The lowdown on Thanksgiving leftovers

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I certainly hope most of you have your turkeys safely thawing in the refrigerator by now — or tomorrow at the latest.

I don’t know about you, but in our house there are always plenty of leftovers. It is important to have a plan. So today we’re going to tackle the topic that will be on many of your minds come Thursday afternoon: “What am I going to do with all of this leftover turkey?”

First things first, leftovers need to be treated with the same care you used on the raw bird to ensure safety for future meals. Try to use refrigerated leftovers within three to four days, and if you don’t think you will be able to use everything in that time frame, freeze it right away. Here are some reminders — let’s tackle what’s left on that turkey carcass:

—Store leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours from the time cooking is completed.

—Divide large quantities into smaller portions and store in several shallow containers. Food in small amounts will chill faster, keeping it safer and fresher.

—Store turkey and stuffing separately. Completely remove all stuffing from the turkey and wrap and refrigerate in separate containers.

—Remove all turkey from breast, legs and thighs. Save the bones. Wrap well and refrigerate up to four days.

—To get every bit of flavor out of your turkey, cut turkey carcass into pieces that will fit in a stock pot and simmer with water or chicken broth. Strain and use later for soup.

I’ve scoured my resources and have compiled a respectable list of options for the turkey that remains. Just remember anything you can make with chicken, you also can make with turkey. Now let’s turn those leftovers into something yummy:

—Layer turkey slices and your favorite cheese between slices of chewy bread and grill. Serve with leftover cranberry sauce.

—Toss cubes of turkey with hot cooked pasta and cheese sauce and garnish with parsley for instant turkey Alfredo.

—Toss turkey into chili, soups or stews.

—Top baked potatoes with cubed turkey.

—Create a casserole by stirring together gravy, vegetables and leftover turkey. Top with mashed potatoes or biscuits and bake until lightly browned.

—Have turkey for breakfast by heating the turkey with gravy and serving over reheated biscuits or rolls.

—Make an omelet with bits of leftover turkey and serve with leftover rolls.

—Turkey noodle soup.

—Turkey tetrazzini.

—Turkey pot pie.

—Barbecue shredded turkey sandwiches.

—Chopped turkey on a green salad.

—Turkey salad on leftover dinner rolls.

—White turkey chili.

—Turkey and rice soup or casserole.

I wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. Just in case anyone needs help on the big day, here are a few more resources:

—USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 1-888-674-6854. The hotline is open year round Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (English or Spanish) and is staffed by food safety specialists with backgrounds in home economics, nutrition and food technology. Recorded food safety messages are available 24 hours a day. Check out the FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov.

—Butterball Turkey Talk-Line at 1-800-BUTTERBALL. Text 844-877-3456 or live chat from www.butterball.com to speak with a turkey expert.

Kate Shumaker is an OSU Extension family and consumer sciences educator and may be called at 330-674-3015. Like and follow on Facebook @OSUEXTHolmes or visithttps://holmes.osu.edu.