Since I cooked a 22-lb bird yesterday, we have tons of leftover meat around here. It will be used up with a combination of meals: Pilgrim sandwiches, turkey tacos, and After Thanksgiving Turkey Soup.

For a long time, I never enjoyed homemade turkey soup—probably because most recipes boil the carcass for broth. That type of broth always tastes and smells bad to me, so I thought I hated the soup. Turns out, I just hated the broth!

My version is quick and easy, with boxed broth. (Because seriously, after cooking a Thanksgiving feast, who wants to spend another entire day in the kitchen…)

To make After Thanksgiving Turkey Soup, you will need:

• 2-3 cups leftover turkey (I only used white, but a combo is fine)
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• Salt/Pepper to taste
• 1 carton prepared chicken broth  (I use Swanson)
• 2 cups water
• 3/4 cup uncooked orzo  (can substitute another small pasta or rice)
• Juice of a lemon
• Handful of fresh parsley  (optional)

Heat oil in a large pot, then add carrots, celery, garlic, and salt pepper. Cook until veggies begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes. Add broth/water. When it boils, put in the orzo and cook for 7 minutes. Add meat, lemon juice, and parsley. Stir to combine, turn down heat, and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.

With bread or rolls and a green salad on the side, turkey soup makes a nice dinner—one that’s considerably lighter than most of us had last night, too.

How are you using up Thanksgiving leftovers?

I love Thanksgiving—the food, the friends and family, the festivity…everything except the pre-meal scramble. There never seems to be enough time and definitely never enough counter/tabletops. Surprisingly, one of my biggest helpers to simplify the chaos is a cooler.

A cooler may not be the first thing that comes to mind when planning a Thanksgiving feast, but for me, it’s been a miracle. Instead of stressing about a lack of space, I can create an additional storage center that—best of all!—doesn’t even need to be kept in the kitchen.

Any size cooler will help, but I like to use a large model and Coleman is my favorite brand. Here are 4 ways to use it:

1. Turkey Holder

When there’s no room in the fridge for a huge bird, you have to get creative. In the past, I have filled my cooler with cold water and used it to defrost. Another neat idea is to use it for brining; Bon Appetit has great step-by-step instructions. 

2. Makeshift Dishwasher

My kitchen has a single sink so there’s no way to separate dirty from clean. Once the regular dishwasher is full, I turn my cooler into a second mini one and stack dirties inside. I wouldn’t recommend it for delicate items like glassware but most plates and pots/pans should be fine.

3. Ice Bucket

Just like the turkey, cases of soda and wine bottles are shelf hogs. Fill a clean cooler with ice and store drinks easily. Most models have a drain, so clean up is a breeze.

4. Food Warmer

Turn a cooler into a warmer by lining it with foil, then stack casserole containers with sheet trays between the layers. If the lid is kept shut, cooked food can easily stay warm for an hour or two.

How do you simplify Thanksgiving prep?

If you love creative cooking, check out this recipe for a turkey-shaped challah, courtesy of My Jewish Learning and The Nosher. Any challah dough can be used and then it’s shaped/decorated into a holiday bird. 

This has got to be the most unique Thanksgiving food idea I’ve seen in a while. I’m not sure my bread-making skills are up to the task, but I’m impressed just with the idea. Fabulous!