Thanksgiving is a time to come together with friends or family to celebrate community. Breaking bread together means so much more than feeding one’s body. Sharing a meal together feeds a person’s soul. I encourage all of you to indulge in the feast that is thanksgiving. Do not be anxious about all the food on your plate. You have one day out of the year to eat all the freshly roasted turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and stuffing! A more challenging decision to make is what to do with all the leftovers.
First things first, storage. You need to ensure all your yummy leftovers are properly sealed in containers or with plastic wrap. This will keep the flavors from blending with each other in the fridge and ensure the quality of the food lasts as long as possible. The best thing about Thanksgiving leftovers is that you have basically meal prepped for the next three of four days. If you want to make them last longer, put the food in the freezer to prevent it from going bad, just be sure it is sealed tight. For larger items like casserole, consider freezing half of the dish for later and eating the other half in the days following thanksgiving.. For specific times and temperatures of storage for foods, consult this infographic:
Once your dishes are properly stored, the days that follow will be blissfully eating stuffing, yams and dinner rolls. There’s no right or wrong way to eat leftovers. Classically taking a serving from each dish and warming it will do. However, I encourage you to be adventurous in your post-thanksgiving creations! The more you can create new tasting dishes from your leftovers, the more likely you will be able to finish the food before it goes bad. If you need an idea to start here is a thanksgiving leftover sandwich. I recommend pairing it with a light side like fresh apple slices or a side salad with dried cranberries.
Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
4 slices sourdough, toasted
2 c. leftover roasted turkey
1/2 leftover mashed potatoes
1/2 c. cranberry sauce
1/2 c. leftover stuffing
1/4 c. gravy, warmed
1/4 c. baby spinach, packed
DIRECTIONS
- In a small bowl, mix together mayo and mustard. Spread one side of two pieces of bread with Dijonnaise mixture. This is your base for both sandwiches.
- Top each of the two slices of bread with 1 cup of turkey, ¼ cup of mashed potatoes, 2 tablespoons cranberry sauce, ¼ cup of stuffing, and then 2 tablespoons of gravy and spinach.
- Place second pieces of bread on top to complete sandwiches. Slice in half and serve.
Photo credits:
1.https://www.lakeelmoinn.com/events-specials/thanksgiving-meal-pick-up/
2.https://www.foodnetwork.com/thanksgiving/leftovers/best-thanksgiving-leftover-recipes
3.https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2019/11/22/how-to-use-thanksgiving-leftovers/
4.https://www.partselect.com/JustForFun/Dont-Spoil-Thanksgiving-Infographic.aspx
