Resources for Using Up Your Leftovers
Trying to spend less on groceries and actually use the food you already bought? You’re in the right place.
These free leftover meal planning resources, recipes and guides can help you use what you already have, waste less food and stretch your grocery budget.
Start With the Free Weekly Meal Planner
A little planning makes it much easier to use leftovers before they disappear into the back of the fridge.
My free one-page weekly meal planning template gives you space to plan breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for seven days, plus a shopping list and notes section. Use the notes area to keep track of leftovers that need to be used first.
Have Leftovers? Start Here
Not sure what to do with the containers sitting in your fridge? These guides are a good place to start.
Easy Leftover Recipes
Need ideas rather than one specific ingredient? Browse easy recipes that turn leftover meat, vegetables, potatoes and other fridge finds into another meal.
Leftover Chicken Recipes
Cooked chicken is one of the easiest leftovers to turn into another lunch or dinner. Find salads, wraps, casseroles and other ways to stretch it into another meal.
See the Leftover Chicken Recipes
Leftover Mashed Potatoes
Made too many mashed potatoes again? Find ideas for storing, reheating and turning them into soups, potato cakes, shepherd’s pie and more.
See Leftover Mashed Potatoes Recipes
More Creative Ways to Use Leftovers
Sometimes the best dinner starts with a little of this and a little of that. These ideas can help you turn random fridge finds into a meal instead of throwing them away.
Browse Creative Leftovers Recipes
Find Recipes By Meal
Already know what kind of meal you need? Browse recipes by category.
Or head straight to the Leftovers category to see more ways to use what you already have.
Make Your Groceries Go Further
You don’t need an elaborate meal-planning system or a pantry full of specialty ingredients to waste less food.
Start by checking what needs to be used, plan a few meals around it, and keep a handful of flexible leftover recipes handy. Small habits like these can help stretch your grocery budget while making weeknight meals a little easier.