Buzz
Leftovers can sometimes feel like a challenge. While there are those rare occasions where you can't wait to enjoy the last bit of a delicious meal cold the next day, that's not always the case. More often than not, I end up with small amounts of leftovers—ingredients I didn’t particularly enjoy, or random bits I can’t seem to use up. My main issue, though, is that I can't bear the thought of throwing away perfectly good food. Over time, I’ve gotten much better at transforming these leftovers into something new and exciting. Here are my top strategies for turning leftover meals into something special.
Ideas for reinventing leftover meals
I typically face two types of leftovers: complete meals and individual leftover ingredients. First, let’s tackle the meals. This part of the process is about reimagining dishes like sausage and peppers or chicken casseroles, giving them a fresh twist for a second round.
Repurposing leftovers as pizza toppings
Do I have an unusual attachment to personal-sized pizzas? Who can say for sure. But this ongoing obsession has made me confident in declaring that leftovers are perfect for pizza toppings. If pizza places can pile on things like chopped chicken cutlets and penne, why not do the same at home? Here’s my favorite method for turning leftovers into pizza. All you need is a ball of thawed pizza dough from the store and some cheese to hold it all together.
Wrap ‘em up like an egg roll
What do a stray container of leftover brisket, green curry chicken from three days ago, and sausage and peppers from Sunday have in common? They’re all perfect candidates for being wrapped in a crispy egg roll shell. Repurposing your leftovers into egg rolls is super easy when you grab a pack of premade wrappers from the refrigerated section of your local grocery store. Once you’ve placed your tasty leftovers in the center, just deep fry or air fry them for a delightful lunch or dinner.
Layering leftovers into a lasagna
Think of leftover food as an ingredient in search of a new home, whether that’s pizza dough or an egg roll wrapper. Pasta noodles also make a great base. Instead of tossing your leftovers with spaghetti, consider turning them into a stacked lasagna. It’s not only more impressive but, in my opinion, more appetizing too. While I’m using Thanksgiving leftovers here, the possibilities are endless. Boil up some pasta noodles and layer them with your leftovers—thinly sliced meatloaf, creamy spinach, or even vegan dumplings. (Yes, it’s perfectly fine to stack carbs with carbs.)
Turn your leftovers into risotto
I’ve already shown you how to make a quick risotto using leftover rice, but you can also add your leftovers into a risotto. Risotto is another versatile carb that can help transform your once-fresh ingredients into something new. Though this particular recipe is tailored to Thanksgiving leftovers, the idea applies to any leftover proteins and veggies. Just make your risotto as you normally would, and once you've added the last bit of stock, toss in your chopped leftovers to heat them through in the pot.
Create a hearty sandwich
Sandwiches are like those old episodes of your favorite show—it’s your fallback when you’re not sure what to watch (or eat, in this case). A sandwich made with leftovers is your answer when you're stuck with a big casserole from your cousin’s brunch party and don’t know what to do with it. Since leftovers often come in irregular shapes (unlike neatly sliced deli meats), I recommend using large slices of bread, and maybe skipping the toasting step. This way, the soft bread can better embrace and hold the fillings inside. Here are some ways to customize a sandwich and make it even more enjoyable.
Ideas for using common leftover ingredients
This section highlights some of the most common leftover ingredients I encounter. These are items that haven't yet made it into a complete meal—such as raw celery or leftover rice—but are nearing their end in the fridge. I rely on these recipes to prevent them from going to waste.
Creative ways to use leftover rice
There was a time when I frequently ordered Chinese takeout, which would leave me with tubs of leftover rice piling up in my freezer. Once a month, the inevitable moment would arrive when I’d have to do something with it, or risk losing valuable freezer space. That’s when I came up with a few ways to make use of leftover rice. A crispy rice cake, a quick risotto, or a hearty rice salad are all great options to keep in mind.
The issue with celery
Celery is one of those ingredients that seems to live on forever in your crisper drawer. I’m not even exaggerating—it actually grows more stalks the longer it sits there. Its main appeal is its crunch, which is why I wouldn’t recommend turning it into an egg roll or adding it to pizza. My go-to solution for leftover celery is to make this salad, where thin, diagonal slices maintain the crunch but reduce the “stringiness.” The vinaigrette adds a much-needed burst of flavor, the Thai chili brings some heat to wake up your taste buds, and the hard-boiled eggs make the dish more filling.
What to do with extra hard-boiled eggs
Boiled eggs are a quick and easy snack, so I like to cook a batch at the start of each week and store them in the fridge. However, there are times when a few eggs remain uneaten by week's end. Instead of eating them cold, I make a yam kai dao salad. By shallow frying the hard-boiled eggs, they develop a wonderfully crispy and chewy crust, while the lime and fish sauce dressing adds a deliciously tangy flavor you'll be eager to revisit with next week's batch of eggs.
Plain, cold pasta
It annoys me to no end that the 'recommended' serving size for dry pasta is only two ounces. I could easily eat a pound, but alas, society has conditioned me to be 'reasonable,' so I reluctantly store the leftover pasta for the next day. Thanks to this clever trick, I now actually look forward to the leftovers. This works for plain boiled pasta or even pasta with a light sauce. Just melt butter in a frying pan and add the cold pasta. Stir it as it warms, then let it fry until the bottom becomes crispy and golden. Serve it up right away for a delightful mix of crunchy and soft textures in your revived pasta.
That leftover half-can of coconut milk
Similar to the leftover puréed pumpkin that I didn’t need for a recipe, I often find myself with a bit of unused coconut milk in the fridge. While I’m not a fan of adding it to my coffee, I can't bear to waste such a rich, creamy ingredient. To make the most of it, I decided to turn it into a luxurious coconut pudding for one. This simple recipe calls for a cherry compote topping, but you can easily swap in another fruit, jam, or skip the topping altogether and let the smooth coconut flavor shine on its own.
