My favorite part of Thanksgiving leftovers is Turkey Bone Soup. This year we are going to eat with friends so, unless I beg for the turkey carcass, which I have done before, we won’t have leftover bones to make turkey bone soup.
When Vince and I first got married, I was about to throw out the turkey carcass and Vince said “NO! We have to make turkey bone soup!” Chad was appalled and swore he would not eat it but now, I think turkey bone soup is the best part of the leftovers for them too!
Yesterday while Vince and I were out, he said “Why don’t we buy a turkey and we can cook it on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and then we can make turkey bone soup.” OK. Good idea. I am not crazy about leftover turkey. I will use it for enchiladas or for a couple of soups but leftover turkey meat is not my favorite, so I told hi to get a small one. He came home with a 22 pound turkey.
I usually use ground turkey when I make Rita’s dog food. I may take part of that roasted turkey, put it through the food processor and use that instead of buying ground turkey. I’ll definitely have plenty .. whatever I decide to do with it.
We did buy a chicken yesterday because gumbo is on the menu for next week. Just thinking about turkey bone soup makes me want to make it with chicken bones but I won’t . . I’ll let that be our “after Thanksgiving special treat”.
Susan Torrens says
I’m glad I’m not the only one to ask for the turkey carcass!
Liz says
I usually use the neck and other parts with celery, carrots and seasonings to make a broth for basting the turkey as well as using for the gravy. And then I’ll make the broth.
This year, I already tried to cook a bone-in turkey breast in my instant pot and it came out pretty good. I just need to do a bit less time for the pounds, but that is just fine-tuning the cooking process. I’ll be looking for the good prices on the breast now and keeping some in the freezer. I also need to test a boneless breast.
Pressure cooking a small breast might be a backup option for those folks that have a large family. Cooking a medium sized turkey plus a breast or two might be easier than cooking a couple of large birds.
Cilla Tyler says
Guilty here also! A couple weeks ago we ere invited to a friends house for lobster. She was going to toss out 6 lobsters worth of shells. I took them home, roasted them, then placed in slow cooker for 2 days. Unbelievably tasty when I made seafood chowder!
22 lbs is small to some people. To me 12 lbs is small. Relative term…..lol
Linda in NE says
Vince doesn’t think small does he? I had gotten in the habit the last few years of buying a big turkey…20-22 lbs. Then last year I found out that my two smallest grandchildren really, really like ham, turkey not so much. So I got a smaller bird and got a smaller ham as well. Turns out the whole crew really enjoyed the ham and I wasn’t overwhelmed by leftover turkey either.
Kathleen says
Have you ever read about Michael Dukakis, yes, the politician, love of turkey carcasses? He is thrifty. Hope this link works. If not, just Google Michael Dukakis turkey carcasses and it will pop up. Kathleen
https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2015/11/25/michael-dukakis-loves-turkey-carcasses
Ruth says
I have always made Turkey soup with the leftover carcass too. One year we spent Thanksgiving with the in-laws (and our three kids.) When I said, “here, let me make Turkey soup out of the bones,” my mil said, “I prefer my water without bones, thank you.” And that was the end of that idea!
Of course, the next year we were on our own and I made Turkey soup! We love having leftover turkey too! I freeze it in meal size portions and make hot turkey sandwiches, cold turkey sandwiches…casseroles…and so on. We have bought our own turkey to cook even though we’ve been invited to someone else’s house. Can’t ask for all the leftovers at someone else’s home!
I have a 17 lb. butterball in the freezer right now, waiting for the right time to defrost, bake and enjoy.
Cilla Tyler says
If they are going to toss the carcass I have no qualms of asking for it. I’ll even share what I make from it with them.
Nelle Coursey says
I have never heard of Turkey Bone Soup! You can have my turkey bones if you want them!
Twyla says
One of the best turkeys I ever cooked was a 17cent per # turkey. I figured I only had $3.27 invested so I tried Jeff Smith’s The Frugal Gourmet cookbook and cooked it on top of the stove in a huge pot with onion, carrot, spices, etc. Slavered butter on it and put into a hot oven to brown. So moist and good.
vivoaks says
I love turkey bone soup too!! This year we’ll be eating at my son-in-law’s parents. My SIL already told me I can ask for the carcass to take home!! I’ll probably still buy a small turkey for us anyway. If the weather cooperates I’ll smoke it in the smoker and REALLY enjoy that turkey before making soup!! 🙂
Joyce says
Cooking the turkey carcass on the day after Thanksgiving was always a tradition at our house when I was growing up. (And turkey noodle soup that night). Since I don’t host Thanksgiving at my house any more, I don’ have a turkey carcass to cook down. I do fix Cornish Hens on occasion, so I make broth with them. I just don’t get a lot of broth at a time. I guess I could buy some turkey legs and make broth with them. Hmm. I wonder if can find them at the grocery store. I’ll have to look…
Judy H says
I have made and canned turkey stock using the bones and neck. Of course I strained out the meat and bones before canning it, but it makes a very good stock. That was when I had more people at home – I would stock up on turkeys when they are on sale for Thanksgiving, and cook one almost every month during the year. Leftover turkey can be used in place of cooked chicken in pretty much everything, so it was very cost efficient when I had a family to feed. Nothing went to waste – not even the bones!