Turkey Reubens

Thanksgiving is the only time I get to practice my turkey skills. For years, that meant that even as a culinary school graduate, with tons of bird-roasting practice, I ruined the holiday-bird.

One season, when I was working at a culinary school, a neighbor-church called and asked if we would be willing to cook all of the turkeys for that year's soup kitchen Thanksgiving. It wasn't a hard sell since we had tons of kitchen space and they orchestrated donation of the turkeys.

I did that for three years. 20ish fat turkeys (plus my one, heritage, anorexic-looking bird) stuffed, basted, turned, poked, and fully roasted with plenty of input from office food professionals and chef instructors. There, I discovered the magic of roasted turkey necks; a new holiday highlight.

Now, I make sure that no matter where I'm going to be for Thanksgiving, I order my own bird.

This year, we had mini Thanksgiving on Tuesday (if I don't have Mom's mashed potatoes at some point that week, my heart rebels), family Thanksgiving in North Carolina on Thursday, my favorite yearly turkey potpie on Sunday and Turkey Reubens on Monday.

It's a long lead-in. I know. I tend to get nostalgic about Thanksgiving, honoring the bird by using it in every way possible, bla bla bla.

In an old *sniff* Gourmet magazine, I found the recipe for reubens. I thought it was a perfect way to incorporate leftovers.

My attempts to make sauerkraut have historically failed. I will hope for better luck with this winter's cabbage. The dressing was good (mayo, ketchup, pickle relish, cider vinegar), but I kicked it up with spicy ketchup and some chili powder.

Sliced Emmental cheese, chunks of dark meat, dressing and sauerkraut on sliced rye bread all went into a pan of heated butter. Lots of butter.

It was immediately melted, gooey and tempting. A bottle of dry Alsatian Riesling to offset the bit of kick made it was a highly successful dinner.

Next time, I would spice it up even more, add another half slice of cheese and use easier-to-slice breast meat. But add it to the schedule! Turkey-roast, potpie (still my favorite), and reubens. The little bit that is left will get loved up and put into a quiche.

For the recipe....