Casseroles are an excellent way to creatively utilize holiday dinner leftovers.
Every major holiday seems to result in the unavoidable dinner leftovers. After a day or two, sandwiches and salads made from the entrees can become tedious. A better solution is to combine portions of the primary entree with one or more of the side dishes and a few commonly available ingredients that you already have on hand to create a new meal. Casseroles provide the perfect vehicle for this approach. Leftover roasted turkey and stuffing can be added to a creamy sauce made from a blend of mayonnaise, sour cream and shredded cheeses, and seasoned according to your individual taste.
Instructions
1. Set your oven to 350 degrees F. Allow it to preheat for several minutes while you assemble your ingredients and lightly spray your baking pan or casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place cooked turkey in a mixing bowl. Coat a saute pan with cooking spray and add shallots or onions, mushrooms, spinach or broccoli and bell pepper over medium heat. Add seasonings to taste, and cook while stirring frequently until the vegetables soften and the shallots or onions are transluscent. Turn off the heat, and set the vegetables aside.
3. Place the leftover stuffing in the prepared pan or casserole dish in an even layer. The stuffing will form a base for the other ingredients in the recipe. Remove the sauteed vegetables from the pan, and place them in the mixing bowl with the chopped turkey.
4. Add mayonnaise, sour cream and 1/4 cup each of the shredded cheddar and Asiago or Gruyere cheeses to the contents of the mixing bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch over the mixture and stir well. Use more seasonings at this point, if you wish. Spread the turkey and cheese mixture evenly in the casserole dish or baking pan over the stuffing layer.
5. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup of both the cheddar and Asiago or Gruyere cheeses over the top of the casserole. If you are using bread crumbs, toss them together with the Parmesan cheese before adding them to the top of the casserole over the turkey and cheese layer. If you are omitting the bread crumbs, simply add the Parmesan to the top of the casserole, and place the dish in the oven to bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Turn off the oven and take out the casserole dish. Permit the casserole to stand for 10 minutes before serving. Wrap tightly and refrigerate any unserved portions. This casserole can be frozen and reheated if made early for a future meal.
Tags: casserole dish, mixing bowl, Asiago Gruyere, Asiago Gruyere cheeses, bread crumbs, cheddar Asiago
