They sit forlornly in refrigerator keepers, in zippered plastic bags, on saucers, or on plates, suffocating under plastic wrap. Tortured by memory of happier times, they're just waiting for the moment we'll remember they exist, pull them out of the fridge, and give them a second life by turning them into something new and delicious.

There's no need to think of them as compost fodder any longer (which they become after I've kept them around long enough to grow green or gray fuzz). It's time to think of them as opportunities! And by practicing these 5 easy ideas, we'll no longer experience opportunities MISSED (in other words, say "Good bye!" to anymore green or gray fuzz gracing your fridge foods)!

So let's start with POTATOES: How about fishcakes? If you have any cooked potatoes left over, mash them roughly. Add large flakes of cooked fish (maybe it's a leftover as well). Season and stir in some herbs or capers. Add a little beaten egg, then form this mixture into patties.

Fill three saucers separately with beaten egg, flour, and bread- or Panko-crumbs. Dip the fishcakes into each dish in turn, chill in the fridge for at least half an hour, then shallow fry the cakes in butter and oil until golden. I've also tried this with simply mashing leftover veggies and potatoes together and adding egg. This also makes a nice patty - veggies cakes. Quite tasty.

Then there's leftover bread: This didn't really happen until all our children left the nest, but now we sometimes have more bread than we know what to do with - especially if I go on a bread-baking binge. How about bread-and-butter pudding? Cut bread slices into triangles and line them in a well-buttered baking dish. Spread them with orange marmalade or another favorite jam (peach is divine). Beat some milk or cream, eggs, vanilla, and sugar together. Pour this mixture over the bread and refrigerate; cover dish with plastic wrap and set in fridge for an hour or so, giving the bread time to soak up the milk mixture.

When ready to bake, remove pan from fridge and dot each triangle with a dab of jam and pour a little melted butter over the entire lot. Bake at 325°F until nice and crispy - about an hour. Watch closely so things don't burn. This is really good.

Another easy take on the bread-and-butter pudding is a savory version. Nestle buttered bread along with tomatoes and ham, or sausage and basil. Whisk milk and eggs together; season; pour over bread and allow it to set in the fridge. When ready to bake, top it all with grated cheese. Again, bake at 325°F until nice and crispy - about an hour. Watch this version closely, too, so things don't burn. This is also really good.

Leftover chicken is full of possibilities: Oodles of chicken casseroles abound, as do soup recipes. Shallow fry onions, carrots (and any other leftover veggies you have), and thyme, and stir in a little chicken broth or stock. This simmers for around 10 minutes. Add shredded or diced leftover chicken. But here's the great trick: Remove half the mixture and puree and return this to your soup pan with a little more seasoning of choice. (It's good to taste as you go.) Simmer just a little longer, then swirl in a smidge of lemon juice (maybe a teaspoon or two), and when serving, garnish each bowl of soup with a dollop of plain yogurt. This leftover dish is amazing!

Leftover spaghetti noodles buggin' ya? Think FRITTATA! In other words, the leftover pasta plays the role of the potatoes that would normally show up in a frittata. Shallow fry onion, garlic, and maybe some ham or salami. Add spaghetti. Whisk eggs, milk and grated cheese together; season, and pour over ingredients in pan. Cook for 5 minutes more before finishing off under the grill. This is great served with salad.

And a little bit of this, a little bit of that: Special fried rice is the assignment! Beat and scramble an egg; finely dice this, remove from pan and set aside. Add any bits of leftover meat and veggies you have to the frying pan with a little minced garlic and ginger. Turn up the heat and now add leftover cooked rice. Splash soy sauce over this mixture and just before serving, fold in the diced scrambled egg. This won raves at our house.

Finally, how about those leftover crusty rolls? This is one of our favorites. We cut the rolls in half and scoop out a little bread from each roll. I butter the insides well and then line each hollow with a thin slice of deli ham (if you have it - if you don't it doesn't matter). Or if you have any bacon kicking around, fry some up, crumble, and divide it into 2 parts. Sprinkle half the reserved bacon in the hollows of the rolls. Then crack an egg in each hollow and sprinkle each egg in roll with the remaining bacon crumbles. If you have any leftover cheese, grate a little over the tops of the bacon crumbles. NOTE: If you don't have bacon, and all you have is eggs, that's OK, too. However you create them, these babies make wonderful grab-and-go breakfasts when you're on the run. I've seen this using cooked asparagus spears for garnish, as well. We've done this for dinner as well.

Now we know what to do with those leftovers. Opportunities and second lives abound!

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Sources:
www.myrecipes.com
www.eggandsoldier.com
www.quintessentialruminations.wordpress.com
www.everybodylikessandwiches.com
www.mythirtyspot.com
www.imagejuicy.com
www.mueslilover.com