Are you a home chef who’s looking for a simple way to save time in the kitchen, lower your food budget and reduce waste at the same time? Look no further than your leftovers! If you like the sound of that but find that leftovers aren’t well received in your home, then it may be time to give them the “glow up” they deserve to be embraced by your household.
Winning with leftovers begins by turning them into something new so they can be enjoyed for more than one meal (and possibly even disguised altogether!). This may mean recreating them into something new or making more than you need and then using ingredients for a variety of dishes. Let’s look at ways to level up your leftovers.
Nextovers
If you aren’t familiar with “nextovers” then you may be missing out on an opportunity to turn your leftovers into something new. With “nextovers” we intentionally repurpose some of today’s meal into another family-friendly recipe tomorrow. For example, extra spaghetti from tonight’s Italian dinner, can become this Asian-inspired recipe for noodles with vegetables. Or consider whether leftovers can be used for a quesadilla or as perfect pizza toppings.
One Recipe, Many Meals
Another strategy for saving time in the kitchen is to double your protein and use two different seasonings. For example, if you’re browning lean ground turkey, double the amount you need. Then flavor some with taco seasoning for tonight’s meal, while the rest remains unseasoned to add to chili tomorrow. Sheet pan dinners are also a meal prep winner! Add an assortment of vegetables and proteins to sheet pans to cook at once. This makes for many meals when a variety of flavors, spices and preparations are used.
Leftover Re-Do
Speaking of chili, if you have leftovers, it will be perfect for a simple baked potato or individual plate of nachos. Or the vegetables and proteins that you put on sheet pans are ideal for a salad, omelet, panini or a rice bowl. Versatile meals like these use up leftovers, while letting family members create the meal they want. These meal planning strategies start with smart shopping and having a variety of options on hand to round out meals. To make these meals come together, add items like whole grain chips, bread and tortillas to your shopping list, along with microwavable rice, packaged salads, eggs, part-skim cheese, low sodium canned beans and frozen vegetables.
For more meal planning advice visit www.hannaford.com/dietitians.
