Food Safety for the Holidays (and 5 Reimagined Leftover Meals)

Did you know that over 45 million people a year get sick from foodborne illness? With all the stress that comes with the holiday season, especially in today’s time, don’t let preventable illness ruin your merriment. Practicing basic food safety can help prevent the spread of foodborne illness, keeping your family safe throughout the holidays.

The CDC has identified four easy steps for preventing the spread of food poisoning: clean, separate, cook, and chill. While many people are now experts at the first step, clean, due to the pandemic, it is just as important to observe the other three steps. Making sure that your kitchen is clean and that your food is cooked and stored at the proper temperature is key to food safety.

4 Ways to Practice Food Safety

Keeping your family safe from foodborne illness doesn’t have to be hard. There are just a few simple steps that you need to follow to ensure that you are keeping your food safe.

1. Clean: Starting with clean hands, make sure all the appliances and utensils you are using are clean. Carefully scrub all fresh fruits and vegetables. I recommend buying a special scrubbing brush just for produce. Important note, it is recommended that you do not wash raw poultry before cooking as it can spread bacteria onto clean surfaces.

2. Separate: Keep your raw meat, produce, seafood, etc. separate. Use designated cooking boards for these food groups to avoid cross-contamination. Keep raw foods away from ready-to-eat foods. It is also recommended that you keep ready-to-eat foods at the top of the fridge and raw poultry at the bottom.

3. Cook: Before you begin cooking all your delish meals, look up the recommended minimum cooking times for each food. Be sure to check the internal temperature of the food before eating it. Put the thermometer in the thickest part of the poultry in two separate areas.

4. Chill: If you are not eating your food after it is off the stove or out of the oven, the most important thing you can do is make sure that the food is stored properly. Keep your refrigerator at 40 degrees or below and store perishable food within 2 hours.

5 Delicious Reimagined Leftover Meals

If you’re like me, you will probably be cooking more than you need. Sometimes the best part of the meal is the leftovers that you can enjoy for days to come. Here are 5 of my favorite reimagined leftover meals.

1. Mashed Potato Pancake: Take those extra mashed potatoes and mix them with some flour, eggs, and whatever seasoning you enjoy, and form a patty. Crispen up the patty in a hot skillet until browned and enjoy!

2. Chicken Quiche: This delicious quiche is great for breakfast as well as dinner. Combine eggs, milk, leftover roasted chicken, and veggies and pour into a piecrust. Bake and let cool before serving.

3. Falafel Salad: Add some protein to your salad by crumbling up leftover falafel balls and sprinkling over your greens. You can use whatever dressing you like or try adding some extra tahini for added flavor.

4. Pasta Primavera: Don’t let all those delicious vegetables go to waste at the bottom of your fridge. Chop up some veggies, cook them, and then combine them with pasta. You can use traditional red sauce or try oil and garlic.

5. Croutons: If you have some bread that you know you are not going to eat before it goes stale, create your own croutons. You likely have all the ingredients that you need, and they are quite simple to make!

No matter what meal you decide to make, don’t forget to practice food safety! Even if you originally cooked your food to the recommended minimum temperature, you still need to make sure your leftovers are heated to 165 degrees as well. Keep the holiday season filled with joy and the family safe!

Your Turn to Action: What is your favorite leftover reimagined dish? Let me know in the comments below.