You know you'll be busy this holiday season, like always. And more than likely you'll have turkey leftovers, like most people that do "the turkey thing" during the holidays usually do.With the possibility of having leftover turkey hanging around, I went through my "holiday leftovers" file and dug out this one out just for you.
I figured this Easy & Quick Open Face Turkey Sandwich recipe would help you with your leftover meal planning.
Because I'm just like you; running around, picking up stuff during the holidays. Or, picking up something else for someone else, somewhere else during the holidays. Whatever the case - I get caught up like that, too.
The holidays get on a lot of peoples nerves. How do you weigh in on this one?
My feelings fluctuate when I think about the holidays. But lately, I'm really starting to hate the holidays. Retailers start advertising so doggone early that by the time it comes, it's like - Can it just be over?
Don't get me wrong. I really love planning Holiday parties and catering Christmas and New Year's parties for people. I'm fortunate to get everything that I'm given, and extremely grateful for it. It's really an honor to own a company that people think of as a crucial part of creating their wonderful memories.
But don't you think that outside of our professional lives, as much a lot of us love the holidays and the nostalgic feelings that we can get, when we think about what it was like when we were little kids - that when we look back, we can now see that plenty of the images that we created in our heads, about how "perfect" everything was back then, were false?
I don't know about you, but I'm convinced that the best Christmas holiday season that most of us will ever have is the one that we'll create for ourselves.
No one understands or knows exactly what we need. Not like we do. So most of the time our holiday (that we plan ourselves) turns out better. Until "they" interfere. But in case you're wondering why I brought this up, in this particular way to boot, I'll give it to you straight.
I know what I'm talking about here, first-hand. My family was just about like your family - a tamed down, don't-tell-the-neighbors, socially "politically correct" hot mess, trying to play it off.
My big brother (and only brother) kept my parents in a complete flux for years; constantly screwing up and getting in trouble for it. For my own sanity, I had to let all of that cutesy-nicey stuff go. Back then, I quit thinking that everything was so great and so doggone perfect. And I did it way before I was formally released by my parents to do so.
You know that nobody had "perfect". Just look at the divorce rate of our parents generation. That, within itself, tells the story of the falsities of our holiday's of yesterday's and other times gone by. "What will the neighbors think? Just keep it to yourself. Don't say anything" , they'd say. People did a whole lot of pretending, didn't they?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not sad about it. Not anymore. But like a lot of you, I'm over the lies about how great the "good 'ol days" were. Because these are the good 'ol days!
So, living in the current times of the "good 'ol days", let me give you this recipe - before I forget. We're all going to need a recipe or two this holiday season that's easy and quick to kick out, anyway.
And who knows? Maybe, if we try hard enough, we'll get everything done on time. Maybe we'll even have time make this open-faced sandwich - and it will come out just as "perfect" and great as everything we remember was. Yes sir, as "perfect" as those who came before us would have made. You know, back in the day - in the "good 'ol days". Ha!
But here's the thing. If we want to get everything finished on time and done "right", we better stay focused on the here and now, don't you think? Because looking back, things weren't as great as they are now, anyway. So they sure weren't as great as most of us thought they were.
I love talking to you guys. I mean it.
Have a good holiday everybody. I hope you like the recipe!
Easy & Quick Open-Faced Turkey Sandwiches
Serves 8
(Printable Recipe)
1 and 1/3 cups sliced, fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded Swiss or cheddar cheese, your choice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
8 slices bread, toasted
8 slices cooked turkey
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
8 slices tomato
1/4 cup shredded Parmigan0-Reggiano cheese
1.) In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in the flour until blended; gradually add broth and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.
2.) Stir a small amount of hot filling into egg; return all to pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Stir in the Swiss or cheddar cheese, nutmeg and pepper until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
3.) Place toast on a baking sheet. Top each piece with the turkey, cheese sauce, bacon, tomato and Parmigano-Reggiano cheese. Broil 3 to 4 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Cater-Hater Tip: Try this on squares of baked puff pastry instead of toast. Puff pastry bakes up really flaky and crisp. It's there's a little more work to it, but it's worth it. It's really good.
Here's another one for you...
Go to your local Costco fresh produce department and get yourself some of their fabulously delicious Mayan Sweets sweet onions. Oh my goodness! I fell in love with their onions back in 2001. They're seasonal, so they only stock them in the Fall. But let me tell you something... To die (for)! I mean it.
I don't cook with them.They're too good for that. I slice and dice them onto everything, almost. They're super mild and they really are kind of sweet in their own onion-y kind of way. You know you've got it bad for something when you start inquiring about them before they even get to the store. I even mentioned them to the produce manager at my local Sam's Club, telling them that they should sell them, too. Costco must have the "exclusive" on them. Sam's never stocked them.
Image source: jim.luepke
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