How many times have you looked in your fridge, only to see food that has been forgotten about? Either way, you’re not alone. So many people forget about the ingredients that they have in their fridge, but there are ways for you to try and stop this kind of waste from putting a dent in your budget. If you want to creatively use your leftovers then this is the guide for you.
Create Leftovers
When you are planning your meals, it is a good idea for you to think about how you can use the extras. This can help you to get more meals for your budget. If you prepare twice the number of vegetables for one meal then you may find that you have enough to cook a soup with the next day. If you know you tend to have a lot of roast chicken leftover then cook extra rice so you have tomorrow’s lunch sorted. Little things like this can make a huge difference to the amount of time you spend in the kitchen and it can also help you to use your leftovers.
Store Smartly
Glass storage containers are great as you can reuse them as many times as you want, and you can always see what is inside. You won’t lose track of your leftovers if you do this, so make sure that you keep this in mind. You can also use some zip-lock bags, as you can label them with the date and contents with ease.
Have Lunch
Another money and time-saver would be for you to create a lunch-sized portion of your dinner and put it into a container so you can have it the next day. With a little bit of planning, you will soon find that you can create a week’s worth of lunches with ease. This can save you a great deal of money so make sure that you do not overlook this if possible.
Ingredients not Leftovers
If you have some cooked vegetables or some extra pasta then why not turn this into a frittata? Why not blend your vegetables with some whole tomatoes and then create a pasta sauce? You can also make your own burritos by using leftover rice, or meat. If you want to get really creative then why not use this cheesy and delicious hashbrown casserole recipe?
Make some Soup
If you have some steamed, grilled or even roasted vegetables then you can easily turn all of this into a soup for the next day. Take your blender and puree the vegetables and add some cups of chicken broth. You can then warm the whole thing in a pot. Make sure that you season it with some salt and pepper, before finishing it with some croutons, olive oil and pesto.
Using Stale Bread
If you have a loaf of bread from your local bakery then you may find that this loses its freshness after a day. You can half the bread and then rub it with some olive oil. You can then take half a ripe tomato and then rub the cut side with it. When you have done this, wrap it up with some tin foil and then bake it until it is warm.
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