How are you using up leftovers?

[Marthe48]

I made a savory spinach onion pie with a bread crumb crust. I've been making my own bread and don't like to waste it. I've been making bread pudding with crusts, too.

My daughter made mac and cheese with broccoli and topped with the crumbs of pita and other chips for topping.

[Jeebo]

1. That's one of the things I notice is happening...

I'm not wasting anything. Whatever food I have, I eat it all. I don't know how long it's going to be before it gets really difficult for me to get food at all. I suppose it could be said that's not exactly an answer to the question you asked, so I'll answer it this way: I'm using leftovers by making sure there are no leftovers, by eating all the food I prepare or buy.

-- Ron

[eleny]

3. Us, too!

We haven't even had a banana go soft around here. Sure, banana bread works. But we like them fresh.

[redwitch]

2. I made chicken pot pies last week.

Froze the second one in individual servings. The big problem with leftovers is getting tired of eating them and the things that freeze well alleviate some of that.

I made a huge pot of curried chicken noodle soup and we are loving it so much I haven’t frozen any.

[MuseRider]

4. Like you and I am making

a lot of soups and stews. Also baking bread. There is a place on Amazon you can get flour. My husband, while I was gone, ordered some because I did not want to run out and it has been hard to find so when I got home I found out he had ordered 30 pounds of flour! Needless to say I will be sharing a lot of flour. That makes me happy though, a trip to the neighbors house is a bit of a walk out here in the country but a dropping off of several pounds of flour might be welcome.

I was thinking of doing Mac and Cheese tonight. Gosh there are so many ways to make that that it should last a while, or would if only I had the makings of a salad to go with it.

[gibraltar72]

5. What's a leftover?

[CountAllVotes]

6. +1

No kidding!

[Lindsay]

7. Yeah, that's where I am, too.

I don't mind eating the same thing several days running. I like it, in fact, because less work for me. But I live alone, so I don't have to be considerate of anybody else's wants or needs..

[Hortensis]

15. :) "Leftovers" are what some call the second dinner.

I've never understood the term, especially when so many dishes are better the second day.

I cook because I like to eat and because we like my cooking. Cooking itself is an interest (finding new things we love to eat), not a passion for itself.

So probably two thirds of the main dishes I make are intended for at least two days, consecutive or otherwise, or and/frozen for future meals. I'm like Lindsay, but out of consideration for my husband two servings in any week is the limit.

[Phentex]

16. seems to be dog eat dog here too...

There's just three of us now but no one seems to mind eating anything in the fridge at this point. Lentil stew for breakfast? Okay!

[hlthe2b]

8. I only wish my father had lived long enough to see how frugal I have become with food.

Honestly, I've wasted less food combined for the past three years than an average week in the previous decades.

Not trying to be sanctimonious, but I just simply don't cook anything else until I've allotted a meal to finish up all the previous leftovers.

[japple]

9. I had 1/2 carton of ricotta left over and made 2 white pizzas with it using drained & dried

frozen spinach, garlic,ricotta, olive oil, pesto (from last summer's garden & frozen) a bit of mozz (had to cut off some moldy bits) and parmesan. I built the pizza on a crust made of naan from Aldi (high recommendation!!!). Actually, I had enough for 2 pizzas which I wrapped in foil and froze them for when I get a craving for pizza.

Also, I made a big pot of black beans some time before the plague and froze part of the batch. I took them out and made black beans & yellow rice, which we had in various forms for a few days.

I could eat leftovers forever. My late husband refused to eat more than one serving of leftovers, which made cooking very hard for me as leftovers can be the basis for many great meals. If it's good food, I don't understand the resistance to eat the same thing for two or three meals. Good lord, there are people who would be so grateful for anything at all and they never have anything left over. This is a good time to reflect on and be grateful for what we have and to share it with others.

[dweller]

10. single , so ...

don't make more than i can eat in 1-2 meals
it's just tougher buying in small portions, so if i buy meat (usually chicken)
i'll freeze what i can't eat in 1-2 meals ... tonite i'll have the 2nd portion of baked chicken thighs and rosemary roasted potatoes i made yesterday knowing my dinner was ready to go today ..
make a batch of pimento cheese weekly, and a batch of chicken salad also
my lunch will be both on saltines til i'm stuffed 😀
trying to eat pasta dishes several times a week with some veggies, shrimp or ital sausage mixed in, cheese etc or carbonara ... just single serving size
looking forward to some fresh veggies to start coming in..

😊 yep gaining some weight, sigh so what

✌🏼

[neeksgeek]

11. Tonight's dinner is tomorrow's lunch.

Easy to do now that my wife and I both work from home.

[Vinca]

12. I plan to turn baked beans and kielbasa into a hearty soup meal.

Saute onion, celery and diced carrots, add beans and chopped up kielbasa, then a can of diced tomatoes and chicken stock until it's the right consistency. Season with whatever hits you. I use cumin, oregano and some pepper.

[MissMillie]

13. lots of things work well in an omelet

the other day I had leftover stuffing from my stuffed eggplant. I warmed it up in the microwave for a bit, and then put it inside an omelet w/ some cheese.

Leftover meats work well in a quesadilla, or in a hash.

[dem in texas]

14. Italian White Bean and Tomato Soup

Had some white beans left over from dinner 2 days ago. I cooked the beans (about 2 cups dry) in my slow cooker with 6 garlic cloves and a tomato bullion cube, plus enough water so I had plenty of "pot likker" for soup.

To make the soup, I added a can of petite diced tomatoes and a cup of white wine (Pinot Grigio), a little more seasoning, let it simmer for about 15 minutes and I had a tasty soup, Made some toasted garlic bread and had a nice meal three people.

[spinbaby]

17. Frittata

You can include just about anything.

[Marthe48]

18. Lots of great ideas for using our resources

I haven't tossed anything but skin and bones for weeks. My daughter said she is saving vegetable scraps to boil and make stock. Last step before compost, to grow more plants

[trof]

19. We're eating them.

[Marthe48]

20. Maybe I should've asked how are you avoiding wasting food?

I usually plan 2 meals from one cooking session, and rarely throw food away.

I make my own bread, about 1 lb loaf, but after about 10 days, I want a fresh loaf, so I try to be creative using up the last of the old loaf, and stay low-carb to boot.