Rare indeed is the party with no leftovers. While there aren’t any set rules as to what to do with them, things always seem to go smoother when I have a plan for them from the start. 

The Dilemma

It’s very easy to be so tired at the end of a dinner that you just don’t want to deal with it anymore! When I’m in that place, I often end up giving away my leftover food — then the next day, though I am still tired, I end up needing to cook again just to have lunch. That is…not my favorite thing.

On the other hand, you may not want to end up eating the same meal for three weeks after Christmas (a common Swedish Christmas-smorgasbord occurrence at my house). Often that ends with throwing out a lot of food that could have been shared and enjoyed. 

Step #1: Decide what is important to you

There are lots of ways to handle holiday leftovers and frankly, there isn’t a universal “right answer” (other than being grateful to be one of the privileged humans in this world for whom “too much” food can be a “problem”!). 

The key to making a leftovers plan is to decide what is most important to you. This is, in fact, your food. 

Will having a lot of sweets after the Halloween party tempt you into breaking the sugar guidelines you’ve given yourself? Might be a good idea to give them to appreciative guests or a home-bound neighbor. Is this grandma’s best apple cake recipe that you only make once a year? First, I suggest reevaluating your life and perhaps rearranging it so you can make apple cake more often. Second, now that you’ve made delicious cake, plan on saving yourself a slice or two. 

Step #2: Explore your options

There are a lot of things you can do with your leftovers. Pinterest is a great place to start for ideas. For families, planning on packing up individual TV–dinner–style freezer meals can be a great way to handle it. Many freezer meals, if frozen properly, can last for up to 3 months. Others may prefer “upcycling” their leftovers (extra cookies into ice cream sandwiches, leftover cheese and meat platters into sandwich fixings, Thanksgiving leftovers into casseroles, that sort of thing). 

Talk with the person who gave your recipe to you (or look it up online) if you aren’t sure how long it stores or if it will freeze well. Not everything works in the freezer! For example, butter-heavy cookies and bars freeze like a dream, where crispy cookies will get limp and soggy. 

Sending leftovers home with guests is a breeze with the help of some zip-top bags, disposable plates, or meal-prep containers. 

Giving desserts and other favorites to others who didn’t attend can be a good option but requires some extra consideration. Be sure to check in with the recipient about things like food allergies, or stick to allergen-free recipes. 

Step #3: Prepare any needed materials

Once you’ve decided what you will do with leftovers, gather what you’ll need and include any needed supplies on your pre-party grocery list. Buying things ahead of time helps things go smoothly on the day-of. 

Heavy-duty plates, platters, and aluminum foil are excellent leftover-management supplies, as are freezer-safe meal-prep containers. In the case of that apple cake we talked about, having some gallon-sized freezer bags or a good cake saver available will make a world of difference. 

Step #4: Write your plan and tell those who need to know

Historically, writing the plan out for myself makes it easier to stick to it. It especially helps if the plan involves other people — helping hands putting food away, delivering meals to others, promises to drop off cookies to the members of your virtual book club. It may dampen the fun if your wife accidentally gives the last of the apple cake to the wrong person! Not only do you not forget your plan, but others find it easier to stick to if it is written down.