Make sure everyone has a good time during and after your Thanksgiving meal by taking steps to prepare all that food properly.

The University of Illinois Extension offers these holiday suggestions:

  • Stuff the turkey just before you plan to start cooking it.
  • Mix the ingredients, wash the cavity of the turkey, and lightly stuff inside.
  • Chop and prepare dry ingredients ahead of time, but add any moist ingredients just before cooking the turkey.
  • Prepare about 1/2 cup of stuffing per pound of turkey. Since stuffing will expand as it cooks, don't overstuff. Cook any extras in a separate pan.
  • Make sure stuffing is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Stuffing often contains eggs and other ingredients that can be harmful if undercooked.
  • Before you carve the turkey, remove the stuffing.
  • Make sure leftovers are refrigerated within two hours of serving, are reheated to 165 degrees Fahrenheit and are eaten within two days.
A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports. Credit: Newsday Staff

'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports. Credit: Newsday Staff

'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

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