Budget helper: How to use up your leftovers
We’ve all been guilty of letting leftovers go to waste in the fridge. Here are five ideas for storing and using up your leftovers which will be good for your budget and save you time too.
We’ve all been guilty of letting leftovers go to waste in the fridge: formerly tasty meals, dutifully stored in the fridge and then never eaten. We all know this is a waste of money, a waste of time and not good for the environment.
Make a commitment to eat your leftovers – they can be a boon on a busy work night, they sure beat buying takeaway, and they make a great lunch the following day. Here are five ideas for storing and using up your leftovers which will be good for your budget and save you time too.
1. Store leftovers in single portion glass containers
When putting your leftovers in the fridge, store them in glass containers like our Hill Street ones – that way you can easily identify what they are, and they are less likely to go to waste. Use single portion containers so that you have a single meal ready to go for dinner when you come home too late to cook, or for lunch the next day.
2. Make a quick soup
The roasted veggies left over from your Sunday roast are a great base for a quick soup. They are loaded with flavour from the roast and with the addition of some chicken stock, some salt and pepper and perhaps some pesto or olive oil, and a quick blitz in the blender, and you have a tasty homemade soup with minimal effort.
3. Designate one night a week as leftover night
If your fridge contains single portions of the last few nights’ cooking, declare a leftover night and list what you have as a “menu” - your family can then choose à la carte! And the bonus – no cooking and minimal cleanup.
4. Last night’s dinner is tomorrow’s lunch
We love this one – it’s a great money saver too. Just warm it up at work in the microwave and enjoy. Often leftovers taste even nicer the next day.
5. Make a frittata or a salad
Depending on what you have left over, you can make a frittata or salad. Extra pasta or cooked veggies are ideal for a frittata – they’re a great way to use up an excess of eggs and fresh leafy veggies from the crisper too. Try this one using leftover rice. Use up leftover chicken in this Waldorf Salad or use leftover steak in this delicious homemade Steak Sandwich with the lot!
