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At the risk of this becoming a cooking blog… I offer this recipe in two flavors: one for something to do with leftover turkey, and one for those long winter nights between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

What you need:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Onion, chopped big
• EITHER 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts OR about 1 1/2 cups leftover turkey
• 1 Tsp Cumin
• 1 Tsp Chili Powder
• 1 8oz bottle of Pace (I like Hot, but medium and mild work fine too) salsa
• 2 14oz cans of corn
• About 30 – 34 oz of Chicken Stock
• Lime juice (Fresh or bottled)
• Big bag of tortilla chips
• finely shredded Mexican cheese mix

Heat up the olive oil in a big stock pot.

If you’re using chicken breasts, throw them in and brown them really well on each side, and then take them out and shred them.

If you’re using leftover turkey, it’s probably shredded up anyway and it’s at more or less the same point as the chicken above.

Put the chopped onion in the pot and stir it up until it starts turning translucent, then add the poultry. Continue stirring, letting the turkey heat up or the chicken brown a touch more. When you’re confident the chicken is cooked pretty well, add the cumin and chili powder, stirring it up. After you get that mixed in really well, add the whole jar of salsa. Even if you use hot, it’s not going to make it terribly spicy so you’re okay. Stir until that starts to steam, then add the chicken broth and corn. Don’t bother draining the corn juice, it’s good for you. Keep stirring until nothing is sticking to the bottom, put it on medium heat or so and bring it slowly to a boil. Once it boils, take the heat down as low as it will go and start yelling that dinner is ready. Add 1 Tbsp – 1/8 cup of lime juice, however much you like. Err on the side of not enough, because you can always put more in. Spoon the soup into a bowl, put a nice layer of tortilla chips on top and then a good sprinkling of cheese. Warn those that take this that it was just boiling a second ago and giggle to yourself when they burn the roof of their mouths, but don’t let them catch you doing it. This freezes well and makes enough for 4 people.