Turkey Leftovers

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday! If you have lots of leftover turkey, check out this great article from About.com with the top ten recipes for using up the rest of the bird.

http://southernfood.about.com/od/turkeyrecipes/tp/topturkey.htm

A few tips about food safety:

1. Don't continue to heat and reheat leftovers. The more often they end up in the "danger zone" (between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit) the more likely it is that bacteria will grow and cause some type of food poisoning. Only heat up the portion you will be using at that meal (that goes for turkey, stuffing, potatoes--the works!) and keep the rest refrigerated.

2. Don't leave food at room temperature for more than two hours. Either keep it hot in the oven warmer (above 140 degrees) or let it cool slightly and put it back in the refrigerator.

3. Foods like turkey and the accompaniments only stay safe in the refrigerator for five to seven days. If you know you won't be able to eat it all by next Thursday, portion it into meal-sized servings and place it in labeled containers (contents and date) to freeze. It can stay in the freezer for at least six months. When you're ready for a repeat, either defrost in the fridge for a day or two, or microwave on medium for several minutes before heating it up to eat.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving leftover foods safely, and enjoy the memories of the day :)