I really, really meant to post this earlier in the week, when all of you still probably had Thanksgiving leftovers. I really did. But you see, the Boy and I got ourselves an early Christmas gift a few weeks ago: a Wii. And let’s just say things haven’t been the same since. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the new game system. I bought an awesome virtual personal trainer that is amazing. Hands down the best personal trainer I’ve ever had – real or simulated. And don’t get me started on Wii Bowling and Dance Dance Revolution! But therein lies the problem: Wii is too much fun. Hours fly by and before I know it, light has turned to darkness. The cats suddenly want dinner when I swear we’ve just fed them breakfast. And I’m pretty sure I caught a glimpse of the Intervention camera crew in our hallway the other day. All this to say, I may have allowed a tiny white box to completely captivate me and suck away all of my free time.
I am sorry though because this is a damn good sandwich, if I do say so myself. It’s based on the famous Hot Brown sandwich, a tradition in the South. A Hot Brown usually consists of sliced roast turkey nestled on a piece of Texas toast and smothered in a lush Mornay sauce (fancy talk for a cream and cheese sauce). It usually includes tomatoes, but since I had leftover homemade stuffing, I used that instead. I also didn’t have any Texas toast, but did have a loaf of multi-grain deli bread in my freezer from Panorama (did I mention how much I am going to miss the 14th & U Farmers Market). The resulting sandwich was utterly decadent and probably clogged a few of my arteries (which were already struggling from the glut of Thanksgiving dinner).
Recipe: Open Faced Turkey Sandwich (adapted from the traditional Hot Brown recipe)
Ingredients
- Approx. 14 ounce sliced turkey breast
- 2 slices bread (any thick bread will do) – crusts trimmed
- 4 slices cooked, crispy bacon
- Approx. 1 cup stuffing
- 1 ounce butter
- 1 ounce flour
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus 1 tbsp for topping
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Turn on your oven’s broiler.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisking with one hand, slowly add in the flour with the other hand. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook the flour/butter mixture (or roux) for about a minute and a half.
- Again whisking with one hand, pour in the heavy cream. Continuously whisk to prevent any lumps from forming. Allow the mixture to cook until it begins to simmer, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and whisk in the cheese (except for the 1 tablespoon we are reserving for the top of the sandwich). Stir until smooth and then season it with salt and pepper.
- Place the two slices of bread in a non-stick baking dish. Top each with about 7 ounces of turkey (more or less to suit your tastes). Then top each sandwich with 1/2 cup of stuffing (again, more or less to suit your tastes).
- Completely cover both sandwiches with the Mornay sauce and top with the reserved tablespoon of Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Place the dish under the broiler until the cheese begins to brown and bubble.
- Carefully remove each sandwich with a metal flipper and top each one with two slices of bacon. Serve immediately.
Number of servings (yield): 2
Meal type: lunch
Culinary tradition: USA (Southern)
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