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Don’t Throw Out Your Thanksgiving Turkey

Did you know that 200 million pounds of turkey will be thrown away after Thanksgiving? Here are four ways to prevent throwing out turkey and reducing waste.

[su_expanding_quote_web alignment=”right” source_site=”Natural Resources Defense Council” source_url=”https://www.nrdc.org/experts/yvette-cabrera/giving-thanks-and-wasting-less” full_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving, contributing to the $165 billion in uneaten food Americans waste every year. Along with trashing uneaten turkeys, they’ll be wasting the resources necessary for its production. That’s enough turkey to provide each American household that is food insecure with more than 11 additional servings. 17.9 million American households suffer from food insecurity.” short_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving, “]

1. Get Your Kitchen Ready
Clear out your fridge and freezer a week before. Use what you have for weekday meals. This also makes room for the food you will buy and prep for Thanksgiving – and for leftovers. Eat down your fridge as my sister-in-law would say. Some ideas:

  • Breakfast egg casseroles: use any veggie and leftover meats
  • Baked oats: mix chopped veggies with oats and eggs and bake
  • Clean out the Fridge Soup
  • Meal Salads: toss leftover meats, grains, veggies with greens and salad dressing
  • Lunch wraps: spread hummus or mashed avocados on tortillas, add leftovers
  • Smoothies: add in a handful of greens and random veggies / fruits
  • Pesto: great ways to use greens and wilting herbs (cilantro, parsley, basil)

2. Go Less Disposable, More Re-useable

Two places to reduce waste are:

  • Food storage containers – Glass is best so you can see what’s inside. Dollar Store and mason jars are budget-friendly. Have masking tape and marker to date and labels.
  • Beverages – Did you know water is the most common nutritional deficiency in the U.S.? Did you know there are no regulations on bottled water? Skip plastic water bottles and kids juice pouches.
    • Invest in a glass drink dispenser
    • Serve filtered tap water – you will save money and reduce plastic bottles excess
    • Add fruits or herbs to water dispenser: oranges, lemon or cucumbers slices, mint or basil
    • Make homemade, chilled iced tea. No sugar necessary with fruit / herbal teas
    • Drinking glasses from Dollar store are budget-friendly. Use markers so each guest uses only one glass. If  choosing disposable, aim for biodegradable

3. Be Food Savvy

  • Go with tried and true recipes (skip throwing out food for experiments gone wrong)
  • Plan smaller portions. No one will eat a full serving of every dish
  • Use the Guest-imator.  Created by the Natural Resources Defense Council, this free online portion calculator helps you estimate how much food you will need to prepare each dish.
  • Use a Shopping list, so obvious but seriously makes a difference
    • Stick to your list to avoid tantalizing food and impulse buys
    • Reduces the gas and number of trips to grocery store for item you frogot
  • Save your veggie scraps
    • Don’t peel your potatoes or veggies if local and/or organic
    • Keep vegetables bits (tops of celery, ends of green beans and leeks, etc) in a container or bag as you go
    • Use scraps in you turkey stock. OR store the bag of veggie scraps in your freezer and make vegetable broth later. Simply simmer them in water for an hour and strain.

4. Plan Your Leftovers Before You Start Cooking

  • Will you give away leftovers? Invite guests to bring their own containers, or use restaurant take-out, recycled containers
  • Choose leftover meals/recipes
  • Store leftovers in clear glass containers. Use masking tape and marker to date and label. Unidentified food goes bad and gets thrown away. Food not eaten by the 3rd day, goes in the freezer. Slice and/or shred the turkey meet and store it in an airtight container 3 – 4 days. Leftover turkey can be frozen up to 6 months
  • Decide what to freeze – Subdivide food from big containers not eaten within 4 days into mason jars or container jars. I like 12-oz mason jars because it makes one serving. Label and freeze. For large amounts of soup, mashed potatoes etc. that make for a meal another day, I re-useable Ziploc bags. Make sure to date and label. Once frozen it becomes a mystery if it’s not identified
  • Make Turkey Stock – Easy to do with the bones of the carved turkey, veggie scraps, some extra onions and carrots. Make it part of clean up

Leftover Meal Ideas

Check these recipes out ahead of time. Choose 1 – 3 . Print them. Plan them into your weekly menu.

For more waste reducing tips visit:

This Thanksgiving, Be More Grateful than Wasteful – NRDC

Take Food Waste Off the Thanksgiving Menu

 

Grateful Not Wasteful Thanksgiving: Transform Leftovers

Did you know that 200 million pounds of turkey will be thrown away after Thanksgiving? Reading that shocked me into a renewed commitment to reduce food waste from my kitchen.

[su_expanding_quote_web source_site=”Huffington Post” source_url=”url for site” full_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving, contributing to the $165 billion in uneaten food Americans waste every year.  Along with trashing uneaten turkeys, they’ll be wasting the resources necessary for its production — meaning 105 billion gallons of water (enough to supply New York City for over 100 days) and greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 800,000 car trips from New York to San Francisco.  That’s enough turkey to provide each American household that is food insecure with more than 11 additional servings, and 17.9 million American households suffer from food insecurity” short_quote=”Americans will toss a whopping $282 million of uneaten turkey into the trash this Thanksgiving”]

Here is  how I avoid wasting precious food from our Thanksgiving feast.

  1. Made turkey stock with the bones of the carved turkey. I used veggies scraps saved from making Thanksgiving dishes (green ends of leeks, tops of celery, trimmed ends of green beans etc) that I’d stored in a bag in the refrigerator. Sounds exhausting, but I find it’s best to do it right away that same night.
  2. Stored leftovers in glass containers. I’m mortified to admit I’ve thrown away too much food in the past simply because it was unidentified in my refrigerator and by the time I uncovered mystery containers, the food was inedible. Can you relate? I now use clear glass containers so I can see what’s inside. If in doubt, I masking tape and marker to identify it. If it doesn’t get eaten by the third day, it goes in the freezer
  3. Use the freezer. If there’s too much food leftover than can be eaten the next 2 – 3 days, I put it in 12-oz mason jars, labeled with masking tape. Or in Ziploc bags. I’m trying to give up using Ziploc bags but sometimes it’s still the best way to freeze larger amounts of soup or mashed potatoes.
  4. There are only so many leftover turkey sandwiches a person can eat. Here are some of the most enduring meals out of Thanksgiving leftovers:

Turkey Enchiladas

  • Chop leftover turkey meat
  • Mix with a can of (drained) organic beans
  • Add couple spoonfuls of enchilada sauce ( I like this one from Gimme Some Oven – or store bought)
  • Spread enchilada sauce to just cover bottom surface of casserole dish
  • Scoop large spoonful of turkey/bean mix on tortilla, roll up up and place in casserole dish
  • When casserole dish is full, spread enchilada sauce over the top and then grated cheese
  • Cook in an oven (preheated to 350) for 25 – 30 minutes until cheese is golden.

Turkey Barley Soup

  • Sautéed 1 chopped onion (about 1 1/2 cups) and 1 pound of sliced mushrooms until onions are translucent
  • Added 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery stalks, 4 finely chopped garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup of barley, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 6 -7 cups of turkey stock
  • Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to  low and simmer 40 – 45 minutes until barley is tender.
  • Seasoned with salt and pepper
  • When completely cooled, put in Ziploc bag and into freezer for a busy weeknight

Turkey Nachos

  • Filled the bottom of a casserole dish with tortilla chips
  • Spread 2 cups chopped turkey meat on top
  • Sprinkled with 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
  • Spread 1 cup finely chopped onion and 1 cup chopped tomato
  • Sprinkled 1/2 teaspoon additional taco seasoning
  • Spread 1 1/2 cup grated cheddar on top
  • Broiled in hot oven 5 minutes until cheese was melted

Turkey Sheppard Pie

  • Sautéed 1 chopped onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Added 4 minced garlic, 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon oregano
  • Covered and simmered over low heat 25 minutes
  • Added 1 cup chopped turkey and mixed well
  • Spread in a casserole dish
  • Topped with left over Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes and Mushrooms
  • Covered and placed in freezer for busy weeknight

Leftover Cranberry Sauce

  • Make a pot of oatmeal, mix in 1 tablespoon almond butter or coconut oil per serving, swirl in cranberry sauce, top with pumpkin seeds
  • Lunch wrap: spread wrap with soft goat cheese or whole-milk Greek yogurt, greens, cranberry sauce and chopped nuts
  • Rice cracker snack: spread with soft goat cheese, stop with cranberry sauce

For More Motivation to Reduce Thanksgiving food waste

Here’s How To Avoid Wasting Absurd Amounts Of Food On Thanksgiving:

Take Food Waste Off the Thanksgiving Menu

This Thanksgiving Be More Grateful Than Wasteful

Let’s Save the Food

 

Turkey Meatloaf with Dried Apricots

Apricots seems to bring some kind of alchemy to this meatloaf, adding moisture, texture and a delightful flavor. Ground bison or beef can be used instead of turkey.

Toss some vegetables with what I think of as “roasting oil “ (about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil mixed with 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt) and place them around the meatloaf in the roasting pan/Pyrex. Some of my favorite combinations are:

  • 1 large baking potato, 1 large sweet potato cut into cubes and 2 poblano peppers (or red bell peppers) seeded and cut in similar fashion
  • About 2 cups of Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half, and 2 cups of diced potato (or new potatoes cut in half)
  • Large head of broccoli cut into large chunks: NOTE: add the broccoli after meatloaf has baked about 25 minutes.

Add a green salad and voila, dinner is ready.

Double the amount and freeze the extra turkey meatloaf to have later for later in the month or use leftovers for a quick dinner:

  1. Meatloaf spaghetti: chop it and warm up with 1 – 2 cups marinara sauce
  2. Shepherd’s pie: saute a chopped onion, carrot and celery, add chopped meatloaf and place in a pyrex covered with leftover Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Puree or leftover Delicious, Nutritious Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
  3. Stuffed bell peppers or zucchini: mix with leftover rice or quinoa and 1 – 2 eggs. Hollow bell peppers or cut zucchini in half, scoop out and add into meatloaf mix. Roast in oven 20 minutes at 350 degrees, add grated cheese and cook until melted.
  4. Meatloaf tacos: chop it up and serve in taco shells alongside guacamole, salsa (chopped tomato, onion and cilantro), plain Greek yogurt and grated cheese
  5. Meatloaf quiche: 2 cups chopped meatloaf, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk,1 cup pease or chopped veggies (broccoli, celery and carrots) 1/2 – 1 cup shredded cheese. I make this easy   whole-wheat crust. from 100 Days of Real Food.

Arugula Frittata

Frittatas are started in an oven-safe skillet cooked on the stovetop and then finished in a pre-heated oven.

I like making them for brunch, but frittatas are also fabulous way to use leftovers and make a
quick lunch or dinner. Simply beat eggs, mix in leftover cooked vegetables and or meats (I’ve used chicken, sausage, even leftover chili) and pour into a hot oiled skillet, for a few minutes until the outer edges are set. Then transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking.

Cut frittata in slices and serve. They are tasty at room temperature and not just hot-out-of-the-oven.

I used arugula because we had a bunch in our farm share. but I’ve also spinach, baby kale, even chopped beet greens or large leaf (Tuscan or Lacinto) kale – it just depends what greens I have on hand.. If using kale, remove the thick stalks and chop.

The cheese is optional; for special treats or entertaining guests  Gruyere or Fontina are my choice.
I sometimes skip the milk also, but the consistency of the frittata is creamier and fluffier with dairy milk — especially whole milk.
Wondering what’s the difference between frittatas and omelets?

And I like these tips on How to Make a Perfect Frittata 

Recipes

Turkey Meatloaf with Dried Apricots

Apricots seems to bring some kind of alchemy to this meatloaf, adding moisture, texture and a delightful flavor. Ground bison or beef can be used instead of turkey.

Toss some vegetables with what I think of as “roasting oil “ (about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil mixed with 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt) and place them around the meatloaf in the roasting pan/Pyrex. Some of my favorite combinations are:

  • 1 large baking potato, 1 large sweet potato cut into cubes and 2 poblano peppers (or red bell peppers) seeded and cut in similar fashion
  • About 2 cups of Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half, and 2 cups of diced potato (or new potatoes cut in half)
  • Large head of broccoli cut into large chunks: NOTE: add the broccoli after meatloaf has baked about 25 minutes.

Add a green salad and voila, dinner is ready.

Double the amount and freeze the extra turkey meatloaf to have later for later in the month or use leftovers for a quick dinner:

  1. Meatloaf spaghetti: chop it and warm up with 1 – 2 cups marinara sauce
  2. Shepherd’s pie: saute a chopped onion, carrot and celery, add chopped meatloaf and place in a pyrex covered with leftover Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Puree or leftover Delicious, Nutritious Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
  3. Stuffed bell peppers or zucchini: mix with leftover rice or quinoa and 1 – 2 eggs. Hollow bell peppers or cut zucchini in half, scoop out and add into meatloaf mix. Roast in oven 20 minutes at 350 degrees, add grated cheese and cook until melted.
  4. Meatloaf tacos: chop it up and serve in taco shells alongside guacamole, salsa (chopped tomato, onion and cilantro), plain Greek yogurt and grated cheese
  5. Meatloaf quiche: 2 cups chopped meatloaf, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk,1 cup pease or chopped veggies (broccoli, celery and carrots) 1/2 – 1 cup shredded cheese. I make this easy   whole-wheat crust. from 100 Days of Real Food.

Arugula Frittata

Frittatas are started in an oven-safe skillet cooked on the stovetop and then finished in a pre-heated oven.

I like making them for brunch, but frittatas are also fabulous way to use leftovers and make a
quick lunch or dinner. Simply beat eggs, mix in leftover cooked vegetables and or meats (I’ve used chicken, sausage, even leftover chili) and pour into a hot oiled skillet, for a few minutes until the outer edges are set. Then transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking.

Cut frittata in slices and serve. They are tasty at room temperature and not just hot-out-of-the-oven.

I used arugula because we had a bunch in our farm share. but I’ve also spinach, baby kale, even chopped beet greens or large leaf (Tuscan or Lacinto) kale – it just depends what greens I have on hand.. If using kale, remove the thick stalks and chop.

The cheese is optional; for special treats or entertaining guests  Gruyere or Fontina are my choice.
I sometimes skip the milk also, but the consistency of the frittata is creamier and fluffier with dairy milk — especially whole milk.
Wondering what’s the difference between frittatas and omelets?

And I like these tips on How to Make a Perfect Frittata