A Meal from the Pantry

Thanksgiving is over, there's a ton of leftovers in the fridge and your pantry is pretty well stocked. What's a hungry girl to do?

French onion soup and a turkey panini of course!

Using only what I had on hand (always a plus!), I made a from-scratch, turkey-leftovers, warm and cozy supper.

French Onion Soup - courtesy of Tyler Florence (I halved this recipe)
1/2 cup of butter (or 1 stick)
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh sprigs of thyme
Salt & Pepper
1 cup red wine (drink the rest ;) )
3 heaping tablespoons of flour
2 quarts beef broth (or 8 cups)
1 baguette (or bread slices)
1/2 pound of gruyere (or any shredded cheese you have on hand)

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette or bread slices on a baking sheet in a single layer and broil until golden brown, keep an eye on it!
Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the croutons on top and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to melt the cheese.

Turkey Panini
Slices of your favorite bread
Leftover turkey, sliced
Sundried tomatoes
Crumbled goat cheese
Lettuce
Butter

Butter the slices of bread and assemble the sandwich. Place in a grilled cheese maker or on a skillet. Toast, cut crossways and serve warm.

With the soup of course!






Now, where's the rest of that bottle of red wine?