A heel of bread here, a nubbin of celery there, these are often items that go bad before they can be used up. Learn how to handle them and you’ll achieve total leftover dominance! Leftovers may dry out as solids soak up the liquid over time. Resuscitate them and change the flavor by adding a different liquid. You can bolster the dish by adding a fresh ingredient and a new herb. Or puree it so it’s texture goes from chunky to smooth.
Add stock to your casserole and serve as a hot soup. This works well for casseroles that contain rice or beans. I have a favorite casserole I like to make that is basically sausage, lentils and tomatoes. To make a delicious soup I add a container of lentil soup. It’s delicious!
Make a stir-fry using leftovers. Just refry with a new ingredients and add some salad dressing. Thin with a sauce and serve over pasta, lentils or grains. I think stir-fries are one of the best ways to use up leftovers.
With leftover chickens or pork it is best not to reheat too often or the meat will dry out. Instead chop up the left overs and add to soups, stews or pasta dishes. I love using a jar of curry sauce over leftover chicken. Add some chopped carrots and make a whole new dinner!
Have some leftover celery in your crisper drawer? Chop and mix into green salads, slice the celery into thin sticks for a quick snack or add to your next soup!
There are endless ways to use up leftovers. Keep an eye on what’s in your fridge and don’t let food go to waste!
Nancy on the Home Front 
This is such a great idea!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
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I always try to “upcycle” my leftovers, too. I had never considered turning a casserole into a soup!! That’s such a great idea! I have a lot of leftover casserole from last night that I was considering serving over baked potatoes.
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Jamie,
LEftover casserole over baked potatoes sounds yummy too!
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Love this post, Nancy! You’ve shared some great ideas and recipes to help love our leftovers – avoiding food waste is a real passion of mine! Thank you for sharing this fantastic sustainable living post with us at Hearth and Soul.
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Thanks April,
I love finding creating ways to use up leftovers and not have to throw them away!
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I do this all the time!! i usually freeze them until ready to use…. Thanks for sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday! Hope to see you again this week! Pinned!
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Elaine,
It’s always fun to find new ways to use up leftovers! 🙂
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Soups are such a great way to use up leftovers. I’m just sad that the weather here is usually too warm for soup (Ok, not THAT sad, I’d rather it be nice than freezing!) 🙂 Thanks for sharing on the #WasteLessWednesday blog hop
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I adore making meals from leftovers – in fact they are often my best tasting ones!! #wastelesswednesday
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Rosie,
I love the challenge of cooking with leftovers! 🙂
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