15 Frugal Ways to Use Leftovers This Week

Grocery prices are higher than ever, and when you throw away uneaten food, you waste money. One of the best ways to save money is to find frugal ways to use leftovers. You can create new meals with leftovers and reduce trips to the store. Here are 15 frugal ways to use leftovers this week.

1. Turn Roasted Chicken Into Sandwiches

If you have leftover roasted chicken, turn it into tasty chicken sandwiches for lunch. Take a few slices of toasted bread and spread mayonnaise on them. Put a few pieces of the roasted chicken on the bread and top with lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers. Top with the remaining slices of bread.

2. Turn Taco Filling Into Sloppy Joes

Reheat the taco filling and set aside. On a large platter, assemble six to eight slices of toasted buns. Spread mayonnaise on these buns and then add the leftover taco filling to the buns. Add other toppings such as shredded cheese, jalapeno peppers, diced tomatoes, and lettuce. Top with remaining toasted buns.

3. Shrimp Fried Rice

Do you have leftover rice? You can make shrimp fried rice at home. Start by pouring a half cup of vegetable oil into a large skillet. Add three cups of yellow onions and saute for 10 minutes. Add two cups of green onions, a cup of cooked scrambled eggs, a few teaspoons of soy sauce, salt, black pepper, and rice. Stir and cook until the rice is well-coated with soy sauce. Finally, stir in the shrimp and cook for five minutes before serving.

4. Cheesy Steak Nachos

Pour two big bags of tortilla chips on a lined baking sheet. Top the tortilla chips with the leftover steak, three cups of shredded cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, and diced yellow onions. Bake the nachos in a 350-degree preheated oven for 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted before serving.

5. Pancake Dippers With Dip or Yogurt

Here is a quick afternoon snack you can make for the kids with leftover pancakes. Cut the pancakes into medium-sized pieces and put a few on each of the kids’ plates. Put a variety of flavored dips and yogurts on the plates then serve.

6. Spicy Salmon Salad

Turn your leftover salmon into a spicy lunch salad you can take to work. In a bowl combine the salmon, a third cup of jalapenos, two teaspoons of black pepper, two teaspoons of cayenne pepper, two teaspoons of garlic powder, two teaspoons of onion powder, and your favorite vegetables. Add one and a half cups of mayonnaise and stir well. Put the salad in a container and refrigerate for later use.

7. Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches

Are you trying to get rid of leftover cookies? Turn them into fun and delicious ice cream sandwiches. On a lined baking sheet, put ten cookies. Then scoop ice cream on each of the cookies. Top the ice cream with the remaining cookies and freeze before serving.

8. Sweet Potato Fritters

Your leftover mashed sweet potatoes can become tonight’s fritters. Pour your mashed sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add one egg to the potatoes. Into a large skillet with hot vegetable oil, place spoonfuls of the sweet potato mixture. Cook for three minutes on both sides and serve with fried chicken or another meat dish.

9. Chicken and Mushroom Stir-Fry

If you have leftover chicken and mushrooms, make a chicken and mushroom stir-fry. Heat a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet and add two cups of cooked chicken, three cups of diced onions, a half cup of diced green onions, two crushed garlic cloves, and your favorite spices. Add a third cup of soy sauce, a fourth cup of cornstarch, and the leftover mushrooms. Cook for 10 minutes and serve on top of rice or noodles.

10. Baked Spaghetti

This is one of the most frugal ways to use leftovers. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. If you have leftover chili or sloppy joe mixture, mix this in with a pound of cooked and cooled spaghetti. Transfer this mixture to a large greased casserole dish and top with cheddar and Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

11. Shepherd’s Pie

Put your leftover mashed potatoes to good use with Shepherd’s pie. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Into a large greased baking dish, put a layer of meat sauce and then a layer of heated leftover mashed potatoes. Top the potatoes with lots of cheddar cheese and bake for 35 minutes.

12. Summer Berry Salad

Maybe you made fruit smoothies last week and you have leftover berries. Turn them into a healthy and refreshing summer berry salad. In a medium bowl combine three cups of berries, a half cup of plain yogurt, a third cup of watermelon, four teaspoons of honey, and crushed mint leaves. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

13. BBQ Rib Sandwiches

Leftover grilled BBQ ribs and barbecue sauce can be turned into hearty sandwiches. On six to eight pieces of toast, spread mayonnaise. Place a few pieces of leftover ribs on the toast pieces along with leftover barbecue sauce. Add some lettuce, jalapeno peppers, and tomato slices then top with remaining pieces of toast.

14. Roast Beef Salad

Did you buy too much roast beef and everyone’s tired of sandwiches? Repurpose it into a salad. In a large bowl combine the leftover roast beef, two cups of diced bell peppers, one cup of lettuce, one diced onion, your favorite spices, and a half cup of mayonnaise.

15. Chili Macaroni

Leftover chili brings pizzazz to a macaroni recipe. In a large pot, saute three cups of yellow onions, three diced garlic cloves, and two cups of diced red bell peppers. Then add leftover chili, a cup of beef broth, a cup of diced tomatoes, your favorite spices, and a pound of elbow macaroni. Cook over medium-low heat for 45 minutes then add in two cups of shredded cheese.

These leftover meals are inexpensive, healthy, and hearty. Add these to your mealtime routine when you’re tired of certain dishes and want to switch things up.