Sorry to say, folks, but those great Thanksgiving leftovers should get eaten, frozen, or tossed after today to avoid anyone getting sick. After all, there's more good food to come and we need the fridge space! A few freezing and reheating tips after the jump...
Reminder: Eat, Freeze, or Toss Your Thanksgiving Leftovers!
Cooked turkey freezes very well. We shred ours and store it in cup-sized containers to throw into soups and casseroles, like Turkey Tortilla Soup or Turkey Pot Pie.
Most casseroles and stuffing also freeze well. Cut them into portions before freezing so that you only have to thaw one portion at a time.
We haven't had a lot of success freezing mashed vegetables. Once thawed, we find they tend to be watery and have lost much of their flavor. Unfortunately, we recommend tossing these leftovers.
Cooked pies and other desserts also don't usually do well in the freezer. If you somehow haven't managed to eat all your pie by today, you have a good excuse for serving it for dinner tonight!
Remember, these leftovers have already been sitting in your fridge for a week, so you don't want thawed food sitting in your fridge for another week. Thaw only what you'll eat right then. Also, be sure that all previously prepared foods are reheated to at least 165° before serving.
Related: The Case Against Turkey Leftovers
(Image: Flickr member presta licensed under Creative Commons)
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no way I'd ever throw away any leftover. I will make sure leftovers are used immediately. Plus, my friends and I spent a lot of time preping for the goods...throwing away leftovers is kind of an insult...don't you think?
view reggiesoang's profile
I've successfully frozen & thawed mashed potatoes before. I think it has to do with how much fat is in there (ie, butter) when you put them in the freezer. Also, stirring a couple times while reheating, be it in the microwave or on the stove, seems to help as well.
view mh330's profile
Oh, that's good to know, mh330! I'll give frozen mashed potatoes another try!
view EmmaC's profile
Thanks for the reminder!!! We're almost through everything but I'm going to make sure to push turkey salad sandwiches on the bf for dinner tonight.
view crepesuzette's profile
I think if you have leftover turkey and some bacon, you should make a Hot Brown!
view jgphotomom's profile
Actually, while frozen mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes or squash might be watery on their own, they're wonderful leftovers (even when frozen) to toss in a soup. Instead of cream, add those pureed veggies as a thickener.
Leftover sweet potatoes or squash often go into a Carrot Thai Curry pureed soup. Or a Sweet Potato and Apple soup.
view lotusmoss's profile
Oh damn... I have no idea what to do with my bucket o' delicious cranberry conserve!
view sparkle's profile
ummm that was 8 days ago,shouldn't it be tossed or frozen after 4 days - 5 at most? I froze everything on monday from eating friday. Am I getting rid of stuff to soon?
view luv2cook's profile