What is it with me and Thanksgiving? I just can’t seem to leave it behind. It could be because I still have so much turkey in the refrigerator and I am trying to invent creative ways to use it that won’t result in my family giving me the side eye about serving the same thing yet again.
As you will soon find out from reading this blog, I am a big believer in the sweet and savory flavor combination. When I was thinking about what to do with all of the leftover turkey from my Sunday Thanksgiving dinner repeat, I thought of two riffs on the iconic Kentucky Hot Brown sandwich. As many people know, this sandwich was “invented” many decades ago (1926 to be exact!) and served at the famous Brown Hotel in Louisville Kentucky. It is legendary and there are many recipes for it available, all of which are pretty much the same. Turkey, bacon, tomato and a creamy cheese sauce.
Well….after a week of turkey dinners (see Thanksgiving Recap) I thought I would depart from tradition and try to blend my love of sweet and savory flavors with the turkey that was leftover from three- peat Thanksgiving.
Let me back up for a minute and talk about that word — LEFTOVERS. Seems to me that that’s a pretty derogatory term that should be reserved for food that you would give to a pet. As in, “could you please give me a ‘doggie bag’ for my $75.00 filet mignon for my dog?” I would rather like to think of turkey that is kept in the refrigerator for the days following Thanksgiving as something that deserves more than the “leftovers” label. How about a Turkey Renaissance? How about a Turkey Rejuvenation? Turkey Revitalization? Anything but LEFTOVERS…..
Therefore, to rise above the label of what sounds like food that is one step away from the garbage can, I decided to create two different and exciting sandwiches (to breathe new life into the saved turkey), both of which are rooted in the Kentucky Hot Brown, but departing just slightly to give it a bit of a modern spin.
The first variation is a fig jam and Brie with turkey, prosciutto and a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce broiled over the top.
The second variation uses the same Parmesan cheese sauce as the topping, but starts with a creamy Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise and butter spread, layered with cranberry sauce and roasted turkey. Parmesan on the bottom. Parmesan on the top. Layers and layers of flavor.
Both of these sandwiches are broiled at the last minute to give them a crispy and golden brown top. So if you are looking for something different that departs from the usual turkey sandwich I hope you will enjoy both of these sweet and savory combinations and you will finally use up all of the remaining turkey that just maybe people might (and I say “might” –who knows?) be growing weary of.
OK I’m done with all this turkey chatter and I promise not to say anything else in the blog this year about turkey recipes because I am becoming far too one-dimensional. Moving on to Christmas and cookies and cakes and Christmas morning breakfast cakes, rolls and breads…… oh my.
Roasted Turkey, Brie and Fig Jam "Hot Brown" Sandwich
This makes a wonderful post-Thanksgiving lunch or brunch dish and is just different enough from Thanksgiving dinner that no one will mind seeing the turkey show up again!
Ingredients
For the Turkey, Brie and Fig Jam Sandwich
- 1 French baguette cut in 3 pieces vertically
- 3 tablespoons fig jam
- 8 ounces Brie sliced into 12 slices
- 6 slices roast turkey
- 6 slices prosciutto thinly sliced
- parmesan cheese sauce (below)
For the Parmesan Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup whole milk heated in the microwave for 1 minute
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
Instructions
For the sandwich
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First make the parmesan cheese sauce and keep warm over a low heat.
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Cut each of the three pieces of baguette horizontally in half but do not cut through. Each piece should be open like a book.
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Spread each piece with fig jam and place the Brie slices evenly on each piece of bread on both sides. Broil until the cheese is just bubbly. Don't overdo it or the cheese will be hard.
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Layer the turkey and then the prosciutto over the Brie. Cover each sandwich with 1/3 of the parmesan cheese sauce and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese . Broil until browned and serve hot.
For the Parmesan Sauce
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Make a creamy béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk all of the flour in at once and keep stirring. Cook the flour and butter for at least a minute until the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. You must cook the flour for a full minute.
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Lower the heat to low and add the hot milk all at once, whisking constantly until the sauce is completely smooth. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese and keep warm. Do not overheat. If the sauce gets too thick as it stands you can whisk in a few tablespoons of milk.
Savory Roasted Turkey Baguette with Cranberry Sauce and Parmesan Cheese Sauce
This has some ingredients in common with the Brie and Fig sandwich and is just another option to keep the Thanksgiving turkey interesting!
Ingredients
For the Turkey and Cranberry Baguette
- 1 French Baguette cut into 3 pieces vertically
- 3 tablespoons butter at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Hellman's mayonnaise
- 5 tablespoons parmesan cheese divided
- 1 can jellied cranberry sauce divided into 3 parts
- 12 slices roasted turkey
- parmesan cheese sauce (above)
Instructions
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Slice the bread horizontally as for the Brie and Fig turkey sandwiches above.
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Preheat the broiler and make the parmesan cheese sauce. Keep warm.
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Combine the butter, mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread the 3 pieces of baguette with the mixture.
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Broil the open bread pieces until just lightly browned. Don't overdo it.
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Spread the bread with the cranberry sauce and layer the turkey slices on the bread.
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Divide the parmesan cheese sauce evenly over the sandwiches and sprinkle each sandwich with 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Broil until toasty and brown and serve warm.