Thanksgiving is the gateway drug to Christmas. We all know that. It’s a slippery slope of all things jolly and goopy and gloppy and mashed and covered in buttery goodness. Soak it up with a bottle of red or white and you catch my ever so delicious drift. Every year one of the biggest holiday conundrums (for my hubby – a man of many grand qualities and traits – with the exception to his perverse distain for leftovers) is just that – Making leftovers gleam again.
This year I knew I couldn’t get away with a regular turkey sammy (albeit ever so delightful in my playbook). So, scouring through a vague reminiscence and dawdling online in an upward thumb strum of inspiration, it hit me. Socked me right in the gut. Just where I longed for it to be. A sandwich of such high caliber, of such grand distinction. It was a mortally wounding way to get him to beseech his gravest of displeasures.
Takes 30 min; Makes 3 sandwiches
Ingredients/Method for Mornay Sauce
- 1 tbsp salted butter
- 1 1/2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- Salt and pepper
In a sauce pot heat butter and flour together, whisking to create a roux. Once the flour is completely incorporated, slowly add the milk in.
Gradually bring this mixture to a boil and then immediately turn heat down to medium low. Add nutmeg and whisk constantly until mixture thickens ~ 3-4 min.
Remove from heat and stir in gruyere cheese and salt/pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.
Ingredients for Leftover Thanksgiving Hot Brown
- 9 slices of sturdy bread (Italian or sourdough)
- 1/2 cup leftover gravy
- 9 slices or 3 sandwich portions of leftover turkey/chicken/ham
- 2 large scallions, diced
- 6 slices of bacon, cut in lardons and cooked until crisp
- 3 tbsp leftover cranberry sauce
- 3 large tomato slices
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, shredded, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Mornay sauce (recipe above)
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
Method for making the best leftover sandwich you will ever eat
Heat oven to convection broil (450F).
On a sheet tray lined with parchment, arrange tomato slices and sprinkle with salt, pepper and olive oil.
On the same tray arrange 6 pieces of bread. Top each one with a little bit of olive oil, the garlic powder, a little bit of gruyere and salt/pepper.
Place pan in oven. Bread will toast in 2-3 min, tomatoes will take slightly longer. Remove and set aside.
Warm up gravy and dip each of the remaining 3 slices of bread in it (both sides).
To assemble get your mini cast irons or oven proof dish ware. First place one of the garlic breads (garlic side down). Next, spoon on a tbsp of cranberry sauce. Now add some meat. Top this with the gravy soaked bread. Add some gruyere cheese and then the broiled tomatoes. Cover with the other piece of garlic bread (garlic side up). Drench with mornay sauce.
Broil for ~ 5 min until mornay is bubbly and golden. Top with bacon and scallions.
It’s a fork and knifer, folks.
Looking for more leftover ideas?
- Use up steak in Grilled Steak Quesadillas
- What to do with all that corned beef?
- More cubed bread than you needed for stuffing, try this Pomegranate and Raspberry Bread Pudding
- Extra bacon or pancetta? You could always through it in some Chicken, Bacon, Artichoke Ziti or Meyer Lemon and Pancetta Carbonara
