Ideas for Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

But don’t forget to put your leftovers away. I will eat the Thanksgiving leftovers until they are all gone and then I cry for more.

“They really should not stay out for more than two hours…The old idea of just leaving it out half a day and everybody coming back and munching on it, not a good idea”, Craig Corwin with the Jefferson County Health Department said.

Leftovers are fine for three to four days in the refrigerator, but choose shallow containers, two inches or less in height. Most of your meats, your potatoes and your pies can survive in the fridge for that length of time. It is also nice if you have throw away utensils packets (available at Walmart) to give to guests for their take home food, especially if they are staying in a hotel or have a long drive in front of them so they can enjoy the food at their leisure without having to hunt down knives, folks and spoons.

This soup has the creaminess you love without all the extra calories. Try Martha Stewart’s Simplest Turkey Soupwith carrots, wide egg noodles, and shredded turkey, or spice things up and try this recipe for Southwest Turkey Soup. “We save everything forever”. “Or you could do a crab cake with [the turkey and mashed potatoes]”.

A salad is always better for you than a sandwich, right? “It doesn’t go to waste”, Jim Torpie said.

But don’t think that you’re doomed to eat endless iterations of turkey and gravy sandwiches and cold cranberry sauce (unless, of course, that’s your jam, in which case, bon appetite!).

Turkey, in particular, should be carved off the bones and cut into small pieces before storage.

And some items, including pies, may have a change in texture after a few days, but that shouldn’t affect the taste.

Get your layers rightYou can’t just throw whatever you want between two slices of bread and call it a day. Although, depending on your guests, these tips may be moot because there may not be any leftovers to save.