- Author: Yolanda S. Lopez
- Editor: Emily Harris
It's officially the fall season, which means it's time for tailgating. Here's how to keep food safe to eat at your next tailgating event:
1. Keep it Clean: Wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water. Use disinfecting wipes to clean tables.
2. Cross-contamination: When packing your cooler, securely wrap all meats to prevent juices from dripping onto other foods.
3. Pack a Thermometer: Use a food thermometer to ensure your barbecued meat has been grilled to a safe cooking temperature. Keep meat warm by putting it on the warm part of the grill rack.
4. Keep Foods Cold: To avoid food borne illness, always keep cold foods on ice or frozen gel packs in the cooler. Be sure to pack leftovers in clean containers and then store them in the ice-cold cooler.
Happy Tailgating!
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If you have any questions about tailgating food safety, feel free to contact the foodsafety.gov Hotline by phone (1-888-674-6854 toll-free) or online at AskKaren.gov.
Image Source: https://www.foodsafety.gov/blog/2015/05/bbq-qa.html
- Author: Emily Harris
September brings both National Food Safety Education Month and the end of summer. As we wrap up this great time of year, let's take a look at ways to keep our food safe and avoid food waste as we enjoy the last of our BBQ's, swim parties and warm-weather adventures.
1. When serving food at a buffet, keep hot food hot with chafing dishes, slow cookers, and warming trays. Keep cold food cold by nesting dishes in bowls of ice or use small serving trays and replace them often.
Once we've finished preparing our food, it's easy to set it out for our families and friends to dig in without thinking about it staying fresh. Make sure your hot foods stay hot and your cold foods stay cold when you serve.
2. Always refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F).
Make sure to put all of your perishable foods in shallow dishes and place them in an ice chest or refrigerator within the recommended time frames above.
3. Use most cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.
Add leftovers to your weekly menu as soon as possible so you don't waste food or eat food when it is no longer safe. For more information about leftovers, click here.
Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service
Have leftover chicken? Use it up with the recipe below:
Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli
and Rice Bake
Image Source: tastykitchen.com
Ingredients
5 cups water
2 1/2 cups rice
1/4 cup onion (chopped)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
1 cup milk (skim)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (10.75 ounces, condensed, 98% fat-free)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, low-fat (grated)
2 cups chicken (shredded, cooked)
2 cups broccoli (pieces)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. In large saucepan bring water to
boil. Add rice, onion, and garlic. Cook for about 20 minutes
or until rice is soft.
2. While rice is cooking combine milk, soup, salt, and pepper, mix well. When rice is done combine with milk mixture, chicken and broccoli, mix well.
3. Grease 9 x 13 pan and pour mixture into pan. Bake in the preheated
oven for 18 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake for another 6 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
Recipe Source: What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl
