Fact. I’m not the biggest fan of turkey (whether baked, roasted, smoked, or otherwise) on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I find that it is just a waste of space and time when all of those other yummy creations need to be on the plate. However, this year was quite the game changer on the turkey front.

During our annual family Christmas Eve shopping excursion in downtown Natchez, we stopped in Sissy Blackwood’s Consign & Design to see what new treasure we couldn’t like without. (Mind you, I found a fabulous mink cape/coat at an unbelievable price. Merry Christmas to ME!) While we were visiting, Sissy shared a bombshell with us: put your turkey in the crock pot. Well, duh! Why had we (the lovers of crock pot everything) thought to try this before? So, on Christmas Eve night, my parents placed a 9-pound turkey breast into the crock pot and let it go. Now, that’s how to cook a turkey. Moist. Tender. Falls off the bone. Here’s how they did it:

Crock Pot Turkey

1 9-pound turkey breast

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the turkey into the crock pot with the can of soup poured over the top after adding salt and pepper to the bird. Cook on high for 8 hours (overnight). The meat will fall from the bone in the crock pot. Enjoy!

Now, we are a family of 4; and like I mentioned, I usually don’t eat turkey during the holiday meals. Crock pot or not, we have spaghetti and homemade meatballs that rank higher on my to-do list that day. So, we usually have quite the left over turkey for the rest of the week. This year, Dad had a craving for a turkey soup. Mom (the Betty Crocker that she is) whipped up the perfect recipe that you have to try with any and all of your left over turkey. I mean, it would be worth crock potting a turkey anytime during the year just to make this soup.

Turkey and Rice Soup

2 to 3 cups cooked turkey, chopped

2 cups frozen English peas

2 cups Minute rice

1 medium onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 16-ounce can chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh parsley for garnish

Sauté onion and celery. Salt and pepper the mixture to taste. Add chicken bouillon, cans of soups, and broth to the sautéed veggies. Add in turkey and peas. Simmer until the peas are done. Prepare the rice separately to 4 cups of boiling water.  Add in the cooked rice to the soup and stir together. Add fresh parsley for garnish, and serve.