Trina's Leftover Turkey Casserole (and Carcass Broth)

The extended family went home, the kids got all the things they ever wanted for Christmas, everyone's had a busy (but fun) holiday. The only thing is, you've got half a turkey still kicking around in the fridge. Carve it up, save all of the meat you possibly can, and make some stock out of the carcass. Here's how:

- Put the carcass in the biggest pot you own. Cover it with water, add salt and pepper to taste, slice up half an onion into fat rings, and find some raw carrots, and throw those in the pot, too.
- Bring contents of your pot to the boil, and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for a couple of hours. No need to stir, or even monitor it, really. Go watch a movie and your stock will be done cooking.
- Get some 2L pop bottles or glass mason jars or juice bottles washed and ready. Grab a funnel.
- Strain the stock from the pot through a sieve into another (very large) bowl. Get a cup with a spout and handle, and pour the strained stock into your cleaned bottles.
- You will have a lot of meat "bits" leftover in your sieve. Feed those bits to the cat - he'll love you for it!
- Freeze the plastic bottles, glass doesn't do too well in the freezer. Use the stock in soups, gravies, or anywhere that plain water seems a little, well, boring. For example, boil your rice in broth instead of water!

Why do we make stock out of the carcass? Because the bones, more specifically the marrow in the bones, hold a tonne of flavour. When boiled for a long time, the flavour is imparted into the water, and you have a delicious, savoury broth!

Now that you've made the most of your old turkey bones, it's time to make a delicious casserole out of all that meat. Casserole dishes come in all shapes and sizes, and so do families, and let's face it - how much turkey meat you have leftover can greatly vary as well. So I won't put measurements in. Just eyeball everything. It's only a casserole!

Layer bottom-to-top:
- Turkey, cut into pieces - choose your favourite type of meat, light or dark, or both.
- Pour enough leftover gravy over the turkey to make the bottom layer very moist.
- Splash this bottom layer with Worcestershire sauce for some zip.
- Sprinkle a bit of red or white wine here for more flavour!
- Sprinkle mushrooms, sliced, over the turkey.
- Then add diced carrots, celery, green beans, broccoli (hey - anything that needs to be used up)!
- At this point, you may choose to stir the veggies, gravy, and turkey together. Or not. It's up to you!
- Leftover mashed potatoes, turnips, or yams make a good addition here. They should be pre-cooked.
- Top all of this with leftover dressing/stuffing.**
- Now, the piece de resistance, smother the top of the casserole in cheese! I like a mixture of Gruyere (for its strong taste), Mozzarella (for the gooiness), and more Parmesan (for crunch).

** Now, I don't like stuffing, so I make a bread-topping that's just as tasty. Cut a few slices of bread into cubes, place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and red wine vinegar (just enough to lightly coat the bread cubes). Whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water and coat the bread cubes with it. Sprinkle generously with parmesan cheese, dried sage, rosemary, freshly ground pepper, onion and garlic powders, mustard powder, sea salt, and mix all together. Place this mixture evenly over the top of the casserole.

Place your casserole in the oven, covered with its lid if it has one, or covered loosely with tin foil at 375 F until everything is bubbling and hot. Remove the lid or tin foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes to brown the top. Remove from oven and let the dish sit out for about 15 minutes to make it easier to cut and lift out of your dish. Serve hot, with a crisp Caesar salad on the side.

I hope my casual style of writing here has given you the feeling that the recipe itself is extremely casual. It is not baking, so the measurements need not be precise. Just season everything to taste, and don't forget the cheese on top! It's the best part.