Don't throw away those Thanksgiving leftovers! Registered dietitian and Eastern Michigan University professor Heather Hutchins-Wiese offered a few tips on what to do with holiday meal leftovers. Hutchins-Wiese, who earned her doctorate degree at Purdue University, is a co-director of dietetics and human nutrition in EMU's School of Health Sciences.
According to Hutchins-Wiese, there are many ways to repurpose food after the holidays. The most important thing is to be mindful of food safety.
Helpful Tips:
- After finishing Thanksgiving dinner, make sure the leftovers are not left out for more than two hours.
- Keep leftovers in airtight containers. If leftovers remain exposed in the refrigerator, they could dry out.
- Freeze them! Freezing leftovers on their own works well, but transforming them into a new meal is even better. Hutchins-Wiese said this is a great way to keep leftovers fresher for longer while also retaining moisture.
- Eat the sides first.
- Eat leftovers within three to five days. After that, leftovers should be composted or stored in the freezer for a couple of months. The last alternative is to throw them out.
- Once leftovers are thawed, they cannot go back into the freezer.
Hutchins-Wiese also shared some of her favorite ways to repurpose Thanksgiving leftovers.
For comfort: Turkey pot pie
Pot pies are many people’s go-to comfort food. Turn leftover turkey into a savory pie using a simple recipe. Try one of grandma's tried-and-true recipes, or consider this one from Hutchins-Wiese.
She uses leftover turkey, a bag of frozen mixed vegetables or leftover vegetables, and leftover gravy. She said the pie can be personalized based on individual preferences.
Many of the recipes that can be found online recommend using a pre-prepared crust to save time. Several also include other ingredients, such a cream or a splash of white wine. The Leftover Turkey Pot Pie recipe from The Pioneer Woman is one delicious example. The Turkey Pot Pie recipe from Delish is another scrumptious option.
For many uses: Turkey stock
Another recipe Hutchins-Wiese uses is from TheKitchn.com, an independently owned cooking and recipe website. This recipe requires only a few ingredients: a cooked turkey carcass, vegetables (a mix of onions, celery, and carrots) and optionally, whole black peppercorns and fresh parsley or thyme.
Throw everything into a stockpot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 3-3 ½ hours. Once it is done cooking, pour the stock through a strainer into a bowl or container.
The stock can then be frozen if desired. Hutchin-Wiese recommends freezing the stock in ice cube trays or in two-cup amounts so it is not frozen in one big chunk. Freezing it in smaller amounts also means that it is already measured for later use.
On TheKitchn website, culinary expert Megan Splawn said turkey stock freezes well and can be used in a wide range of other recipes. Splawn is a former food editor for TheKitchn and currently co-hosts the podcast "Didn't I Just Feed You." Splawn's recommended stock recipe is The Best Homemade Turkey Stock.
For a quick meal: Turkey sandwiches
Turkey sandwiches are completely customizable. Turkey inside leftover dinner rolls makes a quick and filling meal, and leftover sides can be a delicious addition.
Hutchins-Wiese also recommended finding more helpful tips on the website of Make Food Not Waste, a Detroit-area nonprofit founded in 2017 with the mission of preventing food waste.
Thanksgiving leftovers may not look like much, but with these helpful tips, it is possible to safely enjoy them days or even weeks after the holiday. Whether leftovers become a comforting turkey pot pie, some versatile turkey stock, or a good old turkey sandwich, they may just make for a delicious meal this season.
