Thanksgiving is just around the corner! After those holiday meals there is always an abundance of leftovers that can either be saved or thrown out. In order to save those leftovers, the foods must be cooked, held, and stored at certain temperatures.
It is important to cook foods correctly so no one gets a harmful foodborne illness from your cooking. Whole turkeys and turkey pieces should be cooked until the internal temperature has reached 165°F for 15 seconds. Stuffing cooked in the bird or alone needs to reach 165°F for 15 seconds as well. Anything else containing potentially hazardous ingredients should also come to 165°F for 15 seconds.
Many thanksgiving meals are buffet style. After the food is out, there is a two-hour limit. After the two hours, harmful bacteria can multiply rapidly, which puts you and your guests at risk of food poisoning. Ensure safety by promptly refrigerating foods below 40°F. If safe to keep, the leftovers should be put away in air tight, shallow containers and placed in the refrigerator.
With all those extra leftovers, hearty, diverse meals can be made rather than just eating the plain turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberries, and more. Refrigerated leftovers are only good for three or four days, so reinvent thanksgiving with different options that will stay good for a few more days. The whole family will love these different options instead of the repetitive thanksgiving meals after Thanksgiving Day. Make a hearty harvest stew, a turkey-berry wrap, cranberry smoothies, a crunchy turkey salad, stuffing frittata, or freeze turkey stock to use later on.
The hearty harvest stew can be made with leftover gravy (skim fat away that is on top) as the base with leftover turkey and veggies added in. The stew can be thickened with mashed potatoes or even sweet potatoes. The turkey-berry wraps are made with whole-wheat tortillas, turkey, and shredded greens with a spread of cranberry sauce. Cranberry smoothies are made with the leftover cranberries along with frozen yogurt and orange juice. Frozen turkey stock can be used to cook in pasta, rice, or soup to make a nice base. To be safe, reheat everything to an internal temperature of 165°F before consuming.
Even after thanksgiving and the holidays are over, fun meals can be made with the family, as long as the leftovers are safe to eat. Have a happy holiday!
Check out the temperatures foods should be cooked to (internal temperature) at: http://www.eatright.org/resource/homefoodsafety/four-steps/cook/complete-list-of-cooking-temperatures
Check out those leftover, hearty meals at: http://www.eatright.org/resource/health/lifestyle/holidays/reinventing-thanksgiving
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