rob, I use it for soups and for gravy although there are some recipes I probably wouldn't add it to, recipes where the flavors are delicate enough that they might be overpowered by the turkey.

I like turkey stock, though, so make gravy and enjoy it. It would go well on that newly found dressing, probably...

Annie

rob, I would have loved to be in your house! Turkey dinners are on the short list of favourite dinners for me.

I always make stock from my turkey for use in gravies and soup. I find the taste too strong for subtler sauces but perfect for gravy and soup.

I made about 7 gallons of turkey gravy last week using the bones and skin from "used turkey" simmered with onion, celery carrot and parsley....strained and thickened. We served it over cut up turkey and called it chicken sandwiches....no one questioned us...but to my nose it was an over powering turkey taste.
It would be great to add oomph to and hearty fowl dish.
Linda C

Rob:
I smell it !!! How far are you from my place?
Lou

I don't much like Thanksgiving roast turkey.

I used to like it - when I was the diner rather than the cook.

Then I learned to associate Thanksgiving roast turkey with way more stress and anxiety than anyone should ever experience on what is supposed to be a heart-warming family holiday. Frantically defrosting a rock-hard frozen bird under hot running water. Hearing the doorbell ring while the bird is still 50F internal temp. Desperately breaking out the best booze to placate the growling guests, as the blasted bird s-l-o-w-l-y crawls up the thermometer. Frantically searching for instant gravy mix after watching the bird's gravy break. Finally, the Walk of Shame, bearing a dessicated bird and limp gravy to a tableful of drunk, mean former friends.

For a young husband whose "Joy Of Cooking" wasn't even dog-earned yet, that was just too much Performance Anxiety to leave any but the worst sorts of memories.

Today I actually sort of know what I'm doing with a turkey, and my little sister - who probably never even got a "Joy Of Cooking" for her wedding, and whose gravy always breaks - does her dinosaur-roasting at our house. But the taste of Thanksgiving turkey still brings back those panicked, emasculating memories. No thanks.

However, I like all forms of roast turkey leftovers - sandwiches, soups, stock, and cat food. Other than the wicked hangover, there's no bad memory associated with the Morning After. So, I say, make turkey soup from that evil bird. And then throw it on the ground.

(Strangely, SWMBO is unaffected by those past traumas. If I remember right, she always distanced herself from the fiasco, making long-distance phone calls to her sister and calling out helpful turkey instructions to me in a loud, ringing voice that even the drunkest guest could hear. Thanks, honey.)

I love roast turkey dinner, too! Guess I never found preparing Thanksgiving stressful, but rather rewarding. They have not all turned out perfectly, but tasty just the same.

(What's a SWMBO?)

Linda

On the top of my list for wonderful smells of cooking. Lucky you Rob for finding those treasures in the freezer. TG has always been my favorite holiday. The leftover sandwich the next day is even better than the meal...something I always look forward too.

I'm curious too Linda. I can't figure it out. LOL

David

She Who Must Be Obeyed

So I am not crazy. Not interchangeable with chicken stock. I usually don't have leftover turkey stock for too long, and even then I use it with turkey to make turkey dishes. I'll set it aside for heartier meals than can stand up to it or need bolstering.

C'mon over Lou, you're welcome any time.

(((John))) I am sorry. I do love Thanksgiving and ours is a pot luck so that no one cook ever have to suffer that ill fate. Aw. I didn't mean to bring that back. Shoot, I love love love turkey soup, stews, sandwiches, sherried turkey over cornbread.... and do make another one here and there outside of Thanksgiving for just such purposes. Is Linda right? I hope not. You're such a great one, I can't imagine that. Unless you're jesting, which I deeply hope.

David, you have no, well maybe you do, idea. I just kept smelling the air. If it was perfume, I would dab it on a hanky and carry it around! I was in heaven.

I use turkey stock to make rice sometimes instead of plain water. It gives the rice a little bit of extra flavor.

Sorry to hear of your former turkey woes, John. Holidays can be stressful! Like Linda, my cooking doesn't always turn out perfect, but to heck with the booze for the guests, I find that a couple of glasses of wine for the COOK are imperative for relieving that stress!!

Rob, I love turkey broth/stock and make gallons and gallons from the Thanksgiving and Christmas birds. I probably make three or four gallons from each bird so perhaps my stock isn't as strong as some others. It's always very tasty and makes great soup or gravy as is. I also use it in things like chili and spaghetti sauce. Since there are only two of us there does tend to be a fair amount of meat that can be still on the carcass so maybe that's why I can make so much with one bird. Also Christy doesn't eat much dark meat so I'll often put a whole thigh or remainder of a leg, or whatever meat I've carved that is a bit older than I prefer not to eat as sandwiches or salad. I also use it in soups as others have mentioned, particularly all my bean soups, lentils, navy, pea, etc. I just took out a gallon last week and used half for egg drop soup and the rest when I made a big batch of chili.

I also love Thanksgiving, I always did the cooking for my large extended family, although the 40+ people at Christmas dinner was always a larger group and we had turkey then too.

I've messed up my share of turkeys but my family and friends always just laughed and shrugged it off, they never particularly cared, not even the year my oven died and we all had burgers instead. That's the year Dad bought me the Nesco 18 quarter roaster, and it's still family legend.

I also make turkeys at other times, just because I like it. I like leftovers, but I also like the main event. And I nearly always make it in the Nesco Roaster, no one in the family cares if the skin is perfectly browned or if it's presented whole, perfectly carved or just hacked up into pieces, which seems to be the usual serving method.

Annie

"Unless you're jesting, which I deeply hope"

Not jesting, but perfectly happy about it. Married 20 years now.

Whew. Deep breath exhaled. Good!

I am the "odd (wo)man out", here. I use chicken and turkey broth interchangeably in everything. Never noticed one to be stronger than the other.

I'll have to pay closer attention, I guess! LOL

Linda