Leftovers can be great, so make the most of them! Leftovers are also a great way of making the most of your budget.

• Leftover turkey and ham should be covered and stored in the fridge within 2 hours of cooking. You can help it cool down by removing the legs and cutting the meat into smaller pieces.
• Throw away any high-risk food that has been standing at room temperature for more than 2 hours and throw away all food scraps.
• Once refrigerated it should be eaten within 3 days.
• Use clean dishes and utensils for cooked food to prevent cross-contamination.

Remember not put food in the fridge when it is still hot, because it could raise the temperature of the fridge and allow other foods to get too warm.

Freezing is a great way to keep leftovers for later. To make sure that frozen food is stored safely:

• Don’t put food in the freezer when it’s still hot. Cool it as quickly as possible (within 2 hours), cover and put in the freezer.
• Divide foods to be frozen into usable amounts and this will speed up the cooling process.
• If you want to freeze stuffing or Christmas meats, wrap them in heavy freezer wrap and put in a container suitable for your freezer.

Using your leftovers

• Christmas leftovers, turkey and stuffing should be reheated until they are piping hot all the way through
• Food should never be reheated more than once
• Leftover gravy should be brought to a rolling boil

Need ideas for leftover recipes? Click here!