Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! - Turkey Noodle Rice Soup

This was my FIRST TRY at making a homemade turkey soup! I had done essentially the same thing one other time when making homemade chicken and dumplings though, only with a whole chicken rather than a turkey carcass, but this is the first turkey soup for this jive turkey.  I'm not sure if I needed to start on it as early in the day as I did, but the results were wonderful.

~Ingredients~

20 lb turkey carcass
1 and 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup thinly sliced carrots

1/2 tsp. celery seed (I only used this because I was out of celery, substitute 1 cup chopped celery if desired)
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. salt
4 and 1/2 cups cooked flat wide egg noodles
2 cups cooked brown rice

~Instructions~

1.  After the turkey has been picked as clean as it can be for consumption, present and future, reserve the carcass. Break into smaller pieces so it fits better in a large pot. If not handling in a few days time, you can freeze the carcass pieces and use when ready.

 2.  Fill pot with water so that it covers the carcass by an inch.

 3.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat so that it steadily simmers.

 4.  Simmer for a long while  (an hour at least) until the meat falls from the bone easily.

 5.  With a slotted spoon, scoop out all of the bones with any meat that is attached.

 6.  Place on a large platter and let cool.

 7.  While meat is cooling, add all of your ingredients to the turkey stock.

 8.  Remove all meat and gristle from the bones and separate.

 9.  Add the turkey meat and let simmer until ready to serve.
10.  I steadily simmered my stock so that it slightly reduced and became fairly cloudy, which is my preference.

 11.  Enjoy with soft dinner rolls, Saltine Crackers, and of course...a glass of wine. Because hot tryptophan soup and red wine is the best way to end any cold winter evening.

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Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipe! - Turkey & Stuffing Casserole

'Tis the season for expanded waistlines and stretchy pants!  Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, so much turkey, so little time.  What to do with it all?  Here's a fast, easy, and filling way to utilize a good-sized chunk of those leftovers that will please the entire family. It's pretty much glopping a bunch of Thanksgiving deliciousness together in a baking dish., and who doesn't love THAT?

~Ingredients~  

1 can of Cream of (your choice) Soup

1 cup whole milk (substitute with sour cream if desired)

1 (16-oz) bag of frozen vegetables of your choice

2 and 1/2 cups of leftover turkey

4 and 1/4 cups of leftover stuffing

1 cup of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese

 ~Directions~

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 2.5 quart baking dish with cooking spray.
2.  Mix the soup and whole milk (or sour cream) together in a large dish. Add turkey, stuffing, and vegetables, and mix. thoroughly.  Transfer the mixture into the sprayed baking dish.

3.  Bake for 20 minutes, until you see the sides bubbling.
4.  Remove from oven, sprinkle with cheese, and bake another 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

 5.  ENJOY!

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