A while back, I had a conversation with a purveyor of knives. I asked her to recommend two knives; a general purpose knife and something to use to carve a turkey, steak etc. Both her recommendations surprised me; one was a 175 mm Santoku, the other was a 150 mm universal knife (this one: http://shop.skjerp-deg.no/index.php?route=product/product&path=59_60_80&product_id=100)  The reason I was surprised at the second, was that I was expecting her to recommend something at least 180 mm long.  So, to my question: what are the relative advantages of using a long carving knife, as opposed to a short one? 
Crouque-Monsier or the similar "Hot Brown" sandwich is perfect for my needs. That will use up the sauce in a completely different way. It will also make a great lunch. Thanks SAJ14SAJ for the tip. 