Leftover Safety After Holiday Meals

Leftover Safety After Holiday Meals

Holiday meals are built around abundance. Big roasts, overflowing side dishes, and more desserts than you can finish are part of the ritual. The good news is that most leftovers are safe when handled correctly. The bad news is that a few small mistakes – leaving a casserole on the counter too long, failing to cool a giant pot quickly, or reheating unevenly – are common and can turn a festive meal into a trip to the doctor.

The Core Rules In One Sentence

Handle leftovers quickly, cool them rapidly, store them cold, reheat to safe temperatures, and throw out food that is old or smells off. The public-health community distills those behaviors into a few short rules you can remember and apply every time you cook.

The CDC explicitly recommends rapid refri