Thanksgiving leftovers

Happy belated Thanksgiving all!  Yes, I was very busy cooking, preparing and serving up the family all the traditional holiday fare at our house.  This year we had 2 thanksgivings one on the traditional day and then the second on Saturday when our son and his wife were able to drive up for a visit and a meal.

Every year, my family expects to find on the table, their daddy's baked turkey (baked in a bag) and all the fine sides their mom (me!)can come up with.  Usually, that means the "Yankee dressing" as the kids like to call it, the "green salad" also deemed by the family years ago, pumpkin bread and pecan pie.  This year all our kids came from other places where they live...dorms and homes, so with all the leftovers and just the two of us, I got to thinking about what to do with the turkey, sausage, and ham............

Turkey Rice soup

3 stalks of celery, minced
1 onion, chopped/minced
1 small carrot, chopped/minced
1 tsp, minced garlic
1/2 of a large green pepper, minced
1/3 c    Olive oil
1 cup of spiced sausage
4 slices of bacon, cooked and diced

In a large stew pot, cook all the ingredients until tender, 10 minutes.
Then add:

5 cups of turkey stock
4 cups of water
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp  parsley flakes
1-2 Bay leaves
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
Turkey meat from the Thanksgiving Bird

Stir and heat to boiling, stirring periodically.
Then add:
1.5 cups of uncooked rice

Cook at a low boil for 25 minutes, or until the rice is completely tender.

Well, it was delicious and I learned something along the way, homemade worcestershire sauce...I'm still working on the recipe, so I'' post it when it's ready for publication.

Thankfully!