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It's more than a comfort dish; it's like a grown up mac & cheese
that makes good use of Thanksgiving leftovers! |
Thanksgiving dinner is good, but the turkey gratin which results from the leftovers is even better. When pulling this dish together I take some liberties to clean out the fridge, using bits and pieces for a delicious - and always interesting - dish.
Follow the basics below and throw in a few additions to make this your own!
Ingredients
16 oz. rotini or fusilli pasta (cooked al dente and drained)
6 cups grated cheese (divided - you will use some in the sauce, with the pasta and as the topping)
The meat
1 pound chopped turkey
1 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
Heat the oil and saute the onion until translucent. Season with salt and pepper and add to the turkey.
The cheese sauce
1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour (or Wondra)
3 cups milk
3-4 cups stock (chicken or turkey)
garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cheese (gruyere, cheddar, swiss or other of your choice) - divided
Optional: lemon juice, tabasco (to taste)
Heat the butter until it begins to foam and then sprinkle the flour over the butter. Whisk the mixture for about a minute. Slowly pour in the milk and broth while whisking continuously.. Add the garlic, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a simmer until thickened.
Remove from the heat and add two cups of the cheese.
Now for the optional piece; I often add lemon juice (about a tablespoon) to perk up the sauce and also some tabasco. Make sure to taste the sauce once you have incorporated these ingredients - you might want to add more!
Combine the turkey mixture, pasta and cheese sauce in a large bowl. Then add two more cups of cheese to the turkey/pasta mixutre and combine. Pour into a greased 13 x 9 gratin dish.
The topping
4 cups bread crumbs from sliced white bread
2 cups grated cheese (gruyere, cheddar, parmesan, swiss or other)
Olive oil
Add the bread crumbs to a pan over medium low heat. Drizzle about a tablespoon of oil over the top and toss to coat. Heat the bread crumbs until they are lightly toasted. Remove from heat and let cool.
Gently mix in the cheese.
Final steps
Top the pasta and turkey mixture with the bread crumbs and cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. The topping will start to brown and you should see the sauce bubbling.
A note about the cheese: when I have chunks of cheese left from parties it's grated, bagged and frozen . When ready to make a gratin, I pull out bags and add to my dish - no matter the type (I recently used leftover manchego and smoked gouda with sharp cheddar for this gratin!)
