Two Hour Safety ZonePlan to serve, eat and store leftovers from your Holiday dinner within 2 hours from taking it out of the oven. Bacteria that causes food poisoning can multiply to dangerous levels on food that is left at room temperature longer than 2 hours.
No Partial Cooking Never partially cook a turkey and finish cooking later. This may cause food poisoning. Slow cooking at very low oven temperatures is also not recommended.
Never Stuff Turkey Ahead Do not stuff turkey ahead of time. Combine only the dry ingredients the day before. If you don't have a large enough bowl, use a turkey size oven bag to combine dry ingredients. When ready to stuff the turkey, add remaining stuffing ingredients to the oven bag and toss to mix. To bake, transfer stuffing to the cavity of the turkey or to a foil-lined pan. For food safety, the stuffing temperature must reach 165°F when cooked.
Do Not Reheat Whole Turkey
Reheating a whole turkey risks loss of moisture and fresh taste. If you must prepare the turkey ahead of time, slice the roasted turkey and place it in a foil-lined pan. Spoon broth over the turkey to prevent drying. Cover with foil and refrigerate. Reheat in foil-covered pan in 350°F oven until hot.
Keep Hot Foods Hot
Cooked foods should be kept hot at above 140°F. Cold foods should be kept cold, below 40°F.
Turkey
Remove stuffing and cut turkey off the bone. Slice breast meat; legs and wings can be left whole. To freeze, place in Reynolds® Handi-Vac® Vacuum Freezer Bags. Vacuum bag with Vacuum Sealer until bag tightens around food. Freeze immediately.
Stuffing
Remove all stuffing from the turkey cavity immediately, place in shallow containers to cool quickly, cover with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil, crimp down edges of foil and refrigerate.
Potatoes, Gravy and Vegetables Divide large quantities and place in shallow containers to cool quickly. Cover with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil, crimp down edges of foil and refrigerate. Or, combine with turkey and stuffing, wrap in Reynolds Wrap® Heavy Strength Aluminum Foil for individual meals and refrigerate.
