Leftover Turkey Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How long does leftover cooked turkey last 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.

In addition to gravy, you can also save dry turkey with a little chicken (or even better, turkey) stock or broth. Place your carved meat in a shallow baking dish and cover it with stock.

Safe Food Storage Times

According to the USDA, cooked turkey, gravy, and leftovers can be safely refrigerated for up to 4 days and frozen for 3 to 4 months.

The best way to reheat turkey is in a 350°F oven.

Place the turkey pieces in a baking dish and drizzle with a few tablespoons of stock and/or butter. Cover the dish with foil and heat in the oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.

Storing Leftover Turkey

Use refrigerated turkey and stuffing within 3 to 4 days. Use gravy within 1 to 2 days.

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.

The flavor compounds – the herbs, the spices, the reactions that take place during cooking, sort of cool back and depending on how you have cooled and refrigerated your food, actually get back into the food and get trapped into the starches and the proteins.

Remember, every time they're removed from the refrigerator, it gives pathogens an opportunity to grow. Your leftover turkey sandwich is fine cold, if you cooked it properly the first time.

If you use fully cooked ingredients in a casserole, they may turn mushy. Save yourself from a goopy mess, and stop the cooking process just a few minutes early. Meat is one exception to this rule. Thoroughly cook any meat for a casserole you intend to freeze before adding it to the other ingredients.

It's not a good idea to reheat turkey more than once. Technically, as long as it reaches 165° each time, it's safe to eat. That said, it's a food safety hazard to some degree, since every time you heat and cool food, it passes through the danger zone (between 40° and 140°).

Can you freeze a casserole in an aluminum foil pan? ›

Foil pans work well for freezing foods you'll re-heat in the oven. You can bake food in foil pans and then freeze it in the baking pan. Cover pan tightly with freezer-quality foil, paper, plastic wrap or a plastic bag. Plastic freezer/microwave safe containers are a good choice for foods you'll reheat in the microwave.

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.

TO REHEAT COOKED TURKEY BREAST AFTER REFRIGERATION

Preheat oven to 325*. 2. Place the Turkey Breast in a shallow pan with a small amount of liquid (water or turkey drippings) 3. Cover in foil and heat approximately 15 minutes per pound, until the internal tem- perature reaches 160*.

Warm with chicken stock.

After you slice the meat off the bird, place it in a shallow baking dish, cover it with chicken or turkey stock, then put it in a 250-degree oven for about 10 minutes.

According to foodsafety.gov, a website of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the following foods are safe in the fridge: Turkey: 3-4 days. Eat turkey within three to four days of cooking. If you use the turkey in a new dish like a soup or casserole, only consume within those initial four days.

Safety tips for reheating turkey

Cold, cooked turkey meat will keep in the fridge for up to four days, but always use your best judgement. Always reheat cold turkey until it's piping hot, not just warmed through. Only reheat cooked turkey once.

Storing a Fresh Turkey

If no best-before date is present, Health Canada recommends using a fresh whole turkey stored in the refrigerator within 2-3 days of purchase or ask at the place of purchase.

If you are planning to freeze it, it's best to freeze it within one day of cooking for optimal texture and taste. However, leftover turkey can be frozen after three days and it will be fine.