There’s just no way around it — holiday meals result in holiday leftovers. Today we know much more than years ago about keeping food safe for round two. Don’t waste those good eats — be creative and use them in new recipes. But be safe first.
Refrigerate leftover foods quickly. A general rule is refrigerating after two hours. Keep the refrigerator set below 40 degrees and avoid overloading.
Use this guide for keeping holiday leftovers safe in the refrigerator: Vegetables, pasta, sliced ham, beef, poultry, pork, fish, soups, stews and casseroles will keep three to four days; gravy and stuffing will keep one to two days; seafood, two days; deli-counter meats, five days; rice, seven days.
With leftover bread, try these simple solutions. Leftover yeast breads and quick breads (like banana or pumpkin) make delicious French toast the next morning. Top with fresh fruit or fruit compote, made from leftover fruit. To make the fruit topping, warm fruit and juice on top of the stove. Thicken slightly with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts water and cornstarch).
Stale, crusty bread and rolls can be cubed and used in your favorite bread pudding recipe. Serve warm with a caramel topping.
Quiche is a creative use of leftover veggies. Fill an empty pie shell with finely-chopped vegetable leftovers, shredded cheese and diced ham. Beat together three eggs, 1 cup evaporated skim milk, and a dash of salt and pepper. Pour mixture over the veggies and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F, until filling is set.
Try these options for leftover meats. Slice leftover turkey, adding some buffalo sauce and canned lettuce, tomato and blue cheese. Wrap mixture in soft tortillas. These are tasty buffalo turkey wraps.
Serve a turkey fajita. Stir-fry leftover sliced turkey, fajita seasoning, onions and peppers until warm. Serve in warm tortillas. Top with salsa and sour cream.
A stir-fry dish is a tasty combination of leftover veggies and turkey. Sauté vegetables and chopped turkey. Add a little soy sauce, orange juice and ginger. Serve over quick-cooking rice.
Holiday Leftover Vegetable Beef Soup
2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 pounds leftover cooked meat (beef, turkey, chicken, ham or sausage)
64 ounces beef stock or broth, or chicken broth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Italian seasoning, to taste
Ketchup, to taste
2 cups cooked green beans (or any vegetables on hand or in the fridge)
2 cups cooked green peas
2 cups cooked corn
2 cups cooked carrots (use the carrot sticks from the party trays, cook and chop into pieces)
2 cups of cooked diced potatoes
Cherry tomatoes and chopped green or bell pepper if desired (party tray leftovers)
1 (32-ounce) can vegetable juice or tomato juice
1 packet instant au jus or instant onion soup
In a large pot, cook onions, celery and garlic in butter or oil until onions are golden.
Stir in the chopped cooked meat. Add the broth, vegetable juice and the Worcestershire, stirring to mix, and seasoning to taste with Italian seasoning and ketchup (how much you add will depend on how seasoned the meat and broth already are, so be careful here).
Once the soup base is set, add the vegetables one by one. Add the au jus or instant onion soup and additional water or beef broth if needed. Let the soup simmer on the stove for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
Cool, divide into cartons and containers and freeze until needed (omit potatoes if planning to freeze; they get mushy).
Serve with hot buttered cornbread.
Tammy Kelly is director, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or Tammy_Kelly@ncsu.edu.