Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Soup

Thanksgiving is over. The house is a mess, and your fridge is bursting with leftovers. You've eaten those leftovers more than once: in their original state, and again as sandwiches. What can you do with them next?

Make soup!

Now, most people think you have to have a detailed recipe in front of you to make soup, but that's not true. All you need is meat, some broth, spices, and whatever else sounds good to you and is at hand at that particular moment. Think of the soups you usually enjoy. What are they made of? Get everything you have that is close, plenty of spoons for tasting while you cook, and get started.

This Thanksgiving, my fridge was full of the usual things. I dragged out the turkey and left over gravy, and put them in my pot. Then I added the left over green bean casserole, French fried onions and all. I put in some macaroni and cheese, corn (always my favorite soup ingredient), onions, carrots, and any other left over vegetable I could find. I added a spoonful of brown sugar, salt, pepper and lots of garlic, and then poured in enough water to cover it all. I turned the stove on medium, and let it simmer.

You could also throw in a can of condensed cream of chicken or mushroom soup if you wanted. Chicken bullion, rosemary, and any other spices you like can be added. Taste often, and put in whatever you think is needed to make the soup taste good. Let it simmer for about thirty minutes until the flavors have blended. Add some left over rolls from your Thanksgiving dinner, and you are ready to feed your family.

Another favorite way of mine to use leftover turkey, chicken and hamburger is to put it in a pot with corn, rice, mixed vegetables, salt, pepper and garlic, a spoonful of brown sugar, and then add a can of rotel tomatoes. Add enough water to cover well, and simmer for a while. This is a wonderful cold day soup. Eat with crackers or tortilla chips. Men really like this one!

Don't be afraid to use your imagination and your left over's and make homemade soup. You can hardly mess up; just add ingredients until it tastes good. Plenty of garlic and a spoonful of brown sugar make every pot of soup taste better!