Recipe: Turkey casserole, garnet yams, applewood-smoked bacon, Brussels sprouts and caramelized onions with Gruyère cheese crust

Total time: 1½ hours

Servings: 4 to 6

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 pound applewood smoked bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips

1 large onion, diced ¾ inch

2 packed cups leftover turkey meat, diced ¾ inch

1 pound (about 2 medium) baked garnet yams, diced ¾ inch (candied leftover yams can be substituted)

2 cups cooked Brussels sprouts, cut into quarters

1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

6 ounces (about 1½ cups) grated Gruyère cheese

20 saltine crackers

1/2 cup pecan halves

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 tablespoons flour

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the sides of a 9-by-9-by-2½-inch baking dish and set aside.

2. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and bacon strips and cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is almost crisp. Add the diced onion, and continue cooking until the onion is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat.

3. Add the turkey, yams, Brussels sprouts and sage, and gently fold together to distribute the ingredients evenly. Season with one-fourth teaspoon each salt and pepper, or to taste, then transfer to the buttered baking dish and gently press to create a level surface.

4. To make the Gruyère cheese crust, combine the grated cheese, saltine crackers, pecans, butter and flour in a food processor. Briefly pulse until the mixture is coarsely chopped (about one-fourth-inch pieces) and mixed together. Distribute this mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.

5. Place the casserole in the center of the oven and bake until the crust is golden brown, about 1 hour.

Each of 6 servings: 543 calories; 29 grams protein; 33 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 33 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 90 mg cholesterol; 8 grams sugar; 534 mg sodium.