Grab your mismatched Tupperware and a fork! We’re giving thanks for leftovers this holiday season. One of the best parts about pulling off such a grand feast is all the food that is left behind long after your guests have loosened their belts.  

While you celebrate the great bounty being served on the table, it is also important to be mindful of the food that goes uneaten. Putting your Thanksgiving leftovers to good use is a great way to not only savor the holiday but also eliminate tossing out excess food.

Before we get to enjoying additional days of Thanksgiving deliciousness, it’s important to make sure your leftovers are safe to eat. According to USDA guidelines, discard any uneaten food after being left out for more than two hours. You can seal any salvageable leftovers in storage containers for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Won’t leftovers just take up space? If you’re tight on space in the fridge, Thanksgiving leftovers make great doggy bags for your dinner guests. Just ask Ina Garten whose Thanksgiving celebrations aren’t complete without sending every guest home with a full belly (and full arms).

You don’t have to be the Barefoot Contessa to make the most of your Thanksgiving leftovers. Turkey, stuffing and cranberry make an ideal filling for these hot pockets that capture all the best flavors of the holiday. Or if you’re hungry for something that doesn’t remind you of the big feast, repurpose your cooked turkey into a post-holiday meal such as Turkey Tortellini Soup or Turkey Tetrazzini. For more ideas (think pizza, pasta and more!) click here to transform your leftovers into a whole new feast!

No matter how you celebrate or the contents of your (overflowing) dinner plate, leftovers are the real winners of Thanksgiving. Or shall we say the person who gets to take them home!