Food that is left over is often either forgotten in the back of the fridge or thrown away. But if you’re cooking on a budget, one of the best skills you can learn is how to use leftovers in new ways. You can use leftovers to make new, tasty meals, which saves you time and money and cuts down on food waste. With some planning and creativity, what you ate for dinner yesterday can become today’s tasty lunch or tomorrow’s dinner idea.
Making New Dishes Out of Leftovers
Making completely new meals with leftovers is one of the best ways to use them up. This keeps your meals interesting and stops you from getting tired of eating. If you roast veggies for dinner, you can use them the next morning to make a filling omelette. Grilled chicken that you have left over can be used to make chicken salad wraps, taco fillings, or stir-fries. You can cook a lot of cheap meals when you think of leftovers as ingredients instead of just meals that have been heated up again.
Make stews and soups
Small amounts of extra meat, grains, and veggies work great in soups and stews. Sometimes, just a few roasted carrots, a handful of rice, or a single piece of chicken isn’t enough to make a full meal. But when put together, they can make a hearty soup. You can make a healthy and new meal by adding broth, spices, and maybe some canned beans or veggies.
Make fried rice and stir-fries
You can make a quick stir-fry or fried rice dish with rice and veggies that you have left over. They are quick and easy to make for dinner. Just heat them up in a pan with some oil, garlic, and soy sauce. Put in an egg, some tofu, or meat that you’ve already cooked. You only need plain old food from your fridge and pantry—no wok or fancy items. These meals are easy to make and can be changed in a lot of ways.
Use protein to make wraps or sandwiches
To use cooked meat in sandwiches, wraps, or pita pockets, slice or cut it. Meats like chicken, turkey, steak, or even meatballs work well. When you add greens, sauces, or pickled vegetables to a meal, it tastes very different from what it was before. You can make a tasty wrap with hummus or cheese and even roasted veggies that you have left over.
Put a casserole in the oven
Another great way to use up leftovers is to make a casserole. In a baking dish, put together leftover pasta, vegetables, a protein source, and a sauce like tomato or cream sauce. Top with cheese or breadcrumbs and bake until hot and bubbly. A small amount of food can be used to feed many people, and it’s a simple way to make dinner during the week.
Make a Bowl for Grains
You can mix and match leftovers in grain bowls, which are healthy, filling, and great for breakfast. Use rice, quinoa, or couscous as a base. Put in a protein like beans, eggs, tofu, or meat, and then add any cooked or raw veggies that you still have. Add a simple sauce or dressing, and you have a colourful and healthy meal that doesn’t need any extra cooking. That way, you can save money and eat more whole foods at the same time.
Breakfast can be made with dinner leftovers
It’s easy to turn dinner leftovers into a filling breakfast. To make a quick hash, you can heat up roasted potatoes and veggies in a pan with eggs. You can make an omelette with the extra meat or add it to a breakfast sandwich. With a little milk, spice, and fruit, you can make breakfast cereal out of even leftover rice. You can get the most out of every item if you think outside the box.
Use leftovers to top pizza
Making pizza at home is fun, cheap, and a great way to use up food that you have left over. As a base, you can use naan, flatbread, or even split bread. Cover it with tomato, pesto, or garlic butter sauce. Next, put cheese on top and add extra meats, vegetables, or even cooked eggs. It needs to be baked until the top is golden and the cheese melts. This is a great way to make a meal with small amounts of different foods.
Add pasta to the dish
Pasta and leftovers go very well together. You can add cooked meat, beans, or vegetables to cooked noodles and a quick sauce like pesto, olive oil, or garlic and tomato. Grate cheese or herbs on top if you have them. It’s easy to make pasta meals quickly, and you can use almost any extra food to make a filling dinner.
Freeze extra food for later use
You can freeze extras for another time if you have too much and don’t want to eat the same thing for three days in a row. You can freeze soups, stews, casseroles, cooked grains, and meat that has been sliced. You can get a ready-made meal on a busy night by writing the date and what’s inside on the containers. One of the smartest ways to save money and avoid waste is to freeze food before it goes bad.
Make snacks or starters
There’s no need for leftovers to turn into full meals. Small amounts can be used as snacks or starters again. You can make dips or spreads from cooked vegetables that you have left over. Cut up pieces of meat and cheese can be used to make quesadillas or small sandwiches. You can make rice balls or crispy patties out of a small bowl of rice. With a little creativity, even the smallest pieces can be changed.
Learn how to love leftovers with your family
Getting everyone in your family to eat leftovers can help your budget even more. Change how you serve leftovers, the spice, or even the name of the food. Presentation is important. Kids or family members can help “rebuild” a meal by making bowls or tacos out of scraps. People are more likely to enjoy leftovers if they see them as a chance to be artistic instead of something dull.
Spend less, throw away less, and eat well
Leftovers aren’t just a reminder of dinner from yesterday; they’re also a chance to save money today and cook something new tomorrow. You can make even the smallest amounts taste new and good if you use your ideas. You can save a lot of money and time by cooking on a budget. One of the best ways to do this is to learn how to use what you already have. Whether you use leftovers to make soup or sandwiches, being smart about how you use them saves money on food and cuts down on waste, which is a win-win situation.
