Wasted food is wasted money, so rather than scraping your plate into the garbage, let’s turn that leftover food into a whole new meal for later on in the week! Not a new idea, but always a timely one.

So with this idea in mind, I did some research out in cyberspace to see what the latest ideas are. I also consulted my Aunt Annie’s notes and favorite cookbooks. She was the Grand Poobah of all Things Frugal, and really knew how to stretch that grocery dollar. Here are a few tips we may already be using, and some we haven’t thought of. Many thanks to Becky Striepe of Care2 and my Aunt Annie!

1. Make 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.
(See below for a casserole recipe considered to be one of the best in the world, according to several online recipe sites.)

2. Make 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. Also, salads are a super route for leftover or stale bread slices. Just cube them, toss in melted butter with some herbs, and toast in the oven until hard and lightly browned.

3. Make soups. Combine leftovers, sauce and all, with cooked rice and some broth for a quickie leftovers soup. Depending on how saucy your dish was, you might want to spice things up with a little soy sauce, minced ginger, or garlic. If you’re feeling fancy, garnish with chopped cilantro or scallions!

4. Make fried rice. Just about anything can be mixed with rice and fried. This was one of my Aunt Annie’s favorite tricks. In a large frying pan, combine the cooked rice with your leftover food and stir to heat evenly. If the rice is looking dry, you might need to add around 1/4 c water or broth to the pan to moisten things up. The rice will absorb most of the liquid, and the rest will cook down to make a yummy sauce.

5. Make sauce. If you have a lot of veggies that you couldn’t finish, you can turn them into a nutritious sauce that’s great on pasta. Just heat the veggies with some broth and spices of your choice, then puree to create a flavorful sauce. If you like things creamier, add a cooked potato to the mix. Yum! Another idea: After slow cooking my roasts over a bed of carrots, celery and onions, the meat gets eaten and the juice gets reduced to an amazing sauce base. So I puree the vegetables with the meat juices, then boil, reduce, and I mix in other ingredients for a heartier sauce. I use this as a topping for pizza, burgers, etc.

6. Make wraps. Burritos and wraps used to mean some combination of beans, rice, and veggies. But we’ve come a long way in our thinking from the traditional burrito. Now we’re using everything from leftover tossed salad, chicken, pot roast, even steamed veggies. Think outside the box! Thai or Indian leftovers would be delicious wrapped in a tortilla with some sliced potato and shredded spinach, for example.

7. Make juices or smoothies. Don’t toss the fruit that’s turning brown or soft. Just check to make sure there’s no mold, and toss it all in a blender with a little leftover yogurt. This concoction also makes a very good popsicle (creamsicle) for a snack on a hot summer day!

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Poppyseed Chicken Casserole

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 sleeve buttery round crackers (such as Ritz®), crushed
1 teaspoon poppy seeds, or more if desired
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Place the chicken breasts into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the chicken breasts are no longer pink in the center, about 20 minutes. Drain the water, then shred the chicken. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the butter, crackers, and poppy seeds in a bowl; set aside.

Blend the sour cream and cream of chicken soup in a bowl; pour half of the soup mixture into a 9x9-inch baking dish. Add the shredded chicken, then pour the remaining half of the soup mixture on top. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese, then top with the cracker mixture. Bake in the preheated oven until cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly, 25 to 30 minutes.

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