Friday, November 26, 2010

Leftover Turkey Hot Brown Crostini

Some people dread Thanksgiving leftovers.

It might seem a chore of how to use up that leftover turkey. Another turkey soup or turkey tettrazini? Meh!

But not at our house, we actually look forward to having leftover smoked turkey. In fact I usually make extra on purpose. Our leftover weapon of choice is none other than the vaunted Kentucky Hot Brown, perhaps the second most perfect sandwich ever created.


I don't ever do them the same way twice but it is an open faced sandwich of thin sliced turkey, bacon, and tomato topped with a mornay sauce and then popped under a broiler for a few minutes.

Tonight we didn't have a ton of leftover turkey so I made them as crostini instead of claiming them to be big open faced sammies.

Leftover Turkey Hot Brown Crostini

6 slices french bread, thin slices, cut on a bias
6 slices of tomato
1/2 lb turkey, white meat thinly sliced
6 strips bacon, fully cooked
3 Tbsp butter
1 ea shallot, small, diced fine
3 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Melt 1 Tbsp of butter in a sauce pan and saute shallot for 1-2 minutes until softened. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp butter.

Whisk in the flour and continue whisking for 2-3 minutes, until well blended into a blond roux. Whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, letting it thicken.

Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toast the bread in the oven (see? I do have an oven!) at 400f for 4 minutes. You don't want it to brown, you just want it to get a little crispy.

Top each piece of bread with a slice of tomato...

slices of turkey...

crumbled bacon...

and spoon some of the mornay sauce over the crostini.

Place under a broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough for the cheese sauce to start to brown.

Garnish with whatever you like. I went with more shredded gruyere cheese, green onion, and more bacon.

The crisp toasted bread under that smoky, gooey, bacony topping made leftovers disappear.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving leftover?