My husband says I don’t like soup.

I think he’s going a bit far with that statement. I’d say that soup is OK. I know it’s usually very healthy. It’s just not my top choice for meals.

I wish I liked it more because the recipes for lasagna soup look much easier than the recipes for actual lasagna. Ditto chicken enchilada soup, pizza soup and dozens of others.

But Zack has almost won me over to the soup side with his most recent concoction: a smoky, clear broth full of smoked turkey meat, sauteed celery and onion and tiny pearls of couscous.

So he has me thinking already about how we will handle Thanksgiving leftovers.

In my family, part of the post-Thanksgiving meal cleanup includes tossing the turkey carcass into the biggest stock pot available, covering it with water and some veggies and letting it simmer, covered, the rest of the day. Passersby might stir it with a long-handled spoon occasionally, but that’s about it.

At the end of the day, someone pours the broth through a colander, throws away the pile of bones, and ends up with a bowl of hot turkey broth.

The broth is parceled out among those who want to take some home, used to make turkey soups, or frozen for later — or, more likely, some combination of all of these.

I’ve never accepted any broth. What I’m saying is, I’ve never taken stock. (Sorry. I had to.)

I like the idea of homemade broth, but I’m not the best about using it up quickly. I have a few bags of homemade broth in my freezer at all times precisely because I tend to make it and not use it.

But this year, I am going to use some of it up. I remembered a recipe for soup that I do genuinely like, one that doesn’t make me feel like I’m eating a thin substitute for something better.

This one is a recipe for corn chowder. The reason I don’t often make it is that it doesn’t call for any meat, but it does call for corn and potatoes. As a result, it drives up my blood sugar but doesn’t keep me full very long.

But, it is also delicious. So this year, I’m going to make this soup and add some leftover meat — turkey or ham, as that’s what we are having for Thanksgiving.

And hey, in case no one has told you yet: I hope you have something to be thankful for this year. If you think you don’t have anything, look around. There’s probably something. Even if it’s just a little broth.

CREAMY CORN CHOWDER (ADAPTED FROM OUR BEST BITES)

Ingredients
6 strips of bacon (optional)
Shredded cheese (optional)
2 tablespoons butter (necessary only if not using bacon)
1 small onion, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk (or a combination of 1 1/2 cup milk and 1 cup chicken broth)
2 teaspoons chicken base (if you are using all milk)
1 1/2 cups frozen corn or one can corn, drained
3 cloves garlic
1 cup cooked, diced chicken or ham
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
■ If using bacon: chop or cut bacon into small pieces. Fry in a wide, deep skillet or in a soup pot until done. Remove to paper towel-lined plate. Leave bacon fat in pan. If not using bacon, melt butter in a wide, deep skillet or soup pot over medium heat.
■ Add potato cubes and onion to fat (either rendered bacon fat or butter). Sautee for about five minutes, until onion becomes translucent. Add garlic to vegetables and cook until garlic becomes fragrant, about a minute. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir. Cook for about a minute longer.
■ Add liquid (milk plus chicken base or milk plus broth) to pan. Stir well. Simmer for about 20 minutes until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn and meat (optional). Stir and allow corn and meat to heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt as needed. (Start with about 1/4 teaspoon.) Ladle into bowls and top with cheese and crumbled bacon. Enjoy!

Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].

Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.