Your Thanksgiving celebration was amazing, and you've made it home safely - with multiple containers filled with leftover food. Now you have to figure out what to do with it all.
Not to worry. With the right storage and recipe tips, you can transform boring holiday leftovers into exciting new cuisine options.
Pack Up Correctly
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Ensure that before you leave, the leftover food that’s been packed up especially for you has been adequately refrigerated. Also, consider bringing your own tote bag, quart-size freezer-weight storage bags and an ice pack to keep everything cold on the way home. An ice chest in the back seat or trunk of the car is a good idea as well. Double-bag everything to trap any leaks or spills.
Freeze Correctly
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Properly freezing foods calls for some special techniques – and they’re worth it.
Freezing lets you enjoy your food a week or two later. A favorite holiday tool is the freezer storage bag. They're sturdier than regular bags, and can be made airtight by gently squeezing out any air bubbles in the food. Remember that when dealing with the freezer, air is the enemy. It can cause freezer burn, which leads to dry food.
Another enemy: Ice crystals that form in frozen food. Large crystals will ruin the food's texture. The quicker the freeze, the smaller the crystals. To do this, let the food cool, chill in the refrigerator, then freeze. Dividing larger foods, a lasagna, say, into serving-size portions will aid in freezing fast — and thawing more quickly.
Thaw Correctly
Speaking of thawing, don't use a microwave. It's an invitation to disgusting food because the outside usually overcooks by the time the inside defrosts. Instead, try using bowls of cold water to thaw frozen packets quickly and evenly.
Change the water every 15-20 minutes until the food is thawed, up to 60 minutes. It's great for soups, stews, turkey in gravy, cranberry sauce, mashed sweet potatoes. It's not for stuffing or green bean casserole; I recommend the refrigerator for that.
Officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service say leftovers can be safely left out at room temperature for two hours (one hour if the temp is above 90 degrees). They recommend putting leftovers into shallow containers and immediately refrigerating or freezing to cool food down. Use most cooked leftovers stowed in the refrigerator within three to four days, the USDA says.
Super-Quick Leftover Ideas
- Toss leftover cooked vegetables into a stir-fry or serve with your choice of lean meat
- Whip leftover sweet potatoes into a peanut butter cookie mix
- Use leftover cranberry sauce as a topping for ice cream, a sandwich spread, or stir into yogurt for breakfast
- Use leftover turkey for sandwiches, a quick casserole or chop into a healthy salad
Creative Leftover Meal Ideas
Okay. The leftovers have been properly transported, frozen and defrosted. Now it’s time to actually do something with them! If done the right way, it’s possible use your Thanksgiving leftovers to create a meal just as delicious as the original one!
1. Savory pilgrim pie: A 3-in-1 rescue, a turkey version of shepherd's pie for once-cooked turkey, potatoes and stuffing, enhanced by two time-saving canned goods.
Take equal amounts of cooked turkey and stuffing; coarsely chop in food processor with fresh parsley leaves. Mix in spoonfuls of canned celery or mushroom soup taken straight from the can until the turkey mix is nicely moist. Oil glass or casserole pan. Layer cooked mashed potatoes to cover bottom. Alternate with turkey mixture followed by a second layer of potatoes. Dot top layer with butter and sprinkle with canned fried onions. Bake about 20 minutes in a 300-degree oven until hot and top is browned. Let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
2. Turkey-lentil Soup Mexicana: A richly scented lentil soup made from the carcass of a turkey, infused with fragrant cumin.
In a soup pot, follow directions from any cookbook for making a rich stock from a turkey carcass. Strain stock; returning some meat to soup pot and adding cooked lentils, cumin and cilantro to taste.
3. Pecan (or pumpkin) pie parfait: Made from three or more pieces of uneaten pie, this dessert brilliantly exploits two disadvantages (a negligible quantity that's lost its beauty) by presenting as elegant individual servings.
Pulse pie in food processor until coarsely chopped. Fill glass tumblers with alternating layers of chopped up pie and softened ice cream, and cover with plastic wrap. Line up on cookie sheet and freeze for about 15-20 minutes until firm but not frozen. Remove from freezer and run lukewarm water in bottom of pan for 30 seconds. Serve immediately with dollop of whipped cream.
4. Cranberry granita in clementine shells: Uses leftover cranberry sauce as a basis for a gorgeous, cranberry-colored granita, which then goes into discarded clementine shells — another leftover from preparing the fruit for cranberry sauce or for a fruit tray.
Puree 2-4 cups cranberry sauce in food processor until smooth. Pour into saucepan. Add an equal amount of water and 1/2 cup sugar, cooking slowly, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat. Add 1 teaspoon vodka for every 2 cups. Stir well and let cool to room temperature. Pour into large glass pan, place in freezer. When mixture begins to freeze, scrape up with a fork and return to freezer. Repeat every hour until crystals have desired coarseness, about two to three times. Present granita inside empty clementine shells or, if shells are lacking, spoon into glass coupes.
