Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Turkey tetra-what?

While America may be divided between red and blue, rich and poor, east coast v. west coast, there is one thing that has bound many of us in the last few days: Thanksgiving leftovers.

I'm a friend to the leftover (you know I am thrifty as all get-out), but Thanksgiving always seems to leave one with far too many to remain animated about. For one thing, you eat the best leftovers up first, in our case, the cauliflower gratin Stephanie brought, Claire's chocolate tart, and my mom's famous pumpkin chiffon pie. Then you good-naturedly devote yourself to the other items which were just as delicious but more plentiful so therefore less fought-over: the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, and  the highly addictive cheese pennies and Earl dip. And then there's the turkey.

Every year I am reminded that I don't actually like turkey that much. It's vastly inferior in flavor to the plump little chickens I roast, requires special tools (thermometers, basters, cheesecloth!), and demands serious upper body strength to hoist it in and out of the oven.

But the turkey is the thing you always end up with too much of. And what to do?

Yes, sandwiches. But then what?

You learn exactly what from your parents. Growing up in our house, the end of the turkey, after the cranberries and gravy were gone, was turned either into jook or turkey tetrazzini, a choice that in itself is a good example of my dual heritage: Chinese and mid-western.

I like jook fine but am not wild about it. Truth be told, I have mixed memories of turkey tetrazzini too. I liked the flavor fine, but for some reason my parents always made it with spaghetti or linguine, which didn't sit right with me as a kid and still doesn't as an adult. I like baked pastas with short tubes or shells--much easier to eat.

I decided to make up my own recipe, with the goal that I wouldn't buy any new ingredients for the dish. This led to mixed results.  I made a white sauce, but only had low-fat milk, and so it turned out a little runny, though with good flavor because I also used stock. I set it aside to see if it would set-up, which it did a bit, then tossed it with sauteed turkey, onions, sage, and spinach. Then the noodles,  buttered breadcrumbs, and parmesan, and into the oven it went.

The finished product looked like this, which I dished up like a nice little housewife and served to the huz.


He nodded his approval although with the caveat, "It's good, but it doesn't taste like food we usually eat."

I knew what he meant. I haven't really ventured into the casserole genre, and this dish, as decent as it was, screamed casserole, with its faintly-dried out turkey lumps and pale creamy sauce that could have easily been cream-of-mushroom soup. Still, I sort of liked it. But the leftover turkey tetrazzini? I may have to draw the line at leftover leftovers.

20 comments:

  1. Having grown up-and still live-in Minnesota, we are the land of hot dishes, but have never had tetrazzini. I like turkey just fine-a couple times a year, at best, and thankfully never have a lot left over. Enough for a day or two of panini's and that is about it. I think my concern is the white sauce. My Mom made one a lot when she lived with us and I really don't like it anymore. I shouldn't complain because she did the cooking for the year she lived with us....

    I do like short tubes for hot dish also-spaghtetti should be for red sauce and meatballs :)

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  2. had to laugh at the chicken mushroom soup comment... Yep, all too often

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  3. Well, as long as it wasn't Turkey Tetracycline. I know a guy who ate some of that. The cook had left the damn food out on the kitchen counter all night.

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  4. Oh, I've never heard of tetrazzini. Initially I thought you were talking about that performance act near the Wharf, you know, Teatro Tinzani or something like that. Ha! But I do like baked pasta, and I'm also not a regular casserole/baked pasta eater, but now and then it can be very comforting. Just hold the cream of mushroom!

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  5. tamilyn: I could definitely be a convert to the hot dish. Esp in the winter, and esp when I am feeling thrifty! There's gotta be a substitute for the white sauce for you...

    A Year: Right?

    cookiecrumb: that really made me laugh!

    Ben: I know what you're talking about, but I haven't seen it. That would have been a good name for this post though. Teatro Tetrazzini.

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  6. Have you ever splurged on a heritage turkey? It's got loads of flavor. If you like dark meat poultry, you'll love it. ;)

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  7. Happy Turkeyday Leftovers! I'm inspired -- may have to sneak some of our turkey to make this. Brock has much love for the leftover turkey and cranberry sauce, so he'd prefer if I kept the sanctity of Thanksgiving untouched, but eff that, I want pasta.

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  8. I recently got the casserole crazy cookbook, which actually has some good recipes (no Sandra Lee shortcuts here). My hubs is from MN and HATES hotdish, so I've only made some vegetable er gratins. Is tetrazzini Italian or stouffers? :) I'm also partial to leftover turkey in spicy enchiladas or burritos.

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  9. If I could still eat pasta, I'd be all over this. Sigh, we have to make turkey shepherd's pie with ours...

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  10. I love turkey, and I second Carolyn's recommendation re heritage turkeys. Brine and roast one, and then see if you still feel indifferent! I also love jook; but Turkey Tetrazzini? Sorry, Mom and Dad, but I think that's how I developed an aversion to poultry + dairy. Can't abide the sight of chicken in a cream sauce...

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  11. CJ: I have not tried a heritage turkey...maybe next year.

    denise: Surely there's enough turkey left for you both to do what you want with it? :)

    foodhoe: hm, maybe I will check out that cookbook. Wish I'd thought of turkey enchiladas--that actually sounds like the best option for leftovers I've heard so far!

    Kate: I probably should have made shepherd's or pot pie with this. That actually sounds good.

    Jary: I know what you mean, I don't love it, but every once in awhile it sounds kind of good/comforting to me.

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  12. Thank you for reminding me I have sage to use up! :) And personally, I love me some casserole. It's just that the name is a little dumpy...

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  13. I skipped out on turkey altogether this year and went for chicken (which happened to be quite enormous for 2 people, might as well have been a small turkey). All I can say is, I can't look at another chicken for awhile with all the leftovers. Seriously considering just making only the sides for next year's holiday!

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  14. leftover leftovers. what a disturbing concept, yet i've been known to three-peat a dish before. :)

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  15. camille: You're right, perhaps if it had a different name we'd think of it differently. Like, gratin sounds elegant.

    Connie: I hear you. The sides are the best anyway!

    grace: Dude, me too.

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  16. You are a hoot!
    We always layer turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and then add some milk to the gravy and pour it over and then bake. And serve with leftover cranberry sauce. Love it!

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  17. Ah, I have never heard of tetrazzini - great use of leftovers though. Actually I don't really like turkey either. Gimme chicken any day, especially the juicy ones you roast :)

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  18. Barbara: I like the sound of your leftover dish! Sounds easy and delicious to me.

    shaz: Next time you're in SF, come by for our weekly roast chicken dinner :)

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  19. I like the fact that you didn't fall back on using soup, and did a mixture of milk and broth instead. I'm not a fan of using soups in casseroles and would much rather have a white sauce with some spices. Did you eat the leftover leftovers after all?

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  20. oneordinaryday: I ate a little of the leftover leftovers...but ended up chucking the rest. Too old!

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