Don’t know what to do with all of that leftover Turkey? Don’t know what to do with those itty, bitty, tiny pieces of turkey, skin & juice on your cutting board?

MAKE A SOUP!!!

We deep fry our turkey every year and are always left with all of these tiny pieces of turkey goodness. They are found on the cutting board, on the serving patter & anywhere else you’re willing to grab extra pieces of turkey (i.e: the kids plate as they never touch the stuff).

Throw all of that flavorful goodness into your crock pot & follow my Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup recipe. Of course, replace the chicken with your Turkey.

You can even add some of your side dishes into the soup if you’d like. Roasted/Grilled/Steamed veggies would be great. Replace some of the Cream of Mushroom Soup with your Thanksgiving gravy. Add a scoop of stuffing to each serving bowl & pour soup on top. Cut up some Caramelized Yams into bit size pieces and add when you’re ready to serve. Your options are endless!

This delicious Thanksgiving side dish has been in my family well before my time. I have fond memories of eating more than my share, while growing up, & I’m so thrilled to share them with my family (and you, of course). I also have memories of calling them Sweet Potatoes, but they are in fact Yams. 🙂

The pure smell of these, which starts 2 days before Thanksgiving, is the instant movement Thanksgiving starts for me. It’s kind of like Christmas music kicking off the Holiday season… it just goes hand in hand.

While it might not be the prettiest dish on our Thanksgiving table, it is certainly the most delicious & most coveted.

Caramelized Yams (aka Sweet Potatoes in our household)

Yams (approx. 1 per person plus a few extra for left overs)
Brown Sugar (I do a combo of both light & dark)
Salted Butter

*note: Yams are orange inside. Sweet Potatoes are yellow inside. I always use yams but I’m sure sweet potatoes would work if you prefer.

In an electric skillet, melt 1 stick of butter & 1 bag of brown sugar. Once both are melted you can see how much sauce you have. Add more brown sugar if the sauce is too thin. Add more butter if the sauce is too thick and not melting smooth. Add both if you want more sauce.

Peel, cut to desired size, and boil yams in a pot of water until slightly tender.

*Note: the centers of the yams should be tender, without having the outside too soft where it falls apart. It’s ok if the centers are still a tad bit firm, as they will continue to cook in the caramel sauce.

Remove yams from pot & drain well. Any left over water will prevent the caramel sauce from thickening up.

Add cooked yams to sauce & simmer on low. Turn yams over occasionally & spoon sauce over the tops to ensure entire yam is caramelized.

*Note: Use a large spoon to turn the yams over. Try not to puncture the yams with a fork or thongs as they will start to fall apart.

*Note: for best results, start cooking 1-2 days before Thanksgiving & simmer on low until ready to eat. You can turn the skillet off at night but DO NOT COVER!!! Covering the yams will cause condensation which will prevent the sauce from getting thick. Turn skillet on low again in the morning.

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