25 Thanksgiving Leftovers Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is a creative way to eat Thanksgiving leftovers? ›

Instead, try turning your leftovers into a casserole, like our turkey divan, our chicken stuffing casserole, or our turkey pot pie; a soup, like our turkey noodle soup, our leftover turkey & wild rice soup, or our homemade turkey stock (made from your turkey carcass); or something lighter or more flavorful than before, ...

The answer is simple: leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days. This means you have until the Monday after Thanksgiving to eat all those delicious leftovers or place them in the freezer to enjoy later. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within 2-6 months.

USDA recommends using cooked turkey within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. Turkey can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Although safe indefinitely, frozen leftovers can lose moisture and flavor when stored for longer times in the freezer.

A next-day Thanksgiving sandwich tastes better than the freshly served dinner, according to 66 percent of 2,000 U.S. residents surveyed by research group OnePoll in mid-November.

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Turkey: 3-4 days.

Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days. Another option is freezing the cooked turkey. Turkey can last up to four more months if frozen.

How Long Can You Freeze Leftover Turkey? Leftover turkey freezes well for up to six months if properly handled, packed and frozen within three days of the original preparation. However, I like to try and use it within three months for best flavor and texture, and to avoid the possibility of freezer burn.

Like other leftovers, leftover cooked turkey can—and will—go bad. “The texture and smell of turkey will indicate when it has gone bad,” Edwards says. “Generally it will smell bad and get a slimy texture. It's best to throw it away after four days in the fridge or move it to the freezer at that point.”

Is a 3 year old frozen turkey still good? ›

Frozen Turkey

Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

Dressing/stuffing: Like turkey, if stored properly, stuffing or dressing will be safe to eat for three to four days after cooking. It will last for about a month if stored properly in the freezer. Cranberry sauce – homemade and store-bought: Homemade cranberry sauce lasts seven to 10 days.

Which president refused to recognize Thanksgiving? Thomas Jefferson was famously the only Founding Father and early president who refused to declare days of thanksgiving and fasting in the United States.

Fish and Shellfish

Culinary historians believe that much of the Thanksgiving meal consisted of seafood, which is often absent from today's menus.

Turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, to the point that Thanksgiving is sometimes colloquially called "Turkey Day." Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that "no citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day", and Benjamin Franklin had high regard for the wild turkey as an ...

Simply mix the leftover meat with vegetables like peas, carrots, and onions, and top with a pie crust. Transform leftover steak or roast beef into a delicious stir-fry. Cut the meat into thin slices and toss with vegetables, rice, and a flavorful sauce. Turn leftover grilled vegetables into a frittata or quiche.

Get creative in the kitchen. Leftover vegetables are easily combined or baked into new dishes. Reinvent grains and meats into fried rice, hash, scrambles, and soups.