Have you ever left a family or friend’s turkey dinner with the carcass and wondered what to do with the turkey leftovers? I have, and although you may find that odd – I think lucky me and what a silly thing it is to give away a turkey carcass.
You can do so much with it, it is even better than any other leftovers. As former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis told the Boston Globe a few years ago “there is so much richness and goodness in a turkey carcass.” The best part is, it’s basically free since you bought it for the main attraction (the roasted turkey dinner).
So what can you do with a leftover turkey carcass? The first thing to know is that well wrapped it will keep well in the freezer. But … you might as well use it right away.
Option one: Turkey broth.
Similar the bones with onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Thyme and bay leaf are nice, and a bit of salt and black pepper (Which i throw in whole). Cover with water and bring to a boil and then simmer for a few hours. Strain and use as you would use any other broth – for soup, making rice, sauces, stews, and freeze is small portions.
Option two: Turkey broth, but FAST.
You’ll need an Instant Pot for this (don’t have one? Good thing it is black friday!). Do the same as above, but cook under high pressure for 60-90 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. Just like on the stove, but faster and you can leave the house while it cooks.
Option three: Turkey broth, but SLOW.
That’s right, maybe you don’t want to have the stove on and don’t have an Instant Pot. That’s okay, a good old fashioned slow cooker can do your work for you. If you don’t have one, I got this one on amazon. Just cook on the low function for 10-12 hours. This is the same method as with the Instant Pot, just slower and you can sleep or leave the house while it cooks.
Option four: Turkey soup.
The options are endless, but this one is fun! Make the broth as above, strain it. Add your leftover gravy, stuffing, turkey meat, diced vegetables and mix it all up with your broth. Similar for an hour or so and serve, it’s great! If you don’t have leftover gravy, or stuffing that is fine too. You can add rice, wildrice, mushrooms, pasta, even a box of stuffing mix, anything you want. It is a great soup on a cold day! Now you know that there are so many things you can do with turkey leftovers, don’t throw away your turkey carcass this holiday season. If you’re looking for some other recipes for thanksgiving check out these.
