Post Thanksgiving Country Boil - Easy Stew

The problem is as age old as the holiday...

Too many Thanksgiving leftovers!!!

You have that big plate of Turkey or Chicken on Thanksgiving, then again and again...and again, in the days to follow. It gets repetitive and boring! We get Turkey-ed out!!

Well, to prevent getting Turkey-ed out,  I have a fool proof way to use the rest of that bird up, not be wasteful, and still have interesting, not to mention delicious dinners. It also stores incredibly easy, so you can freeze to save for when you're not so sick of Turkey!

The Country Boil

I call it the Country Boil because my sweet Grandmother used to always have us save the bones and leftovers from our Thanksgiving Turkeys to whip up into delicious soups and stews. She was the epitome of a "Country Woman" and could turn nothing into something with the snap of her finger.

The need to save the leftovers stemmed from her growing up with not very much in the heart of the country, and thus her family being very resourceful. Turning leftovers into a soup or stew was just smart; it allows for easier storage and less spoilage, and is a nice change of pace!

Frugal and creative.. It's a country thing!

Instructions

Start by placing what's left of your bird into the crock pot, bones, fat, any leftover clinging meat, all of it. If it doesn't fit, don't be afraid to break it up a bit, you won't use any of it, unless you feel ambitious enough to pick off the leftover meat. Boiling the bones is just for flavor to make your broth. Fill the pot up with just enough water to almost cover the bird, in my 4.5 quart crock pot, it was just about up to the rim of the pot, and add in a tablespoon of salt. Allow to simmer for at least 24 hours, mine was pretty much 48 hours by the time I had the time to get to it, the longer, the more flavorful, but I wouldn't leave it for any more than 3 days.

Once done, drain the water into a large stew pot. Be sure to filter with a mesh strainer to catch any bones and leftover bits. Add salt and spices to taste. I used just less of another tablespoon of salt, and a few shakes of Mrs. Dash Table Blend, Tarragon Leaves, and Pepper. That part is personal preference.

Take a hodgepodge of vegetables, I had a whole lot of corn and tiny potatoes left over from Thanksgiving Dinner, and the last bit of a bag of frozen veggies. I threw that into another pot, along with what was left of my Thanksgiving bird, and let it boil. If you don't have any leftovers, you can use fresh. I threw in a few extra carrots because there weren't a lot left, and my husband and I love lots of baby carrots in our stews.

While the veggies are boiling, you can start thickening the stew mixture. I whisked in just over a cup of flour over medium heat to thicken up my broth. This is again, personal preference, and every time will be different. Be loose with your measurements and be sure to test often. I personally, like a thick stew broth, but if you prefer more runny, dial back on the flour.

Once the veggies have softened, drain the water from the pot, and throw them into your broth, mixing until combined.

Enjoy!

I love to eat as stew, spread over toast, even fill a pot pie with it! The stew also freezes better, so you can keep on hand as a prepped meal, or just when you want something quick (a much nicer alternative to microwave dinners!)

xoxo - Court