Leftover Holiday Turkey & Ham Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long is leftover ham and turkey good for in the fridge? ›

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.

How long do the turkey and trimmings stay safe in the refrigerator or freezer? 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.

Leftovers stored in the fridge should be eaten within three days. When freezing Christmas meats or stuffing, wrap them in heavy freezer wrap and put them in a container suitable for your freezer. Cooked meat will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Overall, turkey is recommended over ham for nutrition. However, this is based on sodium content. Ham is very high in sodium, but it is rich in zinc, potassium, and iron. Ham has been used for generations to add salt and flavor to other dishes.

Frozen Turkey

Turkeys can be kept in the freezer indefinitely. However, cook turkeys within 1 year for the best quality.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ham is good for three to five days in the refrigerator after it is cooked.

Cooked turkey and other leftovers can be kept in the fridge safely for about three to four days, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and FoodSafety.gov say. But after that time, "the risk of food poisoning goes up," the Mayo Clinic notes, pointing to the growth of bacteria in refrigerated leftovers.

As a general guideline, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends eating or freezing turkey and other leftovers within three to four days. For Thanksgiving, that means you should eat or freeze by Monday.

Turkey typically lasts up to four days in the fridge before it goes bad. It can be stored in the freezer for up to four months before it starts to lose its flavor and texture. The USDA offers the following tips for storing and handling your turkey leftovers.

Simply heat your oven to 300 degrees, put the carved meat in a baking dish, and add some chicken broth or turkey stock to the pan. The meat will absorb some of the liquid as it heats, making it nice and juicy. Cover the pan tightly with foil and place it in the oven until the meat is hot, 20 to 30 minutes.

How do you freeze cooked turkey so it stays moist? ›

Freeze: Turkey Meat

Just remove the meat from the bones first. Slicing the meat will also help it to defrost evenly. If you can, pour a bit of gravy over the meat before freezing; it'll add moisture. You can eat the turkey with gravy as usual, but leftover turkey is quite versatile.

What's the better sandwich option: peanut butter and jelly or turkey and cheese? A: Peanut butter and jelly. Processed ingredients in the turkey sandwich have more sodium and saturated fat. Plus, most nut butters have a good amount of protein plus some fiber to keep you fuller longer.

Healthiest: Skinless Turkey Meat

An excellent source of niacin and vitamin B6, skinless turkey, is one of the best lean proteins to add to your meals. The nutrients found in skinless turkey meat can help support heart health, energy levels, brain function, digestion, and other bodily processes.

Fresh chicken, turkey, beef, pork and fish that have not been modified are considered unprocessed meats.

Those popular spiral-cut hams or any store-wrapped cooked ham will last three to four days in the fridge. Cooked country hams will last a bit longer, up to a week. Do: Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil before refrigerating. If you choose to freeze, it will be good for one to two months.

The best way to determine how long your ham will keep in the refrigerator is to check the packaging and throw it away if it is past the expiration date. Once the packaging or wrap on your ham is open, you should consume it within five days.

Whole cured hams last in the refrigerator for up to a week. However, fresh ham only lasts a few days in the refrigerator, about three or four once you've cooked it.

USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. There are two different families of bacteria: pathogenic bacteria, the kind that cause foodborne illness, and spoilage bacteria, the kind of bacteria that cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.