Just add smoked turkey

Do not let the leftover meat from the smoked turkey wings you used for that potato salad go to waste. Here is how I use it best; add it to my homemade white sauce.

There are many recipes for the ultimate white sauce; mine uses sour cream and milk instead of heavy cream or half an half. Because I never have cream or half and half on hand, I used to always end up with a runny and low quality sauce when milk was the only white ingredient. One day I decided to experiment with sour cream as I almost always have it stocked, and voila! That was the key. I also make a mac and cheese adaptation for JR using sour cream; more on that later.

Here's what you need for the, in my opinion, ultimate white sauce

• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 4 tablespoon sour cream
• 1/4 cup water, to thin it out
• meat from smoked turkey wings

Melt butter in pan on medium heat. Add onions and sautee until tender but not brown. Add flour and mix until well combined. Slowly add the milk, stirring in the process to completely integrate the roux, or butter-onion-flour mixture. Once all the milk has been added, slowly add the sour cream and stir until dissolved. Turn down heat to low and let sauce thicken. If too thick, add water until desired consistency is reached. Add turkey meat and let simmer to blend the flavors.

Serve over your favorite pasta and/or vegetables. I like to use shell pasta and sauteed mushrooms, onions and broccoli.

Cook's note: (1) this recipe does not call for any seasoning, especially salt, because the turkey meat is already seasoned and can be quite salty.