You’re probably a bit tired of turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce and stuffing. I have a suggestion to overcome some of that turkey fatigue. First of all, freeze the carcass. Uh, that would be the turkey’s, not yours. If it’s filling up your fridge, you’re probably promising yourself that you’ll be making stock with it. Well, if you haven’t yet, then break it up by hand, put it in freezer bags, and make the stock when you get a chance. And yes, Ithere’s a quick stock recipe just below. This.

If you still have some turkey left, you can freeze that too, and use it for soup later. Or you can make a stew with it that tastes just like a pot pie. Either way, this will make sure that you end up using the whole turkey. And, of course, you’ll keep eating well, too.

Turkey Stew (Pot Pie without the crust)

Approximately 3-4 cups cubed, cooked turkey
2 bay leaves
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
3/4 of a 12 oz can, evaporated skim milk (approx)
1 cup (approx) chicken stock
2 tablespoons (approx) all purpose flour
Bell’s seasoning or dried sage, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen peas

In a large skillet over a medium heat, add the oil, and sauté all of the vegetables until the celery and carrots are cooked, yet still a bit crunchy.

Add the turkey to the pan, and combine with the vegetables. Add the chicken stock, and the evaporated milk.. Add more milk, and/or chicken stock, as needed.

Add the salt and pepper, with the Bell’s seasoning.

Add the flour to 1 cup of the warm water and whisk until smooth. Add to the chicken mixture. It will thicken almost immediately.

Add the peas, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serves 4.

Turkey Stock

1 cooked turkey carcass
4-6 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 onions, cut into quarters
A stock pot large enough to hold the carcass

Place the carcass (and any other turkey bones) into the pot, with the vegetables, and enough water to cover everything. Ideally, the pot will be filled almost to the top with water.

Bring it to a boil, and simmer for 1-2 hours, depending on how much time you have. When it’s done, strain the bones and vegetables, and cool the liquid. Either use it within a few days, or freeze it. It will last in your freezer for at least three months.

The holidays, especially Thanksgiving, are a time to make yourself nuts. No, I don’t mean a cashew side dish. I mean people just make themselves crazy this time of year.

So here we are again. What to do? Well, and turkey or the cooking part can be much easier. The first step is to simplify. If you’re going to be making a turkey, then take a long look at making the side dishes as simple as possible. This is where tradition and wackiness usually coincide. Most people have the basics at the table: turkey, stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, and 17 side dishes. It’s these side dishes that make you crazy. There’s one cousin’s favorite yams and marshmallow dish, which is awfully similar to another cousins sweet potato and crushed pineapple. Or how about the four variations of potatoes? Then there are the other vegetables like squash, beans, and Brussels sprouts. So what do you do?

This is the easy part. If you are preparing the meal, just make one of these side dishes, just as you would if you were making a normal sized meal, and not one that could fill a school bus. If you’re lucky enough to be visiting someone else, and thus absolved from all housecleaning and turkey roasting, then bring your favorite dish. That’s the one that you can’t live without because it’s the holidays. While everyone says they’re shocked and appalled at that 1960’s classic side dish of (previously) frozen string beans, mushroom soup, and canned onion rings, everyone dives into this like there’s nothing else on the table. So be a sport, and bring your favorite dish.

In keeping it simple, just make one potato dish, and one vegetable. The two recipes below come from my sister Bea, and her spectacular cranberry sauce that came from who-knows-where, my cousin Paula. The potato recipe is one she’s been making for years. Not only does it taste great, but it’s easy, and can be as rich and filling as you’d like. You can even substitute yogurt for the sour cream, and it doesn’t sacrifice the taste at all. Plus, both dishes can be made a few days ahead.


Bea’s cranberry sauce is as simple as chopping a few ingredients, and throwing them into a pot to simmer for a while.

And finally, a word about the bird. People sometimes get confused when faced with a 16-25 pound turkey in their oven. It’s just like roasting a chicken in your oven, only it takes just a teensy bit more time. As a rule of thumb, if you’re cooking a very large bird, there’s no reason it will need more than 4 1/2-5 hours to roast. Also, make sure that the temperature of the bird, at the inner thigh, is 180°. And if the bird is stuffed, then the stuffing should be 160°.

So remember, try to simplify. Everyone will eat well, and you’ll be able to spend less time at the stove, and more quality time on your housecleaning ]. And isn’t that what counts for the holidays?

Cousin Paula's Mashed Potatoes Deluxe (adapted from the Washington Post)

2 1/2 quarts (10 cups) chicken broth (or water)
3 lbs. (6-8) russet potatoes, scrubbed (or any type of potato)
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1" lengths
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into quarters
1 teaspoon. dried dill weed (or more to taste)
4 Tbs. butter, cut into small pats
1 1/2 cups sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 teaspoons salt and fresh ground pepper

Boil the potatoes, covered, in stock or water for 10 minutes. Add the carrots and
onion and cook 20 minutes longer, or until the potatoes and carrots are
tender. Drain, cool and peel the potatoes. Combine and mash the potatoes,
carrots, onion, dill and butter. Add sour cream or yogurt, parsley, salt
and pepper and mash again. Serve hot.

To make ahead: Place in buttered, covered casserole dish and chill or freeze. Bring to room temperature and dot the top with butter. (Sprinkle with paprika, if desired). Bake covered at 325° for 1 – 1 1/2 hours, until it’s hot in the middle.

Makes 8-10 servings

Bea’s Cranberry Sauce
2 pounds fresh cranberries
3 apples, peeled, cored, diced
2 pears, peeled, cored, diced
2 Cups golden raisins
2 Cups sugar
1 Cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons grated orange peel
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 Cup orange liqueur (Triple Sec, Cointreau, etc.)

Heat all ingredients, except the liqueur, in a large pot, and bring it to boil. Simmer uncovered, stirring frequently, until it thickens, about 45 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in liqueur
Serve chilled.

This makes approximately 1 1/2 quarts

Bill Collins is a professional chef who lives in Beverly. To contact him for holiday lessons on turkey carving, or questions in general, he can be reached via email at bill@chefbill.com

Welcome to the ChefBill blog. In case you were wondering, it’s about food. As a personal chef, I’m in all kinds of kitchens, making all kinds of foods. Some of my recipes are fancy and elaborate. But the VAST majority of them are not. Most of my cooking is highlighted by fresh ingredients, local produce when it’s in season, and simple sauces that enhance the food, and not hide it. In short, foods that not only taste great, but are also, usually, healthy too.

The blog will be include a wide range of things: holiday foods and recipes, new (and old!) recipes that I’m cooking that week. Or maybe a great dish that I had a restaurant, or someone else’s home, that I want to try. And yes, your thoughts and comments are welcomed at all times.