Up until recently, I was never very good about eating leftovers. Chinese food containers would waste away in my fridge, and I'd remember the existence of last week's delicious stew only after it had gone bad.

But in my plan this year to be more frugal in the kitchen, I've made a real effort not to let anything go to waste. One of my biggest discoveries is that leftovers are far more fun if you can transform them into something else. The key is to plan ahead so that you have the ingredients for making the second night's dish, and to prepare enough of the first dish to make a second meal.

If you're worried about back-to-back meals being too similar, freeze the leftovers until you're ready to use them. Just remember: Meat and other proteins last only about 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.

Here are some of my favorite methods for repurposing dinner excesses into delicious meals for later:

If you have...
Leftover chili

Make this:
For chili casserole, combine chili with sliced turkey or veggie dogs, spread in a glass or ceramic baking pan, and top with prepared cornbread batter that's been mixed with shredded cheese. Bake at the temperature and time according to the cornbread directions—but you will probably need to add about 10 minutes of cooking time to ensure the cornbread cooks completely.)

Or this:
"Spaghetti Red" is a favorite in my husband's family. It simply involves topping cooked spaghetti noodles with chili and a handful of shredded cheese.


If you have...
Leftover cooked chicken or beef

Make this:
Cut into bite-sized pieces and stir-fry with fresh peppers, snow peas, mushrooms and broccoli. Drizzle with soy sauce and a teaspoon of sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over brown rice.

Or this:
Pot pie. Melt about 1/2 a stick of butter in a large saucepan; saute some chopped onions in the butter. Then add 1/4 cup flour, stirring rapidly until it becomes a paste with the butter and onions. Cook it for another minute or two, stirring constantly, then slowly add about 3 or 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock. Simmer until it thickens. Add your choice of frozen vegetables and chopped leftover chicken or other meat, and chopped fresh or dried herbs, such as thyme or parsley. Simmer about 5 minutes, then transfer mixture to a baking dish and top with prepared biscuits or pie crust (either ready-made or from a recipe). Cook about 15 to 20 minutes at 350˚F or until biscuits are cooked and golden and sauce is bubbling.


If you have...
Leftovers from making burritos or tacos, such as tortillas and salsa

Make this:
Breakfast burritos or migas. For migas, dice up the tortillas and brown them in a little oil until they're crisp, then scramble some eggs, adding in diced onion, salsa, diced jalapeño, cheese, or any other ingredients. Add the browned tortillas to the eggs, and serve topped with shredded cheese and light sour cream. (Or, try these breakfast tacos.)


If you have...
Leftover vegetables, such as carrots, celery or zucchini

Make this:
Make a hearty stew by dicing up vegetables in equally sized pieces (about 1/2 inch). Sweat some chopped onion in olive oil, then add remaining vegetables. Add chicken or vegetable stock, fresh or dried herbs and, if desired, pasta, rice, barley, lentils or another grain or dried legume to make the stew more substantial. Simmer over low heat until everything is tender. If you have leftover French bread that's going stale, cut it into slices, toast it, and melt some grated cheese on it under the broiler to make a crouton to serve with the stew.

What's your favorite leftover concoction?