Recipes and Reads Culinary Labs

Recipes & Reads Culinary Lab workshops serve up comprehensive, culinary literacy programs that include hands-on demonstrations of food and nutritional literacy; food acquisition methods; food handling, hygiene and safety; culture and history of food; and consumer cost-saving techniques and meal stretching. Each of the culinary lab workshops may include the use of fully stocked mobile, kitchen carts to aid in these food-related demonstrations. The labs are strategically located at library branches throughout the county and serve all ages. Registration may be required, at some locations, for Recipes and Reads Culinary Lab workshops.

November 2026 R&RCL

Meal Stretching

According to the American Farm Bureau Foundation the average cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten people in 2025 was $55.18. A great way to maximize the food investment is to stretch leftovers from Thanksgiving as far as possible. Dividing leftovers into smaller portions to freeze for later is a great way to meal prep for the busy holiday weeks ahead. Frozen leftovers can be safely reheated without thawing first.

Check out the following safety guidelines to avoid making Thanksgiving's leftovers memorable for all the wrong reasons: Cool and store leftovers in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Cover foods while reheating on the stove or in a microwave to create an even heating environment that will kill harmful bacteria. Reheat leftovers to 165 degrees F, as measured with a food thermometer.

Looking for a different way to use Thanksgiving leftovers? Try this dish:

Leftovers Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups leftover stuffing
• 4 cups leftover turkey, cut into small cubes
• 1-1/2 cup leftover green beans, coarsely chopped
• 1-1/2 cup leftover gravy
• 1/4 cup milk or chicken broth
• 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• butter, for greasing casserole dish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9" by 13" casserole dish with butter.
3. Crumble stuffing on bottom of the casserole dish in an even layer. Next sprinkle the green beans and turkey in an even layer over the stuffing.
4. In a medium-size bowl, whisk the gravy and milk or broth together to loosen gravy. Pour the gravy evenly over the casserole.
5. In a separate bowl, mix the potatoes or sweet potatoes and egg yolk until combined. Spread the mixture evenly over the casserole. Sprinkle cheese over the top of the potatoes.
6. Cover the casserole with foil and place it in oven to bake. After 20 minutes, remove foil and allow casserole to bake an additional 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Image credit: Image by Pexels from Pixabay.