Stuff your Holiday Menu with Helpful Food Safety Tips

The Thanksgiving feast traditionally marks the beginning of the holiday season. FSIS has a few pointers to ensure that your turkey (chicken, goose, or other poultry) is cooked safely. Turkey’s most constant accompaniment, stuffing, requires the same food safety caution in its preparation as the bird itself. Bread stuffing, stuffing made from cornbread or rice, stuffing cooked inside the bird or browned in a casserole, or any other variation that your family likes is safest when prepared just before cooking. The dry and wet ingredients for stuffing can be prepared separately ahead of time and chilled, but not mixed until time to cook. The stuffing should be moist, not dry, because heat destroys bacteria more rapidly in a moist environment. Baking stuffing outside the turkey in a casserole dish is the safest method and provides busy cooks with more flexibility to prepare ahead. Never stuff poultry with frozen or pre-cooked stuffing! When needed, cook frozen or pre-baked stuffing to a safe internal temperature of 165 °F before serving. When preparing Thanksgiving foods, take a minute to step back, make sure you have a food thermometer, and plan ahead so that you can fully and safely enjoy this holiday menu. Check out more helpful tips at www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact Sheets/Lets_Talk_Turkey/index.asp.