Put the turkey carcass in the largest pot you have and cover with 8 cups chicken stock or water (or a mix of the two).

Add the celery, carrots, bay leaves and onion to the pot and bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer for 3 hours or more.

Strain the stock by putting a colander over another large pot. Pour the stock and bones into the colander, so the stock liquid runs through the colander to the pot beneath. Transfer the stock to a new pot on the stove.

At this point decide if you want to freeze some of the rich stock you’ve just made. The full recipe will make 8-10 servings and once the rice and pasta are added to the pot, the stew will not freeze well. If you only want 2-3 servings, pour half of the stock into a jar for the freezer and label.

Add the rice & pasta to the stock: If you are using the full 8 cups of stock, add 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of pasta. If you are only using half of the stock and you froze the rest, only add 1 cup of rice and 1 cup of pasta.

Add the finely chopped carrots.

Bring to a light boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook until the rice and pasta have softened and the liquid mostly absorbed. If you think the “stew” will be too soupy for your baby to self feed, cook for longer with the cover off to let more liquid evaporate or consider adding a handful more of pasta.

Portion out the stew in bowls and let cool. Remember your baby will likely use their hands to eat so make sure you touch it with your own fingers first to make sure it’s not too hot.