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University of Nebraska–Lincoln

UNL Extension in Lancaster County

FOOD: Nutrition, Safety & Cooking

Cook It Quick

Helping you prepare foods in a hurry!

Helpful Holiday Links

Alice Henneman, MS, RD, UNL Extension in Lancaster County

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Need an ingredient substitution, an answer to a baking question, advice on preparing foods ahead? Help can be just a click away. Here are some helpful holiday links.

1. Freezing Prepared Foods (PDF) This 12-page handout from the University of Georgia Extension gives very specific directions on freezing prepared foods from main dishes to rolls to desserts!

2. Ingredient Substitutions
If you're in the middle of holiday cooking with no time to run to the store for a missing ingredient, look here for a possible substitute. Includes a handy print-friendly chart.

3. The Cook's Thesaursaus
This site covers thousands of ingredients and suggested substitutions.

4. Baking 911
Check this Web site for helpful tips for successful baking. Indcludes such topics as substituting one pan for another.

5. Cooking Basics: Food Yields (PDF) Use this handout from the University of Georgia Extension to help you determine how much food to buy.

6. Can Size Equivalents
If you have an older recipe that calls for a "number 2 can" or a similar description, check here.

7. Measurement Equivalents
Check here if you're trying to adjust the measurements in a recipe from teaspoons to tablespoons to cups to quarts and so on.

8. Temperature Conversion: Fahrenheit and Celsius
Helps you convert recipes from fahrenheit to celsius and vice versa.

9. What to Do When Your Recipe Calls for Raw Eggs
Many older classic holiday recipes call for raw eggs. This cooking practice is no considered safe because of possible Salmonella infection. Check this link to the American Egg Board for updated versions of several classic recipes, including egg nog. Another option for egg nog is to buy a ready-to-drink egg nog, available in the dairy case at most stores during the holidays.

10. Cooking Meats

Beef Bison Chicken Duck & Goose Lamb Other Meats Pork Seafood Turkey Veal

Food Safety Checklist for "Planned-over" Foods (PDF)
Save time by making extra food for one meal that still tastes good and is safe to eat at a later meal.

11. Quick Meals with Canned Foods
If you're not sure if you'll have to fix meals for guests or special events and you're short on refrigerator/freezer space, keep some canned foods on hand. (They're also great for snowy days when you rather not make a trip to the grocery store!) Check here for recipes and menu suggestions from the Canned Food Alliance.

12. Toll-free USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline

The hotline is staffed with food safety specialists to answer food safety questions for the home cook. You may speak with a food safety specialist — in English or Spanish — from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on weekdays.

Call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at:
1-888-MPHotline
1-888-674-6854
Or send an Email to: mphotline.fsis@usda.gov
Web page link for Hotline

13. No-Show Guests Jeopardize Food (source: USDA)
When guests encounter emergencies and the meal must be delayed or cancelled, food must be handled "just right" to remain safe.

14. Brilliant Buffets (source: www.fightbac.org)
Check the TWO links for downloading pages 1 and 2 of a related holiday brochure by clicking HERE

Learn tips for setting out food safely at holiday buffets.

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