Meal planning
Turn Leftovers Into a New Dinner
Look at what remains and identify its role: roasted vegetables are a filling, cooked grains are a base and beans can thicken a soup.
What you need
- Properly stored leftovers
- A fresh vegetable
- A sauce
- A new serving format
Put it into practice
Change the format and seasoning. Vegetables from a tray dinner can go into tacos; plain rice can become a bowl with fresh toppings.
The detail that makes a difference
Only reuse food that was handled and stored properly. Reheating cannot reliably make improperly stored food safe, so do not use smell as the only check.
Make it work in your kitchen
Start with a small batch and taste as you go. Keep a note of the ingredients and proportions you prefer so you can repeat the result. For substitutions, consider texture and cooking time as well as flavor; a softer ingredient often needs less time than a firm one.
These are practical cooking guides, not laboratory-tested recipes. Cooking times vary with ingredients, equipment and portion size. Follow package instructions where applicable.