In this post we will cover great frugal and simple uses for leftover foods instead of throwing out even the smallest amounts left in the bottom of the pan!
This post will hopefully give you some practical uses for the most seemingly unusable leftover food scraps.
Do you finish supper and wonder what in the world you’ll do with that leftover potato or the grease from the bacon?
I feel that being a thrifty housewife also means being “thrifty” in the way we handle and utilize the food we have in the house. One way we can practically do that is learning frugal and simple uses for leftover foods.
We all know that food is at one of its highest peaks right now as far as value and cost. Eggs, meat, lettuce and more.
Before getting started, let’s discuss some simple ways to save money on grocery shopping:
Frugal and simple grocery shopping tips:
- Buy when on sale and stock up
- Check the discounted sections in the store (some stores have a grocery discount section, freezer, produce, etc
- Purchase meat in bulk such as splitting a cow with someone through a local butcher shop
- Some locations have discount/bent and dent type stores. Shop there when at all possible or consider making a trip to one if it’s not in your close area.
- If you can garden then this is one of the most profitable and ways to save money on groceries
These are just a few ideas. It may not seem like a lot of savings to buy on sale or in bulk but it does actually add up.
Now let’s move on to fun ways to repurpose leftover’s!
Eggs– Scrambled eggs can be turned into a simple and yummy breakfast casserole or breakfast burritos. Consider making extra scrambled eggs to use for this very purpose!
If you have an abundance of raw eggs on hand, they can be frozen for future use. Crack several into a baggie or container (the amount that you think you will use at one time) and mark the date and amount. Another way to use up an abundance of eggs is making these sourdough mini lemon tarts.
Meat-Chunked meat, ground meat, cubed meat and more can be frozen in an ongoing bag for additions to soup, breakfast casseroles, eggs etc.
You can have separate baggies in the freezer labeled “Soup”, “Breakfasts” or just one big conglomeration of meats for anything. Whatever works best for you.
The goal to keep in mind is how to repurpose and make the most of anything we have leftover from meal preps, lunch etc.
Vegetable ends-when you are cutting carrots, or cabbage for example, take the stems and freeze them in an ongoing bag. Later make a nutritious and tasty broth by boiling the scraps with some onion and seasonings.
Berries– anytime you have some mushy berries or leftover fruit in a serving bowl, add to your “fruit” baggie in the freezer. This is a great way to save for a crisp, muffins or shakes/smoothies.
Keep in mind that fruits like cantaloupe may not be good baked, but they make excellent shakes!
Potatoes– potatoes are great to use in soups, eggs and breakfast casseroles. Never toss leftover potato pieces! You can layer them in a casserole dish with meat and scrambled eggs with a white sauce for breakfast, cube with eggs for breakfast and much more!
Bacon grease-saute vegetables in, cook potatoes, add a little to some soup for flavor.
Some helpful tips to keep in mind with freezing leftovers-ALWAYS LABEL! Label everything with contents and dates. Nothing is more frustrating then a container in the fridge that looks like gravy but could it actually be soup? (hmmm)
Another aspect of frugal and simple uses for leftover foods is to use a meal plan:
Meal planning:
I am all in favor of meal planning! If you come over to my house you’ll see a meal plan on my fridge. Meal planning offers many benefits and to anyone who procrastinates on Monday to take a few minutes to write out a menu, you’re saving tons of time in the long run. And saving money by not ending up throwing out leftover foods that don’t end up getting used.
Here’s some tips for writing out the meal plan:
Don’t stress and worry about what if you want to change a meal later on, or that you might not have enough chicken for the fajitas. Write down the menu and you can always change it later.
This is not a set in stone order that you have to follow through with. I like to keep things general sometimes. Just put down, something like, chicken and potatoes. That’s a good starting point and you can decide later how you want to prepare the chicken and potatoes.
You can also change one of the items or both later on if you want.
Remember, having a meal plan in place is so that the night before, you can look at tomorrow’s meals and make sure you have what you need, can take out meat to thaw, or decide exactly how you want to prepare and serve, say the chicken and potatoes. You can also completely change up the menu if you want for the next day. It is all up to you and in your power!
The meal plan is there to HELP you and make for less work and worry two hours before supper the next day! So enjoy your meal planning sit-down session on Monday’s. Grab a cup of coffee and some of your favorite recipe books and begin planning!
Keep a shopping list on hand for this part. Write down any specific ingredient items you need for a recipe.
There are many methods and systems you can read about on how to do meal planning. I keep mine basic and simple.
I hope this will help you if you have twinges at the thought of “how in the world do I start?”!
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Hi! I’m Rebecca, wife and mother and I love homemaking and cooking on a daily basis.
Baking healthy desserts and cooking nutritious filled foods is a passion that I have and that is reflected in the recipes I post here!
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Love the ideas! Especially left overs for breakfast. Helps make the morning less dull