Happy oh-good-lord-I-ate-too-much post-Thanksgiving season! I hope everyone had a wonderful day and can still move. There was a minute there when I thought I was going to have to sleep at the table, but I did manage to get up. Barely.
Me, I’m a purist when it comes to Thanksgiving leftovers: I most emphatically do not get sick of making plates that look exactly like what we ate on the holiday (albeit smaller-portioned) for a week afterward. I love Thanksgiving foods! But 1) my family gets sick of it faster than I do, and 2) I cannot bear to throw away the turkey bones. So that means there’s some post-Thanksgiving work to be done, and other yummy dishes to be made.
Michael Ruhlman’s Fool-Proof Oven Turkey Stock
I’m the person who blinks at you rapidly if you tell me that you don’t “know how” to make soup. Making soup is easy. But if you’ve never done it, I can see where it would be daunting, especially if you’re facing down a sizable turkey carcass. And if you check out conventional stock-making methods, many of them call for skimming the surface of a roiling pot, which is a hot, messy task even if you know what you’re doing. But Michael Ruhlman’s oven method couldn’t be easier. Allow me to summarize:
1) Break up the carcass some with your hands, put it into a big pot.
2) Put pot in oven at 200 degrees for 8-16 hours.
3) Enjoy while your house starts to smell amazing.
Okay, yes, there are a few other steps, but only a few. Ever since I tried these directions a few years ago, I’ve never gone back to making turkey stock soup on the stove top. It’s not only easy, the resultant stock is rich and flavorful. Most of it gets frozen (no need to buy stock at the store for months!), but then the second thing I make is…
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Leftover Turkey And Sweet Potato Soup
Granted, I’m a huge fan of soups in general (does anything else warm you up the same way on a cold day?), but this is one of my favorites. Kalyn’s recipe is perfection for Thanksgiving leftovers; you’ll use your freshly-made stock, some of the turkey meat, and if you did a simple sweet potato preparation you can use those leftovers as well. (If you’re a casserole or marshmallow type, well, go root around in the pantry and see if a couple of sweet potatoes rolled away and escaped while you were cooking the big meal.) The addition of black beans and lime both rounds out the flavors and makes it different enough that no one will feel like they’re eating turkey for the millionth time in a row. This one freezes well, too—there’s no noodles or delicate veggies to get soggy—so if you want to make a double batch and freeze some, go ahead.
Finally, the last thing I want to do the morning after my three-day-cook-a-thon is make something fussy for breakfast, but I get my second wind by Sunday and find myself determined to enjoy some leftovers with a runny egg atop for brunch. Yum! I’ve tried a variety of “Thanksgiving Hash” recipes and my hands-down favorite is…
Alton Brown’s Turkey Re-Hash
Don’t be frightened by the review who claimed this was too dry; I suspect either their corn pudding was dry or that they didn’t do the soft egg on top (which, in my opinion, is the ultimate key to a good hash, anyway; without the egg, what’s the point?). Brown’s recipe does call for his corn pudding—which is very good—but if you make any sort of sweet-leaning cornbread dressing with your turkey I think that would work just fine. I do a caramelized onion and apples cornbread stuffing and it’s delicious in this recipe in place of the pudding.
This hash reminds me of huevos rancheros, for some reason. I don’t know if it’s the jalapenos or the beans (or both), but I wouldn’t judge you if you put some salsa on it. And I could be wrong, but I don’t think Alton Brown would, either. He seems like he would be flexible that way.
What’s on tap for the Thanksgiving leftovers at your house? Got any favorite recipes I should try? One of these years I’m going to try explaining to my husband that four people do not need a 20-pound turkey.
Check out Thanksgiving Food Ideas on Alphamom:
- Teach Kids how to Cook Delicious Carrots
- Best Apple Cupcakes (with Cinnamon Frosting)
- Rice Krispy Turkeys You’ll Gobble Up
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FAQs
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, ...
When should you throw out Thanksgiving leftovers? ›
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.
How do you deal with leftovers on Thanksgiving? ›
10 ways to use Thanksgiving leftovers (besides just reheating them)
- Roasted turkey and vegetable salads. ...
- Turkey tacos. ...
- Potato pancakes. ...
- Make a turkey pot pie. ...
- Turkey pizza. ...
- Turkey soup. ...
- Turkey grilled cheese. ...
- Turn stuffing into muffins.
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.
What is the day after Thanksgiving usually called? ›
According to Britannica and numerous other outlets, the term 'Black Friday' was first associated with the day after Thanksgiving in the 1960s in Philadelphia. Police used the term to describe the scene as large numbers of suburban tourists came into the city to begin their holiday shopping.
What foods make great leftovers? ›
- Meatloaf. Though meatloaf is often restricted to the weeknight dinner table, it is a powerhouse leftover. ...
- Lasagna. Sure, there's nothing better than lasagna coming out of the oven hot with bubbling cheese. ...
- Pulled Pork. ...
- Beef Stew. ...
- Chili. ...
- Frittatas, Quiches and Tarts.
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.
Can you eat turkey 5 days after Thanksgiving? ›
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.
Can I eat Thanksgiving leftovers after a week? ›
“Leftovers from the refrigerator should be eaten within three to four days,” Wade Syers, DSocSci, extension specialist for food safety at Michigan State University, told Health. Freezing leftovers can make them last a bit longer—they keep for as many as three to four months, but not all foods freeze well.
What percentage of people prefer Thanksgiving leftovers? ›
Apparently I'm in the minority, as this poll reported that 80 percent of Americans prefer the leftover version.
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.
What are the symptoms of food poisoning on Thanksgiving Day? ›
Symptoms of food poisoning often include diarrhea, vomiting, upset stomach, or nausea. Call your healthcare provider if you have severe symptoms such as: Diarrhea and a fever higher than 102°F. Diarrhea for more than three days that is not improving.
Why can't you refrigerate uncooked stuffing? ›
USDA recommends that you never refrigerate uncooked stuffing. Why? Remember, stuffing can harbor bacteria, and though bacteria grow slower in the refrigerator they can cause problems because stuffing is a good medium for bacteria growth, therefore a higher risk food in terms of cooking safely.
How long is leftover lasagna good for? ›
Cooked lasagna lasts 3 to 5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. Now you can go ahead and whip up a double batch of our top lasagna recipes. Enjoy those leftovers!
Can you leave cornbread dressing out overnight? ›
Once the cornbread was done, I let it cool and then crumbled it into a large bowl. I cubed the bread slices, and mixed that in along with the spices and salt. This mixture sat out overnight on the counter to go slightly stale. Making your cornbread and bread stale helps it absorb more liquid the next day when you bake.
What are 4 other traditional Thanksgiving foods? ›
The classic Thanksgiving dinner includes old-time favorites that never change: turkey, gravy, stuffing, potatoes, veggies, and pie. But the way these dishes are made or added to is everchanging because of food trends and different dietary requirements.
What are 3 foods that are eaten on Thanksgiving? ›
Millions of people across the United States will sit down to a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including turkey, potatoes, squash, corn, and cranberries.
Are the leftovers the best part of Thanksgiving? ›
Out of 2,000 U.S. residents surveyed who celebrate Thanksgiving, 70% said they believe leftovers taste better than their original meal served on Thanksgiving day, according to survey results from Stasher. More than half of the same participants said their Thanksgiving holiday would be ruined if there were no leftovers.
Why are Thanksgiving leftovers better? ›
On Thanksgiving Day, there are a lot of aromas happening because there's a lot of cooking going on, but when you're heating leftovers, it's only what you're heating. And that is pretty concentrated, it's nostalgic and it takes you back to a lovely place and the food usually delivers.
