'Thankful for Leftover Turkey' Jambalaya Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

How do you eat leftover jambalaya? ›

Using leftover seafood jambalaya? Think about adding some crumbled cooked chorizo or bacon for more flavor. Have some jambalaya nacho topping leftover? Use it as a filling for a burrito, tacos, or a taco salad.

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. If you store leftovers in the freezer, they will be of best quality within 2-6 months.

Instead, try turning your leftovers into a casserole, like our turkey divan, our chicken stuffing casserole, or our turkey pot pie; a soup, like our turkey noodle soup, our leftover turkey & wild rice soup, or our homemade turkey stock (made from your turkey carcass); or something lighter or more flavorful than before, ...

Freeze leftovers like turkey, casseroles or cooked grains, if desired, as they can freeze well for up to 3 months. Consider your household needs, and prep before freezing: Shred the meat for use in stews or casseroles, or finely dice to use in a salad or egg dish. Store both grains and turkey in 1-to-2-cup increments.

Jambalaya should be reheated to at least 165°F as recommended by food safety guidelines to prevent foodborne illness. It's also crucial to add a small amount of liquid to prevent the rice from drying out or clumping. The best liquids to use are broth or water which can help preserve moisture and enhance taste.

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.

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Though it's especially obvious in leftover fish and poultry, discerning connoisseurs can pick out the WOF bouquet in most reheated meats. These flavors are the result of a series of chemical reactions that begins with the deterioration of specific kinds of fats known as polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs.

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.

What two food items were not present at the original Thanksgiving? ›

It is also worth noting what was not present at the first Thanksgiving feast. There were no cloudlike heaps of mashed potatoes, since white potatoes had not yet crossed over from South America. There was no gravy either, since the colonists didn't yet have mills to produce flour.

So, to the question “What did the Pilgrims eat for Thanksgiving,” the answer is both surprising and expected. Turkey (probably), venison, seafood, and all of the vegetables that they had planted and harvested that year—onions, carrots, beans, spinach, lettuce, and other greens.

Non-profit organisation Love Food, Hate Waste recommends the 2:2:2 rule. Two hours to get them in the fridge. Two days to eat them once they're in there. Or freeze them for up to two months.

As a general guideline, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services recommends eating or freezing turkey and other leftovers within three to four days. For Thanksgiving, that means you should eat or freeze by Monday.

Apparently I'm in the minority, as this poll reported that 80 percent of Americans prefer the leftover version. Turkies.

A big batch of jambalaya makes for delicious leftovers. To store it, transfer it to an airtight container and cool it completely. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to four days, or in the freezer for up to six months.

It's a complete meal on its own, but let's face it, the world (or at least, dinner table) is better with side dishes! I've included some classic southern sides like biscuits, as well as some dishes with Cajun inspired flavors such as Cajun Corn on the Cob.

Perfect for Leftovers: Jambalaya tastes even better the next day! The flavors meld together, creating an even more satisfying experience. Pack it for lunch or savor it for dinner – either way, it's a win.

Add dairy.

Dairy is great at counteracting spiciness and can add a nice cooling effect. You can add milk, sour cream, or even a dollop of plain yogurt over each serving, but beware of adding and then cooking the dairy over higher heat, as it may curdle.