Turkey, Conecuh Sausage, and Vegetable Stew

We've enjoyed turkey sandwiches on rosemary bread this week.  There's just something about Thanksgiving leftovers that make me happy.

Today was a cold, drizzly, and gray day.  As I contemplated the remaining turkey, I knew this was a perfect day to stay indoors and continuing decorating the house for Christmas and start a big pot of stew.

I had saved the broth/stock from roasting the turkey by placing it in the freezer last Thursday.  You can use either turkey, chicken, or vegetable stock in your stew.

This recipe has a combination of fresh, canned, and frozen vegetables.  Read through the ingredients, check out your pantry, fridge, and freezer, and adapt the recipe to what you have on hand.

2 T. butter

2 T. olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 ribs celery, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced 

6 - 8 oz. Conecuh sausage, sliced lengthwise and sliced into 1/4" inch thickness

2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes with juice

1 (14.5 oz.) can navy beans, rinsed and drained

3 cups frozen or fresh okra

1 (10 oz.) bag frozen mixed vegetables

3 Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 T. dried Italian seasoning

2 bay leaves

4 cups diced cooked turkey

6 - 8 cups chicken, turkey OR vegetable stock

salt and pepper to taste

In a large Dutch oven (I used a 7 quart pot), heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat.

Saute onion and celery for 4 - 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add in garlic and sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage has browned.

Stir in next 9 ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer.

This is right as my stew begin to simmer.

I set the heat to the lowest setting and went on about my day.  Every 30 minutes or so, I'd give it a good stir, recover the pot, and check back later.

After a few hours, we were ready to eat.  Here's the stew ready to be ladled into bowls!  Taste and add salt and pepper if you'd like.  Make sure you remove those bay leaves before serving.

This was an excellent and delicious way to use up that leftover turkey.