The plates are out of food... the guests are out of words, and now comes what might be the hardest part of Thanksgiving dinner. Safely putting up the leftovers. And to literally get the scoop, we talked to Meredith Carothers, who is a food safety expert with the USDA.

"I mean, foodborne illness can affect so many people; it can be something as simple symptoms you can handle in your own home, but otherwise it can cause something so severe that you need to be hospitalized or even death, so it is something to take seriously and avoid at all costs," Carothers said.

She advises that all cooked food, including turkey, sides, mashed potatoes, and dressing, should be refrigerated within two hours.

"The thing to follow is that two-hour rule to make sure you are getting it into the fridge in a sa

See Full Page