Yeah, it bugs us too. You know, those half cans of diced tomatoes, or random pieces of veggies in your crisper that seems kind of lonely in your fridge. But sometimes using leftover ingredients seems like more work than it’s worth, right? Some of you might remember Steve Martin in “Father of the Bride” really losing it over leftover hot dog buns. It’s such a funny scene because so many of us can relate. Throwing away unused food is frustrating for everyone.
At The Dinner Daily, we really try to avoid leaving you with awkward amounts of leftover ingredients. For instance, if you have to buy a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, we aim to make the recipe work with the whole can. However, this isn’t always possible, depending on the recipe. And if you’re cooking for a smaller household or just for yourself, avoiding leftovers can be even more of a challenge. Some ingredients are sold in common sizes that might be more than you need, leaving you with extra portions.
But with a bit of planning and creativity, there are plenty of ways to use leftover ingredients that can make your meals more nutritious and flavorful. Below are 10 of our favorite ways to use up those extra ingredients.
10 Tips for Using Leftover Ingredients in Meals
Common Grocery Items:
Throw leftover diced tomatoes or canned beans into breakfast eggs, omelets, or casseroles. You can also add them to soups or stews without worrying about negatively affecting the recipe.
Salad Greens:
There are so many ways to use up leftover greens, especially ones that are starting to look a bit sad in your fridge. Add greens to scrambled eggs, chop them up and toss them into skillet meals (even if the recipe doesn’t call for them), stir them into slow cooker meals before serving, or tuck them into sandwiches for lunch. Another great option is adding a handful to your morning smoothies—you’ll barely taste them, and it’s an easy way to get some greens in first thing in the day. Greens are nutritional powerhouses, so don’t let them go to waste!
Fresh Herbs:
If a recipe calls for a ¼ or ½ cup of chopped parsley, take the remainder and put it in a glass of water, storing it in the fridge. Herbs will stay fresh, just like flowers, as long as you change the water occasionally. Keeping them in view helps ensure they’re not forgotten. When I have leftover herbs, I use them in almost every meal until they’re gone. Some common uses: adding them to tuna or chicken salad, anything cooked in a skillet, sprinkled over fresh fish, or added to casseroles and stews. Herbs also add great nutrition, so use them up before they become a soggy mess in your crisper!
Leftover Veggies in the Crisper:
Let’s say you have a few ribs of celery, a couple of carrots, and one or two broccoli florets rolling around in the crisper. It might be tempting to ignore them, but even small quantities of fresh veggies can be chopped up and added to many meals. Add them to omelets, casseroles, or soups. Or chop up whatever is left, toss it with your favorite salad dressing, and enjoy a veggie salad—who said salad has to be just lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers?
Olives and Capers:
We’ve all experienced buying a jar of Kalamata olives, only to use a third of it and push the rest to the back of the fridge. Instead of letting them go to waste, get in the habit of adding olives or capers to salads for a flavor boost. I also love adding olives to a roasting pan with chicken—it gives the dish a rich, briny flavor. Capers are easy to use too—add them to sandwiches, sprinkle them on grain salads (like lentil salads), or use them as a topping for grilled seafood.
Stock or Broth:
When you open a carton of chicken stock and only need half, mark the open date on the carton so you don’t have to guess when it expires. I keep a sharpie in my kitchen utensil draw for this purpose. Then, there are many ways to use the rest! Use it in soups, or cook rice, quinoa, couscous, or pasta in the stock for extra flavor. You can also sauté veggies in it or add a splash to baked chicken to braise the meat and enhance the flavor. Before you know, the carton will be empt
Remake the Same Meal:
If you have leftover ingredients from a specific recipe, why not make it again? You’ll use up what’s left, and it will likely be easier the second time around since you know what to expect. If you don’t have enough of a particular ingredient, substitute dried herbs for fresh, swap out veggies for what’s in your fridge, or use a different grain. For example, if the recipe calls for cauliflower but you have broccoli, go ahead and swap them. The key is to get comfortable being creative—it’s one of the joys of cooking, and most meals turn out just fine.
Bread:
If you have half a loaf of bread that’s not going to be used, freeze it for another day or turn it into breadcrumbs or croutons. Too bad the Assistant Manager from the clip above didn’t suggest that to Steve Martin’s character!
Lemons/Limes:
If a recipe calls for half a lemon or lime, there are countless ways to use the remainder. Make a simple salad dressing (equal parts EVOO, fresh lemon, salt, and pepper), add it to your water, squeeze it over fresh fish, or even add it to soup for a burst of freshness.
If You’re a Dinner Daily Member:
Did you know you can use the search function on your menu to find recipes that use specific ingredients you have on hand? For example, if you have chicken, broccoli, and a carrot in your fridge, just type them into the search bar, and you’ll see recipes that use those ingredients:
It’s a great tool to really make sure you are never without ideas on how to use up your leftovers. And when you waste less, you spend less (and often end up eating better too!)
And if you are looking for some help in making dinner planning easier, check out our FREE guide below. It is packed with easy tips and tactics on how to reduce dinner overwhelm and make your weeknights calmer, and dinners more enjoyable.
You can also sign up for a FREE two-week trial of The Dinner Daily and learn first hand how we can help simplify dinner time!
