How to Cook Leftover Turkey

• Also try: How to Store Leftover Turkey
• Also try: Mahalo's Guide to Thanksgiving Leftovers
• Also try: How to Prepare Thanksgiving Leftovers
• Also try: Mahalo's Guide to Turkey

Introduction

• You chose the perfect turkey, cooked it to perfection, then had it as your centerpiece of a perfect meal. Now it's the day after Thanksgiving, and you have enough leftovers on hand to eat turkey sandwiches every day until Christmas. Don't worry; there's more than one way to cook leftover turkey!

Step 1: Storage

• The most important part of cooking leftovers is making sure they're safe to eat!

1. You need to refrigerate or freeze cooked turkey within two hours of taking it from the oven.
   • Do this within one hour if the temperature is above 90°F.
2. Make sure your refrigerator's temperature is between 34-40°F, so the turkey stays below 40°F.
   • You should eat refrigerated leftovers within four days.
   • 

     (Creative Commons photo by John Verive)
3. If you don't think you can eat the turkey within four days, freeze it instead of refrigerating. Frozen turkey stays good to eat for four months.
4. Make sure your freezer's temperature is 0°F or below. This ensures it's cold enough to properly preserve your turkey!
5. Carve your turkey before refrigerating or freezing it. You want to remove all meat from the bones. An uncarved turkey won't chill quickly enough.
   • Remove any leftover stuffing from the turkey, and refrigerate it separately. You should eat leftover stuffing within two days!
   • If you have a lot of leftover turkey, start carving it up after it's been out of the oven for an hour and a half. That way you can safely get it into the fridge within two hours.
   • If you know how you're going to use the turkey, carve accordingly: slices for sandwiches, diced turkey for soup, etc. This will save you a step when you go to use the turkey later!
   • You can also refrigerate or freeze the bones to make stock later.
6. Place your leftovers in 2 inch deep containers or plastic bags. The shallower container allows the turkey to cool faster, preventing bacterial growth.
   • If you're placing the turkey in the freezer, wrap it in freezer paper, aluminum foil or other freezer-safe packaging to prevent freezer burn.
7. You may want to coat the turkey with chicken broth, so it doesn't dry out in the refrigerator.
   • Be aware that doing so reduces the time it will keep to two days, instead of four.
8. Place containers in the refrigerator or freezer, with space around them so the cold air can circulate.

Step 2: Prepare Your Turkey

• There are many versatile ways to use your leftover turkey. We've included some great recipes below. Choose whatever appeals to you, but remember:

1. Be smart: if you're eating leftovers to be frugal, don't use a recipe that requires you buy 10 new ingredients.
2. If you're getting tired of turkey, have a second Thanksgiving dinner. Invite friends and family you didn't get to see on the official holiday, and let them help you polish off your turkey.

Cold Turkey

• The easiest thing to do is to eat your turkey straight from the refrigerator! Or take the easy additional step of putting your turkey in a sandwich or salad.

(Creative Commons photo by Jeremy Keith)

1. Make sure you consume your turkey within a few hours of taking it from the refrigerator; when its temperature is above 40°F for an extended amount of time, bacteria can grow.
2. You can take turkey slices straight from the freezer to make turkey sandwiches. If you make them in the morning, the turkey will have thawed enough by lunchtime!
   • Keep them in the refrigerator while thawing; you still want the meat to stay under 40°F.

Re-Heating

• If you're re-heating your turkey, make sure you do it thoroughly!

1. If you're using the oven, heat it to at least 325°F so the turkey can heat quickly.
2. If you're using a microwave, rotate your plate so the turkey re-heats evenly.
3. You may wish to add broth or water for moister turkey.
4. Use a food thermometer to make sure the turkey reaches at least 165°F.

Recipes for Leftover Turkey

• • Mahalo's Guide to Turkey
• EatTurkey.com: Recipe Search
  • This site has over 800 turkey recipes; enter a favorite dish and see what tips they have!

• Mr.Breakfast.com: Thanksgiving Breakfast - Turkey Leftovers
  • Mr. Breakfast has recipes for turkey muffins, breakfast pizza, and a turkey frittata.

• Recipezaar: Thanksgiving: The Leftovers 
• University of Illinois Extension: Turkey for the Holidays: Leftovers
• WallStreetJournal.com: Cold Turkey and "Hot Brown" Recipe (November 17, 2007)
  • Scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe.
• Food Network: Thanksgiving Leftovers Shepherd's Pie 
• Simply Recipes: Turkey Leftovers
• AllRecipes: Turkey Potato Tetrazzini
• Dummies.com: Quick and Simple Recipes for Leftover Turkey:Dummies
• AllRecipes: Turkey Leftovers Recipes
• iVillage: Top 12 Recipes for Leftover Turkey
• About.com: Leftover Turkey Recipe 
• AllRecipes: Annie's Turkey Salad
• New York Times: "Leftover Turkey, In Disguise" (November 19, 1989)

Resources for How to Cook Leftover Turkey

• Mayo Clinic: Food safety: How long can you keep leftovers?
• WebMD: Safeguard Your Thanksgiving Leftovers
• Health.com: Safe Food Storage and Preparation (November, 2005)
• WeightWatchers: Safe Thanksgiving Storage
• University of Minnesota Extension: Tips for Storing and Reheating Thanksgiving Leftovers
• USDA: Let's Talk Turkey
• PreparedPantry.com: How to store leftover turkey
• University of Arizona: Storing Leftover Turkey
• Colorado State University Extension: Tips for safe and tasty turkey leftovers

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