What do you do with that big turkey carcass sitting in the roasting pan with tasty bits of meat still clinging to it? I like turning mine into a savory New Orleans-style soup, something we’ve nicknamed Turkey and Sausage Gumbo. But it doesn’t have the traditional roux, so it comes together quickly. I prepare it in the slow cooker for convenience. However, I do “stir fry” some of the ingredients in olive oil for added flavor before putting in the slow cooker.
Here’s the step by step:
Add two cans of diced tomatoes, one can of mild Rotel and one can of tomato sauce to a large slow cooker:
Add 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 tsp. oregano, 2 tsp. dried parsley, 1 tsp Tony’s (or other Cajun seasoning blend), 1 tsp. dried thyme, and mix well. Set slow cooker to low for 8 hours and start the cycle.
Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium-high and add 1 T oil. Add one cup of diced celery, one chopped onion and one chopped bell pepper. Stir fry for several minutes and keep the vegetables moving so they don’t scorch. When they are crisp-tender, add 2 tsp. minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Spray the pan again with oil and add about 9 ounces of sliced Andouille or Keilbasa sausage. Cook until seared lightly.
Add sausage to the pot as well.
Now it’s time to give your turkey carcass a new lease on life! Because I cooked a 20-pound bird, the frame wouldn’t fit in my crock pot. I had to break it into several pieces first. After the turkey carcass (and any leftover bits of meat) are added to the slow cooker, cover and go about your business.
After about 6 hours, you can use tongs to remove the carcass and bones. Set on a large cutting board and scrape off any remaining meat and return to the pot. At 8-10 hours, this zesty Turkey and Sausage Gumbo should be all ready to serve over rice (with French bread and salad on the side, of course). It tastes even better made a day ahead.
What do you do with your leftover Thanksgiving turkey?
YUM! This looks Delish! Thanks for sharing!
Looks yummy! We just eat the leftover turkey plain for the next couple of days.
Interesting idea! We only got a little 9 pound turkey this year so we did Thanksgiving #2 the next day and I had just enough left to make turkey noodle soup. I also often do a turkey pot pie with leftovers.
I like that you can drip, spray, or mist this spray. I may have to check it out
Oh, turkey pot pie is a favorite of mine, too!
This sounds so yummy and I love any recipe that lets me use my slow cooker so it doesn’t gather dust.
Mmm!! This is one of my favorites!! What a great way to use that leftover turkey! Genius!