Thanksgiving leftover soup

So Thanksgiving was a few days ago , and if you are like me you are tired of turkey sandwiches and turkey tetrazini . This is my trusty old recipe for a delicious chicken gnocchi soup and I have found it highly adaptable for Turkey day leftovers.

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi soup

2 cups of diced chicken  (more if you prefer)

1 quart of half n half +

2 cups of milk

1 can of cream of mushroom

3 stalks of celery

1 yellow onion

3 cloves of garlic

Poultry seasoning

Garlic powder

Rosemary

Salt n pepper

1 cup of thin carrot sticks

Cornstarch

Potato gnocchi, found in pasta section

1 cup pan drippings or 1 can of chicken broth

Mix celery, garlic cloves, and onion in food processor, or chop really small. Sauté in pan with butter until it starts to bubble. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ¼ cup of COLD water until dissolved. Add to celery mix and stir continuously until it thickens…keep stirring because it will burn. Slowly add the half n half and then milk. Add pan drippings or broth. Add carrots and then add the cream of mushroom and then the dry seasonings. Toss in the diced chicken. Allow the soup to simmer and in a separate dish bring a pot of water to boil. Add potato gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes. As soon as the gnocchi begins to float to the top move it to the soup pot. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Taste test and add salt if needed. Just before serving add 1 package of spinach.

To adapt this for Thanksgiving leftovers you can use turkey instead of chicken, obviously. You can also toss in any green bean casserole leftovers, fried onions and all. If you do this omit the can of mushroom soup. If you have corn casserole this can go in too..unless it has cornbread in it. mashed potatoes can be used also, it will make a thicker soup and change the taste to a more potatoey flavor but will still be delicious. pretty much anything with vegetables can be used, peas, carrots, etc. If you find your soup is getting to thick, simply add more half n half or milk until it is the desired consistency. If it is too liquidy then let it cook a little longer, as it will thicken as it cools. This recipe is very forgiving and can be experimented with.

Finally, top it all of with some Parmesan cheese. yum yum!!