I boil the begeebies out of it to make turkey soup broth. There's always a little meat left on it, so when you strain the broth out, (save it!!!) pick off all the meat and toss it in the broth. Then throw out the carcass. Then start throwing your veggies and pasta/rice whatever....into the broth and make turkey soup. One of my kids phoned me the day after Thanksgiving and said, "mom....are you making soup, because I would kill for a bowl." None of my kids live at home anymore, but I did make a huge pot of soup and he came over straight from work the next day. LOL

Turkey soup just like Debby.. I like it better than chicken soup.

My husband makes soup. He'll eat the legs, but both of us prefer the white meat.

I give it to my dad! He picks it clean for snacks after dinner. There isn't anything left but bones when he gets done with it.

Yup...soup.

I take the whole thing, put some meat in and put in a large plastic bag (I use a small garbage bag) and put in freezer. About a 2 weeks later we can enjoy turkey again as soup.

I usually just put it in a large plastic bag, and in the fridge, unless I feel up to picking everything off right away.

I may try the "make turkey soup stock" option this year.

Moni

Well, you can dry it out, spray paint it red, then turn it upside down. It makes a great mini-sleigh for Santa. Just add 8 tiny miniature reindeer.

LOLOL....No kidding, I actually saw this "craft" done once. It was kind of oddly, scary, creepy, yet funny.

LOL katclaws!! I can see that it would resemble a sleigh though. A very creative mind came up with that idea.

I make soup the day after Thanksgiving every year. I got this recipe from my brother-in-law and think I've posted it before but it bears repeating. Rich and fattening, though.

TURKEY CHOWDER

1 c. green onion, chopped
1 c. carrots, diced
1 c. celery, diced
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
2 c. turkey or chicken broth (cook the turkey carcass for broth)
2 c. half and half
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
2 c. turkey or chicken, cooked and diced

In a dutch oven or large sauce pan, saute onion, carrots and celery in butter. Blend in flour. Gradually stir in broth, then cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick. Add remaining ingredients and heat until cheese melts.

One year I was out of town for Thanksgiving but as DD was going to throw out the carcass, I begged her for it, put it in a plastic bag and headed home, about 200 miles away. The last 20 miles were interminable....I was so anxious to get home with my prize! I immediately put it in a large pot and had a gourmet meal after I added dumplings to the cooked broth. Mmmmmmm!

Mom's turkey soup was the best thing about Thanksgiving dinner. But I just cannot seem to make it tastey enough. The turkey flavor is just not strong enough, even when I boil it down. Wish I knew Mom's secret.

Instead of soup, you can make just the broth, freeze in in ice cup holders, or small plastic dishes and then use it later for flavoring gravy, and even put it in while cooking pasta.

The secret Sheila is, add some OXO chicken bouillon to the broth. I forgot to mention that I do that when I make the soup. I also add poultry seasoning. Just go through your spices and herbs. If it says, "for soup" or "for poultry" toss it in there. Just a little at a time until you get the flavour you like.

Pick all the meat off the bones to make turkey-noodle soup and put the bones, etc. down the garbage disposal.

I don't "do" bones... one year a neighbor gave us a turkey. I had no idea how to carve it but I had Ara wrapped around my feet the whole time I was fighting with it. Here she is with the aftermath- I know, I know, I left too much meat on it.

Janie, who splurges on boneless chicken but skimps on paper products to make up for the $$$$$!, LOL

{{!gwi}}

I put it in a plastic bag and stick it in the freezer until the rubbish truck comes.

I've never done anything with the carcass...but it sure brings up a memorable story...I was raking leaves the day after thanksgiving several years ago...my Alliegirl Collie came out in the front yard carrying a carcass...it was almost like she was bringing me a present of her "Kill"...except the kill most likely came from the neighbors garbage can...the look of utter disappointment when I took it away from her and threw it in our garbage can which she couldn't get to was priceless!! It broke her heart that I took it away from her!

Let's not forget the year my mother in law was with us at Christmas...she took my beautiful turkey leftovers...mixed in a bunch of fatback and who knows what else and made some horrifying thing...neither dh nor I could even figure what it was...well she got her feelings hurt and sat it outside pan and all to which our two shelties promptly found...OMG they were sick for DAYS!! we laugh about it now and I still don't have the heart to ask her what in the world she was trying to fix!!

I may have to seriously think of trying to make Turkey Soup...it sounds delicious!!

I simmer mine, along with some carrots, celery, onion and spices. Then I pull the bones out, strain it, put the meat back in and simmer it until it is slightly reduced. I freeze this and use it to make gravy with. I also do this with the deli roasted chickens...I usually use several per batch.

I bag it and freeze with any left over meat for making soup at a later date. I love turkey noodle soup!

One Christmas my Mom bagged the turkey carcass in a white Glad kitchen trash bag and put it in the fridge. Normally she would take all the meat off of it first but she was tired and it was late and we were going to make sandwiches the next day. My brother and his new wife came over for lunch the next day, my Mom pulled out he carcass to slice the rest of the meat and we made sandwiches. Only the sandwiches didn't taste right - the meat had a hint of lemon taste. LOLOL My Mom put the carcass in a Glad kitchen bag that was lemon scented to keep odours away! What a disapointment. I love a good turkey sandwhich the day after. I look forward to that more than I do the Christmas turkey dinner with all the trimmings. LOL

After that we always made sure to remove the meat and wrap it and not bag it in one of those white bags. I never leave meat on the carcass anyways and always remove the meat from the bones unless I am freezing it right away.

Choose your bag carefully. LOL

Anne

Patti, your turkey chowder sounds wonderful! The recipe says to heat it until the cheese melts, but I don't see cheese in the list of ingredients. What kind, and how much do you use? Thanks!