PEAK TO PEAK – Well, this year the break between Turkey Days is really short. As soon as we finish the leftovers from Thanksgiving, we are right in the middle of the Christmas season, and we have to prepare that famous meal all over again.

            (I used to make a standing rib roast for Christmas dinner – yum! – but who can afford good beef now? If you can, bless you – and disregard the rest of this article!)

            There are a lot of good things about cooking turkey – and why don’t we do it more often? (But that’s another article.) One of the loveliest is the abundance of opportunities to play with the leftovers in various creative ways.

            Of course, there are the two standbys: soup and turkey tetrazzini.

            I won’t even try to give a specific recipe for turkey soup – the options are so multitudinous. Basically, once you have a carcass after the holiday, you cover it with water, add a chopped up onion or two and some veggies of your choice, and simmer. For hours – even days.                       

The onions, celery and other aromatics will melt into the broth and prepare it for the addition of other vegetables (or even bacon). Carrots, green beans, a little bit of tomato, corn…anything that you have left over or just sitting in your veggie drawer. Beans, too, if that’s your thing. This is a great way to use up the sad little odds and ends of veggies you forgot about. They are still fine in soup.

            When you are about an hour away from eating this creation, you add back in any turkey meat you want to include, plus a starch – macaroni or egg noodles, potatoes – and there you have it. Serve with, ideally, homemade (or at least hometown-bought) bread, and you have a great meal.

            There are approximately 3 million recipes for turkey tetrazzini (I just checked online). Some call for canned cream of mushroom soup; some call for cream cheese. I like a variation of this simpler, healthier recipe from Allrecipes:

• 1 (16 ounce) package uncooked spaghetti

• ½ cup butter

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 3 cups chicken (or turkey) broth

• 2 cups milk 

• 1 2/3 cups grated Parmesan cheese

• 4 cups chopped cooked turkey

·       Gather all ingredients, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and lightly grease a baking dish.

·       Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and place in the prepared baking dish.

·       Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Mix in chicken broth and milk. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Stir in about 1 1/3 cups Parmesan cheese, and remove from heat.

·       Mix chicken broth mixture and turkey with spaghetti. Top with remaining cheese.

·       Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until surface is lightly browned.

            This is the bare-bones version. To this, I would add garlic and onion powder, to taste. Mushrooms, preferably fresh, but even the canned ones will do. Maybe stir in a package of frozen peas or corn. Some parsley for garnish would be good, too. And don’t forget salt and pepper. And any other herbs or spices that appeal to you. You could top the casserole with some buttered breadcrumbs or panko for a bit of crunch before you stick it in the oven. This recipe is a great blank canvas.

            This should give you a good start on your post-holiday cooking and eating. Enjoy! And Happy Holidays!