Turn Thanksgiving leftovers into Turkey Divan

#MiddleburyCT #TurkeyDivan #Thanksgiving

One of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the leftovers. I often end up with leftover turkey breast, and if you do too, you’ll love this recipe: Turkey Divan. It features turkey, broccoli and mushrooms in a creamy, cheesy sauce topped with buttery breadcrumbs. Created in the 1950s by Chef Lagasi at New York City’s Chatham Hotel, Turkey Divan was the signature dish of the hotel’s Divan Parisien restaurant.

Turkey Divan is great for stretching leftovers and reviving dry turkey breast in a rich sauce. This dish became a Thanksgiving leftover staple, often made with canned soups. Our version, however, uses a homemade cream sauce for a velvety, flavorful result.

We make a creamy bechamel sauce directly in the pan with sauteed onions and mushrooms, then add cheese. You can use any meltable cheese – cheddar, Monterey Jack, colby or Swiss. I used white cheddar and Parmesan.

Broccoli is traditional, but feel free to swap cauliflower or a mix of veggies. I’ve added mushrooms, but you can leave them out (or leave out the mushroom haters – your choice). Turkey Divan is delicious on its own or served over buttered egg noodles or rice.

Turkey Divan Casserole

Yield: 6 servings
Total Time: 45 minutes

Turkey Divan: A creamy, cheesy casserole that’s comfort food at its finest. (www.JasonCoblentz.com)

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen broccoli florets (5 cups)
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups cooked turkey breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 2 1/2 cups)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk, warmed
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup panko breadcrumbs or substitution (see below)
Cooked egg noodles or rice for serving (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
If you have “steam-in-bag” frozen broccoli, cook according to package directions, then place it in the baking dish.

If your broccoli needs to be cooked on the stovetop, use a skillet, no need to dirty another pan. In a large skillet, simmer 1/2 cup water over medium-high heat, add broccoli, cover, and return water to a simmer. Cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and transfer to your baking dish; set aside. Wipe out skillet and return to stove.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the turkey and cook until heated through. Transfer to your baking dish with the broccoli, set aside.

In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter, add onion, and cook until softened. Add mushrooms and cook until tender and browned, about 6-7 minutes. Add 1 more tablespoon of butter, sprinkle flour over the onion-mushroom mixture, and stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour.

Reduce heat to low and slowly add warm milk, stirring until thickened, about 8 minutes. Gradually add both cheeses, allowing each addition to melt. Stir in Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the turkey and broccoli, and toss gently to distribute the sauce. Combine the butter and panko crumbs, stirring until crumbs are moistened. Sprinkle on top of casserole before baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice if desired.

No leftover turkey? No problem! Use chicken, rotisserie chicken, pork or ham instead.

Some ideas to use in the crumb topping besides panko crumbs would be Parmesan, cracker crumbs, breadcrumbs, potato chips, crispy fried onions, chopped nuts, crispy rice cereal or corn flakes. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com

© 2024 King Features Synd., Inc.