Turkey and Vegetable Stew

The holiday weekend is over which means the house is a little quieter and you’ve finally had enough stuffing to last until next year. There’s only two questions left on my mind after the weekend… who stole the last piece of lemon cake? I can guess it was probably my garbage disposal of a fiance. Second question- what are we going to do with all of the squashes? I’m sure we aren’t the only family that has a centerpiece full of colorful and spiky squashes on our Thanksgiving table. Instead of just throwing them away, I decided to make a big stew with the squash and our leftover turkey. Have leftover gravy? Throw that in there too. It adds tons of flavor and thickens up the broth. If you still have leftovers this stew will come together in about 15 minutes. If you’ve already thrown away your turkey meat, buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. It’s a great recipe for a day you don’t really feel like cooking that’s hearty, flavorful, and healthy. One more easy dinner to keep your diet on track through the holiday season! 

Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes    Cooking Time: 20 minutes    Total Time: 35 minutes

4 cups shredded, cooked turkey meat (or chicken)
1 white onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, small dice
2 carrots, peeled and small dice
2 acorn squash
1 cup Thanksgiving gravy, optional
6-8 cups chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 stem fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

• Use a long, serrated knife to slice the squash in half. Use a spoon to remove the inner pulp and the seeds. Cut each half in half again, and then into chunky bite-sized pieces.
• Heat a large soup pot with a drizzle of oil to medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and squash to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes or so, or until the vegetables start to brown.
• Add the gravy, bay leaf, and rosemary stem to the pan. Saute another 3-4 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper before serving.