The Best Way to Store and Reheat Thanksgiving Leftovers, According to Food Safety Experts

It’s a universal truth of Thanksgiving dinner: There are bound to be leftovers. 

But these meal remnants have taken on a fandom of their own, with a slew of recipes devoted entirely to making good use of what’s left after the holiday. While you’re probably on top of food safety while cooking Thanksgiving dinner, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just dropped a handy reminder to be safe about food “throughout the entire Thanksgiving process.” Meaning, those beloved leftovers can make you sick, too, if you’re not careful. 

Given how much of a meal Thanksgiving is and the variety of foods featured in it, it’s understandable to have questions about how to safely store the leftovers. With that in mind, we tapped four food safety experts for their advice on how to get the most out of your Thanksgiving leftovers — and how to avoid getting sick in the process. 

Which dishes make the best leftovers?

It’s tempting to toss everything in the fridge and hope for the best, but some dishes are going to make it through better than others if you go this route. The experts we consulted agree that these dishes are the heartiest when it comes to leftovers:

• Turkey
• Stuffing
• Mashed potatoes
• Cranberry sauce
• Vegetable sides
• Gravy

These “typically make excellent leftovers because they store well and can be reheated or repurposed into other meals,” says Darin Detwiler, L.P.D., author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions and a professor at Northeastern University. “Dishes with sauces or gravies retain moisture better when reheated, which improves their texture and flavor,” he adds. 

What’s the best way to store leftovers?

Before we dive into that, it’s important to point out that food that’s been hanging on the table or counter at room temperature for more than two hours should be tossed, per the USDA. Otherwise you run the risk of bacterial growth, which can make you sick. 

But if everything checks out, you can go ahead and store those leftovers in the fridge. Airtight containers or zippered bags are a good option for leftovers, says Christine Venema, a food safety educator at Michigan State University Extension.

Food safety expert Ellen Shumaker, Ph.D., director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University, also recommends that you avoid crowding or stacking dishes in the fridge if you can. Otherwise, there can be issues with everything getting and staying cold enough. “Ready-to-eat foods — foods that don’t need to be cooked before being eaten — such as cut fruits or vegetables, charcuterie meat, cheeses, etc., should be stored on the top shelf to prevent cross-contamination,” Shumaker says. 

Detwiler says cranberry sauce does well in an airtight container in the fridge. “It holds well due to its high acidity, which helps inhibit bacterial growth,” he says. Detwiler also recommends refrigerating vegetables and starchy sides like mashed potatoes or stuffing in small, shallow containers to allow for faster cooling. “This prevents bacteria from multiplying during the cooling process,” he explains. 

How long do leftovers last in the fridge?

It’s important to check leftovers for signs of spoilage, regardless of when you dive into them. But, in general, leftovers can be stored for three to four days before you toss or freeze them, says Janet Buffer, M.P.H., senior institute manager for the Institute for Food Safety and Nutrition Security at George Washington University. The only exception to this is cranberry sauce, which may last for one to two weeks, Venema says. 

Be strategic about reheating.

If you have leftovers after reheating your food, it’s tempting to toss them back in the fridge to reheat again later. But for food safety and food quality, it’s best to only reheat foods once. “Repeated reheating increases the risk of bacterial growth,” Detwiler says. 

To help you get the most mileage out of your leftovers, Shumaker suggests only reheating the amount you need at any given meal. Any remaining food from your reheated leftovers should be dumped in the trash. 

How to tell if your food has gone bad

There’s unfortunately no way to tell if your food is contaminated with bacteria by eyeballing or sampling it. “You cannot see, taste, or smell a pathogenic organism or toxins in food,” Buffer says. “This is why following food safety guidance is important.” 

But spoilage — which means the quality of the food is going downhill — is a different story. “You will know if a product is spoiling because you will see changes in the appearance,” Buffer says. That includes sliminess, off or unpleasant odors, and possible color changes. 

By the way, if there is mold on your cranberry sauce (or any other food), don’t eat it — and don’t try to eat around it. “The fuzzy part of the mold fungi is the flower of the plant,” Venema says. “The rest of the plant is buried at least one inch into the food.”

Some stuff can be frozen for later

If you know there’s no way you’ll work your way through all your leftovers in time, consider freezing some of them. “If the leftovers are going to be frozen, they should be stored in moisture/vapor-proof containers and freezer bags,” Venema says. “If using freezer bags, all the air needs to be squeezed out.”

Consider these hacks from Detwiler when freezing certain foods:

• Turkey: Freeze this in small portions with gravy to maintain moisture. It can be stored for up to four months.
• Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy: Store these in airtight containers. They can be frozen for up to three to four months. 

Cranberry sauce, unfortunately, doesn’t thaw well. “It becomes very watery,” Venema says. But overall, if you follow general food safety guidelines, you can enjoy those leftover sandwiches through past the holiday weekend.