6 Ways to Revamp Your Leftovers

Wasted food is wasted energy, so rather than scraping your plate into the garbage or leaving leftover food at the restaurant where it will end up in the trash, try turning that leftover food into a whole new meal for later on in the week!

Not only does cooking with leftovers reduce waste, it can help stretch your food budget, too! If you’re looking to spice up your leftovers, here are some easy, tasty ways to make yesterday’s meal into a whole new dish.

1. Casseroles

The casserole route works well with all sorts of different types of leftovers like Italian, Mexican, and bar food. I don’t think I’d try this with Chinese or Thai food, but if you’re feeling adventurous, go for it!

Mix up the leftover food with some cooked pasta or rice, top with cheese (dairy or vegan will do the trick), and bake at 350F until the top of the casserole is brown.

2. Salads

Toss last night’s meal with some mixed greens and chopped veggies for a hearty salad. If your food had a lot of sauce on it, you might not even need dressing.

You can also heat the leftovers before tossing them with your greens. A warm topping on crunchy, cold lettuce adds a bit more interest to the meal.

>>Next: Soup and fried rice

1 of 3

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Joe R.

8:12AM PDT on Sep 1, 2011

Thanks.

send a green star

Magdalen B.

2:15AM PDT on Mar 21, 2011

Some great ideas here.Thank you. Actually, I think Chinese food, especially something with bean sprouts, or some Indian curry makes a great breakfast cold.

Elizabeth G.

7:44AM PST on Mar 5, 2011

I'm a student, I can't afford to throw food away! I usually just heat up whatever was left over, but I might try making a soup some cold day :)

Rachel B.

12:09PM PST on Mar 4, 2011

When I make my bread I always look for leftover rice and vegetables, put them in the food processor and then add to the bread dough. The bread is really tasty with the additions.

1:36AM PST on Feb 23, 2011

Great article! Sometimes when I feel like it, I'll make a simple pizza dough (flour, water, salt and yeast) and then toss all leftovers on top. I've ended up with some really interesting and delicious pizzas so far... =)

Laura S.

4:25PM PST on Nov 23, 2010

My favorite leftover is turkey carcass soup. Take all the bones and skin from your turkey dinner, cover with water in a large pot, add the trimmings from your vegetable side dishes (carrot peels, onion ends &/or celery tops) with some dried herbs. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 3 or 4 hours. Strain everything out and remove any extra fat.
My mother would make this the Monday after Thanksgiving, after we'd eaten all of the leftovers that we were going to eat. She would thoroughly pick off and save any meat still on the bones, but anything else still left from the Thanksgiving table was tossed in - dried out stuffing, cranberries, sweet potatoes, whatever. It was wonderful stuff.
You can either freeze the broth for later use, or serve it the same day, with the bits of turkey meat, noodles (or rice), and some added vegetables. With a nice bread and a salad, you've got dinner, one last time.

Adam P.

5:47AM PST on Nov 22, 2010

another solution is to share your leftovers with animals like dogs or cats in your neighborhood

Alison A.

12:12PM PST on Nov 21, 2010

Great, thanks for posting.

Elizabeth O.

10:23AM PST on Nov 21, 2010

Useful tips.

Alicia C.

3:35AM PST on Nov 20, 2010

Nice!