maker layer soaks, reheat the turkey, sweet potatoes and stuffing until steaming.
Step 5: Assemble
Begin by laying down one piece of toasted bread on a cutting board. Next, spread a layer of cranberry sauce over the bread. Top with a generous amount of stuffing and then layer slices of warm turkey over the stuffing.
Top the turkey with the gravy-soaked bread (aka the moist maker). Next, add a layer of warm sweet potatoes followed by more turkey. Finally, top the turkey with some fresh greens or lettuce and top everything off with the final slice of toast slathered with a generous amount of the buttermilk-herb mayonnaise.
Step 6: Protect your treasured sandwich
Don’t laugh. We’re serious! If you’re planning to take this bad boy to the office, it needs serious protection from your coworkers’ ravenous appetites. Just write something better than Ross. For the record, “Knock-knock. Who’s there? Ross Geller’s lunch. Ross Geller’s lunch, who? Ross Geller’s lunch, please don’t take me. Okay?!” has been proven to be an ineffective message for warding off hungry sandwich stealers. You’ve been warned.
Tips for Eating a Moist Maker Sandwich
This bad boy is a two-handed sandwich. Once you pick it up, you’re in a committed relationship with it until it’s completely devoured. If you doubt your abilities (or appetite), carefully cut it in half. We recommend securing the corners with toothpicks, like a club sandwich, to help the layers stay together. While Joey doesn’t share food, but it should be noted that this monster can easily serve two people. Therefore, once cut in half, grab a friend and indulge together. After all, we’d hate to see ANY of this rather large sandwich end up in the trash (cue epic freakout from Ross).
If you love Friends, then you’ll love this collection of other Friends-inspired recipes. Don’t worry, the trifle recipe we’ve included has been approved by our Test Kitchen, and we can confirm our version does not “taste like feet.”
Inspired by: Ross’s Turkey Sandwich
Who can forget Ross’s favorite sandwich, involving Thanksgiving leftovers and a piece of gravy-soaked bread called the “moist-maker.” Our Holiday Stromboli is similar, featuring mashed potatoes, turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. Dipped in gravy, it’s a post-holiday treat even Ross would approve of. Still got some turkey left? Here are 25 more creative ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers.
Inspired by: Rachel’s Trifle
When Rachel is put in charge of dessert one Thanksgiving, she accidentally makes a hybrid between trifle and shepherd’s pie. Whoops! In honor of Rachel’s hilarious blunder, try this recipe for individual berries and cream trifles. Get our top 10 trifle recipes. (And no, none of them call for beef!).
Inspired by: Phoebe’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Phoebe claimed that her grandmother’s famous chocolate chip cookie recipe came from an esteemed French baker, “Nestle Toulouse.” But it turns out that the “secret” recipe is the same one found on a bag of chocolate chips! Next time, the friends should reach for our ultimate chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Inspired by: Chandler's Mac & Cheese
As a kid, Chandler experienced a traumatizing Thanksgiving—and he’s hated the holiday ever since. In a flashback, Monica offers to make Chandler some mac and cheese, and since “the pilgrims didn’t eat it,” he agrees. This mac and cheese recipe is sure to please any picky eaters in your house, too.
Inspired by: Joey’s Meatball Sub
Ross, Chandler and Joey accompany Phoebe and her new police-officer boyfriend, Gary, on a ride-along in Gary’s cop car. When they hear a car backfire, Joey dives down to protect his meatball sandwich, thinking the noise was a gunshot. Here's a recipe to rival "the best sandwich in the world."
Inspired by: Monica's Jam
Break-ups are tough, and when Monica and Richard call it quits, Monica decides to make a bunch of jam to take her mind off of him. Her jam plan works for a while, but eventually Monica shifts her attention to having a baby. Woah! Luckily, our strawberry freezer jam does not require a crisis to make—it’s delicious no matter what!
Inspired by: Mockolate
Desperate for money, Monica is tasked with coming up with ways to use mockolate—a synthetic chocolate substitute—for Thanksgiving. It’s a crumbly, bubbly and potentially dangerous product that doesn’t sit well with the rest of the crew. This decadent tart skips the mockolate and uses only the real deal.
Inspired by: A Dozen Lasagnas
Monica is tasked with making vegetarian lasagnas, but she accidentally adds meat to them all! Avoid the same mistake by following our recipe for this meatless lasagna. Don’t worry it only makes one pan—not twelve. Next time you need to feed a crowd, reach for one of these Italian potluck recipes.
Inspired by: Monica’s Fingernail Quiche
When catering an event for her mom, Monica accidentally loses a fake blue fingernail in one of the quiches. Eek! We suggest you use caution when whipping up this roasted vegetable quiche to avoid “pulling a Monica.”
Inspired by: The Joey Special
Through all 10 seasons, you see the friends chow down on a LOT of pizza. But no one is quite as devoted to the dish as Joey. The group even coins a phrase known as “The Joey Special,” which simply means to order two pizzas. In honor of Mr. Tribbiani, whip up a double batch of this meatball pizza to feed your Joey-sized pizza cravings. Still hungry? Here are 33 pizza recipes you need in your life.
Inspired by: Cheesecake from the Floor
Remember when Chandler and Rachel kept stealing their neighbor’s cheesecake deliveries? How about when they got in an argument and the aforementioned cheesecake fell to the floor—and they continued to eat it! Though it’s not from Mama's Little Bakery, this cheesecake recipe is worth every bite.
Inspired by: Central Perk Coffee
The Friends’ crew runs on coffee from Central Perk. Pretend that you’re on the iconic couch with one of these copycat coffee shop drinks, like this honey spice latte.The post How to Make Ross Geller’s “Moist Maker” Sandwich appeared first on Taste of Home.
Lauren Habermehl