Leftover Meal Hacks Your Wallet Will Thank You For
When you’re on a tight budget or have a big savings goal, it’s crucial to cut corners financially wherever possible. Sometimes getting creative is necessary but can be fruitful in the end.
Your food budget is probably a big chunk of your monthly spending on necessities; it’s also notorious for quickly eating up more of your income than it should. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce your grocery spending and get it under control; properly utilizing leftovers is one of those ways. Below we’ll visit some leftover meal hacks that your wallet will thank you for.
Freeze or Dry Your Herbs and Spices
Different recipes can call for a whole slew of different herbs and spices, many of which you might not already have at home. Soon you can find yourself in a position where you might have used just a little of the fresh herbs you had to purchase, or your recipe called for just a dash of an obscure spice you don’t plan to use any time soon. Fortunately, if you dry out your fresh herbs, you can use them again for future cooking. Similarly, freezing your spices will extend their shelf life and allow you to pull them out as needed.
Set Aside a Portion When Cooking
Before you dig into the meal you just prepared, consider going ahead and setting aside a portion or two for lunch tomorrow or dinner the following evening.
Re-Grow Your Lettuce
Rethink throwing out the end of your romaine lettuce next time; you can re-grow romaine easily. Simply take the end of the lettuce and place it in a large bowl with half an inch of water. Make sure to put your lettuce in the sun and change out the water on a daily basis, and you’ll have new lettuce leaves within a few weeks. You may never need to repurchase lettuce!
Prepare a Protein Bowl
When you end up with leftover proteins such as chicken, beef, or beans turn them into a protein bowl for lunch the next day! You can mix your chicken with some rice or beans, toss in some veggies, and you’ve got an excellent and filling meal. The same can be done with beef, pork, or beans as the main protein.
Make Casseroles
Casseroles are historically one of the best ways to utilize leftover foods; mainly because there are so many different variations! Leftover chicken from tonight’s dinner can easily be transformed into a broccoli cheese casserole or a pasta bake. Pasta leftovers make an excellent baked spaghetti dish – just sprinkle on some cheese! Your options are endless.
Don’t Throw Away Pasta or Rice
It’s never a good idea to throw away unused pasta or rice from your meals. Throw your extras into the refrigerator and use them as the base for a dish the next day.
Re-Purpose Your Stale Bread
When your bread isn’t fresh anymore, it can still be used for other creations. Consider making your own croutons by dicing your bread, sprinkling on some oil and seasoning and baking to crisp perfection. Stale bread also works perfectly dipped in egg mixture for French toast.
Turn Leftover Veggies into Frittatas
Frittatas are a great way to utilize leftover veggies like spinach, peppers, onions, broccoli, and more. This egg-based dish is easy to put together and can make a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Just add your leftover veggies to your egg mixture, toss in some cheese and meat if you’d like, sprinkle in some seasoning and bake in a pie dish. This dish can be premade and baked later when needed, or even frozen!