It’s the end of the Thanksgiving meal. The turkey carcass towers over the kitchen’s cleanup crew, while piles of plates are lugged to the counters by “helpful” guests, along with serving platters, glasses, and dishes. At this point in the meal, you usually want to throw everything against the wall, but you have to hold it together long enough to clean up the leftovers and get the dishes started. Let me make your life easier by quickly solving one problem: we’re going to make turkey noodle soup that’s so good you’ll make it again next month, and it’ll save you some work, too.

At the end of the meal, have one person remove the turkey that is still on the carcass. The goal isn’t to slice it; just remove it from the bird as best you can—the larger the pieces, the better—and toss it into a resealable plastic storage bag. Set up a large, empty stockpot on the stove and toss the carcass into it, as well as any bones that have come back from the table. It’s okay if there’s still meat on the bones; it also helps flavor the broth. If there happen to be any vegetables left over from appetizers or prep (raw or cooked carrots, onions, garlic, celery, fennel, or mushrooms), toss those in as well. You can even save carrot and garlic peels, onion scraps, and other vegetable scraps from prepping the meal to add at the end of the night. Fill the pot with enough cold water to cover the carcass. Place the pot in the oven and turn it on to the lowest heat, usually 180-200°F. Leave the oven on until the next morning.

In the morning, remove the pot and let it cool until it is just cool enough to strain through a colander, transferring the soup to a smaller pot, then discard whatever is left in the colander; you should be left with a lovely, clear, golden broth. Turkey has very little fat, so you won't need to strain it again.

Next, chop up your celery, carrots, and mushrooms, throw them in the pan, and heat over medium heat until simmering. Simmer for thirty minutes, taste and season with salt and pepper, then throw in your egg noodles. Simmer for five to ten minutes, and if you like, throw in some chopped parsley. It’s delicious as is, but a minute or so before serving, throw in some leftover shredded turkey meat, just long enough to warm it up.