Countdown to Turkey Day: Getting Ready for Leftovers

Hello!

We are one week into Countdown to Turkey Day, and if you want to see what we have covered so far, you’ll want to jump to the bottom of the post to play catch-up.

When you ask someone who isn’t in charge of cleaning out the refrigerator regularly about their favorite part of Thanksgiving, it’s common to get “LEFTOVERS!” as an enthusiastic response.

And as someone who, for no good reason, only makes andouille cornbread dressing twice a year, I get pretty excited about Thanksgiving leftovers myself. What I do not look forward to:

• Figuring out who has my storage containers two weeks later
• Deciding at the moment what to do, as I’m full and want to enjoy a break after that cooking session
• Delegating
• Hunting down where someone hid the foil or plastic wrap
• Looking for lids
• Looking for the right lid
• WHY DON’T WE EVER HAVE MATCHING LIDS?!

Let’s reduce our frustration with Thanksgiving leftovers

Once again, we are going to solve the problem before it happens.

Today, open wherever you hide your storage containers and take stock of your situation. Do you have containers with lids that fit? Yes, they absolutely can be whipped topping containers, sour cream, or yogurt. We are all about that reduce, reuse, and recycle life, with a heavy emphasis on the first two.

That said, did you know you can get quart-size and pint-size containers just like you get from Chinese takeout on Amazon? I love these. They are amazing for collard greens, mashed potatoes, gravy, macaroni and cheese—for you Midwesterners, all those salads that aren’t really salads—and even my mother’s favorite Waldorf salad. (Still don’t like it, sorry, Mom)

Do you have teenagers that will scavenge all the best bits and leave you with a quart of mashed potatoes and no gravy? Pre-plate their leftovers in meal-prep containers. This is also an easy way to send leftovers home with others who might want some for later.

While you are checking on your storage container situation, check to see if you have any gallon zippered freezer bags. I tend to go name-brand on these, as I have found over the years the generic ones seem (maybe I’m wrong) to have more pinholes, and I find that frustrating when I’m freezing my stocks and soup flat. (We’ll be covering stock-making tomorrow, by the way.)

Also, check on your stash of:

• plastic wrap
• foil
• wax paper
• parchment paper
• storage and freezer bags

Previously in the Countdown

Is your table still clear? Are you sure? See you tomorrow!