Hate food waste? 7 creative ways to turn your leftovers into a new meal

A photograph of various prepared vegetables, leftovers and food stored in glass and plastic containers on a dark table.

Turn the last few ingredients and leftovers in your fridge into completely new dishes you can enjoy

kaisersosa67/Getty Images

kaisersosa67/Getty Images

Leftovers are a strangely controversial topic. Some people love them (eating cold pizza while standing in front of the fridge is a treasured pastime of mine). And some people can’t stand the idea of eating yesterday’s food … again!

Well, it turns out that a few of you in our audience are indeed “leftovers people.” And we’re not just talking about eating Monday’s casserole on Thursday or having that last bit of takeout chicken parm.

Some of you enjoy turning them into completely new dishes, stuffing them into ancho peppers or making Polish beet soup just to use up your fridge’s odds and ends.

Here are seven ways to transform your leftovers, shared by our audience. They come from a question we asked last month in a story and podcast episode on how to reduce food waste, by journalist Emily Siner. These have been edited for length and clarity.

Layer your leftovers in a biryani casserole

Whenever I have random bits of meat, veggie stir-fry or dal, I layer them into a baking dish, alternating with rice (leftover rice works pretty well for this). To elevate it, I throw fresh mint on top and drizzle over a little warm milk infused with saffron strands. Seal it tightly with foil, bake at 400 F, and it tastes brand new. — Pradosh Mohapatra

Smash your leftovers into a crunchy panini

Grab your favorite bread and slather it with an easy DIY aioli (whisk together mayo, olive oil, sriracha, garlic or garlic powder, lemon juice and Dijon mustard). Stuff it with your leftover meats and veggies, then hit it in the sandwich press until it’s hot and crunchy. — Pradosh Mohapatra

Don’t sleep on that chicken carcass

The one thing I look for the most is a leftover rotisserie chicken. After thanking the chicken for her service, I separate any usable meat and refrigerate. The rest goes into a stock pot with leftover frozen celery tops, onion skins and maybe the odd garlic clove. I add in bay leaf, sage powder, salt and ground pepper. After it cooks for hours, I’ll strain [the stock], taste it for flavor, and then decide what to do with it.

One of my favorite ways to use the leftover chicken and stock is to make chicken and dumplings. Another is a porridge-like soup, kind of like a juk. I put a quarter of a cup of rice, diced up vegetables and leftover chicken in 32 oz. or so of stock. Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. — Jennifer Webster

Stuff your leftovers into ancho peppers

Slice ancho peppers lengthwise into halves, de-seed them and steam with a little water in the microwave. Then stuff them with any combo of roasted veggies like onion, squash, broccoli and carrots, and rice or beans.

Make a sauce of tomatoes or tomato paste and leftover chopped herbs or dried spices like cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika and oregano. Spread a thin layer of sauce in a dish, then add the [stuffed] peppers, the rest of the sauce on top, and cover with foil. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Top with chopped cilantro if you have it. — Jennifer Sabie

Scramble your leftovers with tofu for brekkie

Chop leftover veggies and add them to tofu for a high-protein low-fat breakfast. To prep the tofu, squeeze out excess water then cube or crumble it.

Heat a teaspoon of neutral oil in a skillet over low-medium heat. Then toss the tofu with nutritional yeast and brown slightly. Add chopped veggies like peas, carrots, potatoes, green beans, limas, etc.

I also add seeds like sesame, poppy and raw pumpkin seeds; and herbs and spices like sage, turmeric, rosemary, thyme, dried onion or garlic or salt-free blend. Simmer until flavors blended.

If you have one or two pieces of fruit, slice and serve alongside for a beautiful and tasty plate. — Jennifer Sabie

Make a Polish beet soup to use up your odds and ends

Barszcz Ukraiński, a sweet and sour beet soup with chunky vegetables, can really use up a lot of odds and ends in the fridge. As long as you have the requisite beets, you can add beans, a variety of vegetables and meat if you like. Then add vinegar and sugar to taste.

Toppings include leftover boiled or mashed potatoes, hard boiled eggs, sour cream or yogurt, chopped herbs (classically dill), meat (classically kielbasa, but use what you like), horseradish, or spicy mustard. Toss the toppings in the sweet-sour soup and enjoy. — Courtney Zola

Press your leftovers into a cheesy quesadilla

Flour tortillas stay great forever in the fridge and are always looking for a way to get into trouble. Add any combo of meat, like shrimp, and veggies, like charred onions or mushrooms, with shredded cheese. — Paula Stellefson

The story was edited by Meghan Keane. The visual editor is CJ Riculan. We’d love to hear from you. Leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823, or email us at LifeKit@npr.org.

Listen to Life Kit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and sign up for our newsletter. Follow us on Instagram: @nprlifekit.

NPR Topics: News wp:paragraph