10 Leftover Stuffing Recipes You Have to Try! - Shelf Cooking (2024)

FAQs

How do you make leftover stuffing moist? ›

The Fastest Way: Microwave

Be sure to add a little broth or butter to your stuffing before reheating to prevent drying out. Transfer stuffing to a microwave-safe dish and cover with a piece of parchment paper. Microwave for two to three minutes, stirring after each minute to make sure the stuffing heats evenly.

So how far back can we find stuffing used in cooking? Some time between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, a chef by the name of Apicius created a cookbook entitled, “Apicius de re Coquinaria.” In its pages are recipes for stuffed chicken, rabbit, pig, and even dormouse.

Leftover Stuffing and Gravy

Stuffing — which is often soaked through with meat drippings — shouldn't be consumed after a maximum of two days in the fridge. The same two-day rule should be applied to the gravy, which should always be brought to a rolling boil to properly kill bacteria before serving again.

Do not refrigerate uncooked stuffing. If stuffing is prepared ahead of time, it must be either frozen or cooked immediately. To use cooked stuffing later, cool in shallow containers and refrigerate it within 2 hours. Use it within 3 to 4 days.

Food Network suggests adding turkey drippings or a splash of cream, whereas Rachael Ray recommends drizzling melted butter and chicken stock over dry stuffing. Martha Stewart even supports experimenting with other liquids like wine!

Stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Once the bird is stuffed, it should be placed immediately in an oven set no lower than 325°F. Check out the cooking chart for recommended cooking times for stuffed turkey of various sizes.

Purportedly ancient Roman, or else Medieval, cooks developed engastration recipes, stuffing animals with other animals. An anonymous Andalusian cookbook from the 13th century includes a recipe for a ram stuffed with small birds.

In the context of Thanksgiving, the word dressing is commonly used to mean the same exact thing as stuffing—including when it's cooked inside the bird.

But for the Thanksgiving side dish in the South, the term dressing was adopted in place of stuffing, which was viewed as a crude term, during the Victorian era. Although dressing and stuffing are interchangeable terms, the signature ingredient of this Thanksgiving side dish in the South is cornbread.

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.

Can you eat stuffing 3 days out of date? ›

It's highly unlikely to have gone so bad that it might kill you, but it might kill your cooking. The "Best Before" is just a guaranteed freshness date. The product could be good beyond that point (especially dry, properly sealed ingredients) but the manufacturer makes no promises.

People have a habit of leaving the food out on the buffet table long after the meal is finished. If turkey, stuffing, or gravy is left out at room temperature (40 to 140°F) for over 2 hours it may no longer be safe to eat. Bacteria prospers at this temperature, increasing the risk of foodborne illness.

Dressing/stuffing: Like turkey, if stored properly, stuffing or dressing will be safe to eat for three to four days after cooking. It will last for about a month if stored properly in the freezer. Cranberry sauce – homemade and store-bought: Homemade cranberry sauce lasts seven to 10 days.

If you want to prepare your stuffing in advance of Thanksgiving, freezing it uncooked will ensure it stays nice and moist. Simply follow the steps of your stuffing recipe, but before baking it, wrap the baking dish in plastic wrap first, then aluminum foil to make it air tight.

Absolutely. Most Thanksgiving stuffing recipes can be made at least partially in advance since: A) They're easily assembled a day or two ahead of Thanksgiving Day; and B) They're often baked using a two-step process (once covered with foil to cook through, then uncovered to achieve a crispy top).

If you made your stuffing as dry as a desert, don't panic! Melt a little bit of butter in a sauce pot with some stock and add a couple of ladles of it to the dried stuffing. Toss it all together and let it soak. Cover to keep it warm until ready to serve.

Bring the baked stuffing to room temperature so that it will re-heat evenly (this will take about 30 minutes). Then, warm it in a 350°F oven, covered, for 30-40 minutes until heated through.

If the stuffing came out too wet and soggy (aka bread soup!) try not to over mix it, otherwise it'll turn into mush. Curtis Stone says to pour it on a large sheet tray and spread it out. Bake it on high heat to crisp it up, but make sure it doesn't burn.

Can you prepare stuffing ahead of time and reheat? YES! This stuffing is baked to golden perfection the day before the big meal. You store it in the fridge overnight and then simply warm it in the oven before dinner.