Is there ever a lazier time than the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend? So much food, so much shopping, so much to-ing and fro-ing. It makes me want to order a bunch of Movies on Demand and become one with my couch.
Still, there are all those leftovers and a girl's gotta eat. In a effort to let no Thanksgiving morsel go uneaten, I spent a couple of hours in the kitchen this afternoon dealing with turkey deconstruction. First up...
Turkeyroni and Cheese
In the interest of creativity and casual cooking, there will be no ingredient list or specific instructions, just my suggestions for working with what you've got. And what I had left over from Thanksgiving dinner is pictured above...
...leftover turkey meat, white and dark, leftover turkey gravy, an onion, a little garlic, shell pasta, cleverly hidden in the above picture behind the Cabot 50% Reduced Fat Cheddar, and some totally amazing nitrate-free applewood smoked bacon that I picked up at Trader Joes (newly opened in Portland, Maine = huzzah!).
First I cooked and drained about 8 ounces of pasta. Then I cooked the bacon and set it aside, removing all but a tiny bit of the rendered fat, in which I sauteed the onions and garlic until softened and translucent. I added about a cup of gravy to the onions, heating it almost to boiling. Then I added two cups of shredded cheddar to the gravy. In a large bowl I mixed the pasta, crumbled bacon, 3 cups of diced turkey, and the gravy/cheese mixture.
At this point, the whole thing could have gone into a large casserole dish, but I chose to put mine into single-serving ramekins, topping each with a handful of shredded cheddar. I put one into my toaster oven at 350º and voila! Dinner for one is served.
Reader, this recipe was gobblelicious -- creamy and cheesy, with all the best flavor of the turkey front and center. And now I am a big hit with friends and family, having dropped off ramekins of Turkeyroni & Cheese around the neighborhood for all to enjoy.
But wait. I still have some leftover cranberry sauce. Tune in tomorrow to see what I did with it!