Considering the contents of my over-stuffed, post-Thanksgiving refrigerator always brings to mind that proverbial notion of making a silk purse from a sow's ear. In this case, my sow is what remains of a 25 pound turkey recently ravaged by 20 plus dinner guests.

Turning Thanksgiving leftovers into exciting dishes that are exceedingly tastier than the sum of their parts is an annual challenge I welcome, cherish even, perhaps more than making the original meal. As the host, I spend much of the holiday dinner refilling gravy boats, shuttling platters and plates, and making sure everyone is properly cared for, which often means my dinner is cold by the time I take my first bite of sweet potato casserole.

Then there's the matter of tradition. Like many families, mine doesn't embrace change especially when it comes to stuffing and potatoes. So rather than risk mutiny of thy bounty, I put my creative aspirations on hold and go with the tried and true. Besides, thanks to Amazon I can spend Black Friday in the comforts of my kitchen reinventing and reincarnating the remains of the day.

This year Operation Leftover had a secondary mission - create a turkey sandwich that wasn't so dry it required a 16-ounce beverage and exaggerated jaw motions to chew. Finecooking.com provided me with the inspiration for the award winning panini. I made just a few changes in accordance with my tastes and equipment limitations. (Read: Don't let the lack of a fancy panini press discourage you!)

The result? A culinary silk purse indeed! My turkey brie panini was crunchy yet moist with the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. And it was mighty tasty with a dainty sip of crisp, dry Riesling.

2009 Silk Purse Finalists:  Stuffing Frittata, Turkey Tortilla Soup, and Cranberry Bread Pudding 

Turkey, Brie and Asian Pear Paninis

One small Asian pear, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup shredded cooked turkey
1 tspn. fresh thyme leaves
Six slices whole-grain bread
2 T spicy brown mustard
2 T honey
4 oz. Brie, sliced
unsalted butter, softened

Preparation:

1. Spread each bread slice with combination of honey and spicy brown mustard.
2. Arrange half of the Brie on three slices of the bread.
3. Layer the Asian pear slices over the Brie.
4. Mound the turkey on top of the pears and sprinkle with thyme leaves.
5. Layer on the remaining Brie, and top with the remaining bread slices mustard side down.
6. Lightly butter the tops of the sandwiches and set them, buttered side down, on a hot griddle. Set a large heavy skillet directly on top of the sandwiches and put 3 - 5 pounds of weights in the empty skillet. (I used a hand weight and cookie sheet, but a big can of beans would work too!)
 

Do it yourself panini press
7. Cook the sandwiches until golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes.
8. Remove the weight(s), butter the sandwich tops, and turn the sandwiches over. Replace the skillet and weight(s) and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown and the cheese is oozy, about 3 minutes longer.
9. Cut the sandwiches in half and serve.