50 delicious recipes incorporating your leftovers
As of 2023, the most recent year with available data, some 64% of Americans report cooking the majority of their meals at home. If you count yourself among that percentage, you might already be seeing benefits like improved health and financial savings. But have you thought about how you handle your leftovers?
Issues surrounding waste continue to plague the United States. A November 2023 study from MITRE-Gallup found that each American household throws away an average of 6.2 cups of edible food every week. That translates to billions of pounds of wasted food, which in turn decomposes into methane gas—a major contributor to climate change.
Fortunately, we can all take steps to reduce our individual food waste. With the 2024 holiday season right around the corner, at-home cooks can focus on portion control, making the right amount of food for everyone instead of more than enough. Or, leftovers may be stored in the freezer to prolong their shelf life.
You can even turn those leftovers into a whole new meal. Whether a handful of greens, a few potatoes, nubs of cheese, or the dregs of a hummus container, there are plenty of recipes to put those extra bits and pieces to good use. To help you out, Stacker compiled a list of everyday leftovers recipes from Allrecipes. Keep reading to see if any of those mismatched items doing time in your fridge can find a new home before being relegated to the compost bin.
Incredibly Easy Chicken and Noodles
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Bubble 'n' Squeak
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Total: 30 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Brunch Enchiladas
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Additional: 8 hrs
- Total: 9 hrs 30 mins
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Chicken Chimichangas
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 19
- Read more about the recipe here
Turkey Pot Pie
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 20 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 1 10-inch pie
- Number of ingredients: 14
- Read more about the recipe here
Brown Rice Breakfast Porridge
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 30 mins
- Servings: 2
- Yield: 2 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Delicious Egg Salad for Sandwiches
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Additional: 10 mins
- Total: 35 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
Loaded Mashed Potato Cakes
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Total: 55 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 14
- Read more about the recipe here
Fried Rice Restaurant Style
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Garbage Soup
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 15 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 30 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Baked Potato Soup I
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Deluxe Corned Beef Hash
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
- Total: 1 hr 10 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Ham and Beans
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 2 hrs
- Additional: 8 hrs
- Total: 10 hrs 15 mins
- Servings: 7
- Yield: 7 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Pinto Bean and Chicken Casserole
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 13
- Read more about the recipe here
Creamy White Chicken Chili with Salsa Verde
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 1 hr 15 mins
- Total: 1 hr 45 mins
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 14
- Read more about the recipe here
Greek Lemon Chicken Soup
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 40 mins
- Total: 1 hr 5 mins
- Servings: 16
- Yield: 16 servings
- Number of ingredients: 13
- Read more about the recipe here
Easy Turkey Tetrazzini
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Mom's Fabulous Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuit Crust
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Additional: 10 mins
- Total: 1 hr
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 1 pot pie
- Number of ingredients: 15
- Read more about the recipe here
Basic Chicken Salad
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 5 mins
- Total: 10 mins
- Servings: 2
- Yield: 2 servings
- Number of ingredients: 6
- Read more about the recipe here
Leftover Ham -n- Potato Casserole
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 1 hr
- Total: 1 hr 15 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Easy Quiche
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Total: 1 hr
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 1 10 inch quiche
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Broccoli Chicken Divan
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Dad's Leftover Turkey Pot Pie
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Additional: 10 mins
- Total: 1 hr 30 mins
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 2 9-inch pot pies
- Number of ingredients: 15
- Read more about the recipe here
Quick and Easy Pancit
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 Servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Creamy Shrimp and Crab Bisque
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Total: 20 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Chicken a la King I
- Servings: 7
- Yield: 6 - 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Cobb Salad
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 50 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Roasted Chicken with Risotto and Caramelized Onions
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Chicken Noodle Casserole I
- Prep: 30 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 1 hr
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
White Cheese Chicken Lasagna
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 50 mins
- Total: 1 hr 15 mins
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 18
- Read more about the recipe here
Easy Tuna Casserole
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 5
- Read more about the recipe here
White Bean Chicken Chili
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 35 mins
- Servings: 9
- Yield: 8 - 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 14
- Read more about the recipe here
Monte Cristo Sandwich
- Prep: 5 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Total: 20 mins
- Servings: 1
- Yield: 1 sandwich
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Ham Bone and Green Split Pea Soup
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 2 hrs 35 mins
- Total: 2 hrs 50 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
Beef and Wine Soup with Dumplings
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Total: 1 hr
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 15
- Read more about the recipe here
Quick Pork Fried Rice
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 13
- Read more about the recipe here
Chicken Enchiladas II
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 30 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Quick and Easy Chicken Spaghetti
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 15 mins
- Total: 25 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 7
- Read more about the recipe here
Chicken Enchiladas V
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 9
- Read more about the recipe here
Cha Cha's White Chicken Chili
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 30 mins
- Servings: 4
- Yield: 4 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
Turkey Carcass Soup
- Prep: 45 mins
- Cook: 2 hrs
- Total: 2 hrs 45 mins
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 18
- Read more about the recipe here
Baked Maryland Lump Crab Cakes
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 crab cakes
- Number of ingredients: 11
- Read more about the recipe here
Chicken Noodle Soup
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
Leftover Roast Chicken Soup
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 2 hrs
- Total: 2 hrs 15 mins
- Servings: 9
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Grandma's Chicken Noodle Soup
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 10
- Read more about the recipe here
Buffalo Dip with Rotisserie Chicken
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 25 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 12
- Yield: 12 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo
- Prep: 20 mins
- Cook: 20 mins
- Total: 40 mins
- Servings: 6
- Yield: 6 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Poor Man's Pie
- Prep: 10 mins
- Cook: 35 mins
- Total: 45 mins
- Servings: 8
- Yield: 8 servings
- Number of ingredients: 8
- Read more about the recipe here
Instant Pot® Navy Bean and Ham Soup
- Prep: 15 mins
- Cook: 1 hr 5 mins
- Additional: 20 mins
- Total: 1 hr 40 mins
- Servings: 10
- Yield: 10 servings
- Number of ingredients: 12
- Read more about the recipe here
