Nothing ruins perfectly good food quite like eating it over and over again. When dealing with leftovers, think outside the box! There are a variety of meals you can make from leftover chicken, veggies, and bread – and putting together something different ensures that meal 2, 3, and 4 will be just as good as the first! Added bonus: you save money on groceries if you can make the most out of what you have!

Leftover Bread
Not sure what to do with that lonely loaf? Try making morning after french toast or a delicious bread pudding (which was actually invented as a way to use stale, old bread). If you want to get really creative, you can make croutons by dicing up your bread, coating them with olive oil, and baking them in the oven. Another idea that is especially handy for future recipes is to grind up your bread to make bread crumbs.

Leftover Chicken
If you have leftover chicken, the first thing you should do is shred it. Shredded chicken is versatile and can be incorporated into a variety of recipes. Fpr example you can make shredded chicken quesadillas, or a chicken salad. If you have more time on your hands, make a chicken pot pie!

Leftover Veggies
Veggies are versatile, and can be incorporated into a ton of dishes. One of the easiest things to do with leftover veggies is to roast them with a little bit of salt, pepper, and olive oil – it will taste great with rice, or in a sandwich. You can also make veggie stir fry by sauteing your leftovers in soy sauce and sesame oil, served over brown rice.

Leftovers need love, too. Enjoy!

-Shalyn Tharayil