Now that Thanksgiving Day is in our rearview mirror you might be looking at ways to be budget-minded and utilize ways to reuse leftovers.

ISU Extension Human Science Food and Health Specialist Tom Keinert suggests for households that might have lots of leftover turkey, to put some in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer to reuse at a different time.

“So kind of planning ahead rather than it just being reactionary is one way of trying to keep those costs down. Because it really stinks that you make a whole bunch of food and then you have a whole bunch left over and then let’s be honest like it’s fun for a while and then at some point after day three or four, you’re sick of it, seeing that turkey and that mashed potatoes and you want something different. By planning ahead and freezing some of these portions, you can pull that out in December and say, ‘Ooo, you know what? Actually some gravy and turkey and mashed potatoes sounds pretty good,’ on December 10th in a way that it might not the day after Thanksgiving.”          

Keinert says most of the food that is prepared for Thanksgiving can be frozen and reused later. He adds to check out ISU Extension’s Spend Smart, Eat Smart for different inspirations of how to use leftovers.