Time is winding down for your healthy party. What last minute details
can make this party be a success? One detail to not forget is leftovers.
How should you handle the extra food after the party? Be careful with
leftovers hanging out after the party -- they can catch you off guard.
If you want to put these leftovers to good use over the next few days or
weeks, you must handle them carefully. Immediately remove the stuffing
from the turkey and refrigerate it separately to be eaten in a couple
days. Turkey should be refrigerated or frozen within two hours after
roasting. Wrap the turkey as airtight as possible in aluminum foil and
refrigerate. Turkey dries out fast, so remove the meat from the bones
within a day or two and cut into slices or cubes for freezing. Store the
meat in zipper bags (with all air forced out before sealing) in one- or
two-cup portions for easier thawing and use. For the best quality and
flavor, freeze for no more than two months.
One of the most popular ways to use up leftovers is to toss them into a
casserole or a pot pie. These dishes are so flexible, you can put almost
anything into them and they'll taste great. Any manner of leftover rice,
potato, or noodle, plus any bits of meat that need to be used up, plus
any assortment of vegetables -- fresh or leftover -- equals one very
tasty meal. Just cut all your ingredients into manageable bite-size
pieces and mix them together with something that will moisten them and
bind them together.
Soup is another one of those dishes that just loves leftovers. Once you
start with a base of broth or crushed tomatoes, just keep on adding the
contents of your refrigerator -- a little cupful of rice, last night's
mashed potatoes, that lone carrot, the remains of a ham that's not quite
enough for tomorrow's sandwiches, and so on -- until you've got enough
soup for a meal.
Not interested in keeping leftovers you can always send a plate home
with all of your guests from the party.