Leftovers and storage

How long food keeps in the fridge and freezer, how to freeze, thaw and reheat it safely, and recipes that use up what's left. In line with USDA guidance, with every recipe's own storage notes.

How long food keepsUSDA fridge and freezer times, and how long each of our recipes keeps.
Freeze, thaw and reheatSafe ways to freeze, thaw and reheat, and which recipes freeze well.
Freezer mealsCook once, eat twice: double it, freeze half, and print freezer labels.
Use up leftoversRecipes for leftover rice, chicken, bread, buttermilk, herbs and more.

Use up leftover...

rice, 27 recipes chicken or turkey, 8 recipes ham, 6 recipes day-old bread, 7 recipes bananas, 7 recipes egg yolks, 6 recipes buttermilk, 13 recipes heavy cream, 19 recipes sour cream, 27 recipes Greek yogurt, 15 recipes cream cheese, 11 recipes ricotta, 3 recipes coconut milk, 6 recipes tomato paste, 27 recipes pumpkin puree, 2 recipes tortillas, 19 recipes cilantro, 33 recipes spinach, 11 recipes

The short version

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour when it is above 90°F (a hot car, a picnic). (source)
Keep the fridge at 40°F or colder and the freezer at 0°F. (source)
Split big batches into shallow containers so they cool quickly. Hot food can go straight into the fridge. (source)
Eat refrigerated leftovers within 3 to 4 days. When in doubt, throw it out: you can't see, smell or taste the bacteria that make people sick. (source)
Reheat leftovers until they reach 165°F in the center. An instant-read thermometer is the only sure check. (source)

Shopping for the week? See what's in season.

Sources

Our storage notes are general kitchen guidance in line with USDA advice, not a guarantee: they assume food was handled safely, cooled promptly and kept at 40°F or colder. When in doubt, throw it out.