Leftovers & Deli · 14 foods
Cooked leftovers Storage Times
How long cooked leftovers last on the counter, in the fridge and in the freezer — opened and unopened. Sourced from USDA FoodKeeper, last verified November 2026.
← All leftovers & deli · Deli meat · Prepared salads
14 of 14 foods · sorted A–Z
| Counter | Fridge (unopened) | Freezes well? | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Casseroles | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | Not listed | — |
 Chicken in gravy | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 1–2 months | Yes |
 Cooked pasta | 2 hours | 3–5 days | — | 1–2 months | Yes |
 Cooked rice | 2 hours | 4–6 days | — | 6 months | Yes |
 Homemade kugel | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 1 month | Yes |
 Homemade vegetable soup | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 3 months | Yes |
 Leftovers with meat | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 2–3 months | Yes |
 Leftovers without meat | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 1–2 months | Yes |
 Mashed potatoes | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 1–2 months | Yes |
 Meat in gravy | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 6 months | Yes |
 Pizza | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 1–2 months | Yes |
 Prepared meals | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 2–3 months | Yes |
 Soup | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 2–3 months | Yes |
 Stew | 2 hours | 3–4 days | — | 2–3 months | Yes |
Can you freeze… cooked leftovers?
13 answers, A–Z
Does… go bad?
Signs of spoilage for every cooked leftovers item
Left out overnight
The 2-hour rule for 14 perishable foods
Numbers on this page come from USDA FoodKeeper and FSIS guidance. Last verified November 2026. How we verify our data · Report a wrong number