Rach is a big fan of what she calls "rollover meals" — where one recipe can be repurposed to make additional meals throughout the week. Not only does this save you time, but it also helps stretch your grocery budget further, because dinner leftovers won't go to waste.
If you're looking for ways to use up your leftovers, check out our master list of rollover meals, bottom-of-the-jar recipes and other creative ideas for turning leftovers like day-old bread, rice, cooked meat, veggies and more into new dishes for lunch, dinner and dessert.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER RICE
MAKE: Coconut Rice Pudding Made With Leftover Rice
Gail Simmons shows you how to transform plain leftover rice into a creamy, gluten-free dessert with spices + coconut milk.
MAKE: Leftover Risotto Balls
Turn leftover risotto into a whole new dish with this recipe.
MAKE: Rachael's Fried Rice Balls (Made With Leftover Pork Fried Rice)
It's easy to transform leftover pork fried rice into a tasty, crunchy appetizer with this recipe from Rach.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER BREAD
MAKE: Bread Pudding With Bourbon-Butter Sauce
Day-old bread is the secret to any bread pudding, but Gail Simmons' bourbon-butter sauce makes this version a cut above.
MAKE: Garlic Croutons
You only need 3 ingredients plus a few pantry staples to make these delicious homemade garlic croutons.
MAKE: Garlic Bread Mac & Cheese
Rach's fool-proof mac and cheese base gets a tasty dose of garlic breadcrumbs in this yummy comfort food mash-up.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER FRESH VEGETABLES
MAKE: Jacques Pépin's Fridge Soup
Jacques Pépin shows you how to make an easy soup using fridge leftovers and vegetables.
MAKE: Leftover Crudités Two Ways
Two ways to repurpose leftover crudités: a light and a rich version.
MAKE: Carrot Top Pesto with Whole Grain Penne
Rach's favorite use for leftover leafy carrot tops is to turn it into this yummy pesto.
MAKE: Hard Core Carpaccio
Chef Curtis Stone turns veggie scraps into a delicious, zero-waste salad.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER BAKED POTATOES
MAKE: Scallops Newburg-Stuffed Potatoes
Scallops Newburg-Stuffed Potatoes = a decadent meal you can make at home.
MAKE: Corned Beef Hash-Stuffed Potatoes with Eggs
Leftover baked potatoes serve as the base for this rollover meal from Rach.
MAKE: Turkey Kielbasa, Sweet Potato and Leek Soup
Make-ahead baked sweet potatoes are the key to this turkey kielbasa, sweet potato + leek soup rollover meal.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER FRESH HERBS
MAKE: Leftover Herb & Celery Gin Cocktail
Use up leftover herbs in this delicious gin cocktail from entertaining guru David Burtka.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER CHICKEN
MAKE: Mushroom, Asparagus and Chicken Sauté with Rice Pilaf
Leftover poached, pulled chicken or pulled rotisserie chicken makes quick work of this weekday-friendly rollover meal.
MAKE: Chicken and Snap Pea Soup with Leeks
Rachael likes to use her leftover Poached Pulled Chicken with Lemon and Garlic or leftover pulled rotisserie chicken to make this soup.
MAKE: "Almost a Free Ride" Greek-Style Casserole
Got a bunch of leftovers in the fridge? You can use up leftover chicken, roasted veggies and rice, orzo, potatoes or pasta in this casserole.
MAKE: Amy Roloff's Chicken Noodle Rollover
This easy baked pasta dish has just 3 ingredients, including leftover chicken soup!
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER PORK
MAKE: Budget-Friendly Leftover Shredded Pork Sheet Pan Nachos
Cookbook author and mom Danielle Kartes shows you how to feed holiday houseguests for a WEEK for only $100 with this recipe + more budget-friendly meals.
MAKE: Roast Pork & Black Bean Chili
Leftover roast pork and gravy + black beans, red bell pepper & onion = easy rollover meal.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER STEAK
MAKE ONE OF THESE: Leftover Flank Steak Ideas
Reuse leftovers from a simple flank steak dinner to make steak and spinach quesadillas and an Asian-style noodle soup with bok choy, mushrooms and sprouts.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER SAUSAGE
MAKE: Sausage and Butternut Squash Pasta
This sausage and butternut squash pasta uses leftover cooked sausage, making it what Rach calls a "rollover" meal.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER BRISKET
MAKE: Leftover Brisket Tacos with Chipotle Salsa
Chef Marc Murphy whips up these juicy brisket tacos in no time! The secret? Using leftover brisket meat!
MAKE: Leftover Brisket Ragu with Pasta
Use up leftover brisket, sauce and veggies with this easy brisket ragu recipe served over pasta.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER HAM
MAKE: Cubano-Style Monte Cristo
Not only is this a clever use for leftovers, but it may also be the best sandwich you ever taste.
MAKE: Mac & Cheese with Leeks and Ham
A delicious way to use up leftover ham, especially after the holidays.
MAKE: Ham and Spinach Turnovers with Cider-Mustard Dipper
An apple cider-mustard dipper spices up these already yummy homemade ham and spinach turnovers made with leftover ham.
MAKE: Express Meal: Dinner Strata
"This is a meal you can make with less than 10 items, and it could not be easier," Rach says.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER TURKEY
MAKE: Ayesha Curry's Mom's Leftover Chicken or Turkey Soup
"Although it's a good way to use up what's left from a roast chicken, it's also perfect for the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas when there is leftover turkey to be dealt with."
MAKE: Richard Blais' Pulled Turkey BBQ Sammies with Brussels Sprout Slaw
Use up leftover turkey AND leftover cooked Brussels sprouts with this sandwich from Chef Richard Blais.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER CHEESE
MAKE: Jacques Pépin's Fromage Fort Cheese Spread
So easy—just throw leftover bits into a food processor with garlic and white wine! This was a specialty of his father's AND can be frozen.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER PIZZA
MAKE: Sunny Anderson's Leftover Pizza Croutons and Roasted Tomato Soup
Sunny Anderson's leftover pizza croutons taste great in any soup, but she loves them paired with her roasted tomato soup.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER TAKEOUT
TRY ANY OF THESE: 14 Genius Hacks For Turning Leftover Take-Out Into A Delicious 2nd Meal
Chef tips and tricks for stretching your budget with leftover pizza, wings, Mexican and Chinese food.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER CAKE
MAKE: Katie Lee's Chocolate-Orange Trifle
Katie Lee layers leftover cake with a simple chocolate whipped cream to create this yummy chocolate-orange trifle.
MAKE: Katie Lee's Dreamy Creamy Ice Cream Cake
Using leftover homemade or store-bought cake, Katie Lee creates this "Dreamy Creamy Ice Cream Cake" without breaking a sweat.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER LASAGNA NOODLES
TRY ANY OF THESE: What To Do With Leftover Lasagna Noodles If You Don't Have Classic Lasagna Ingredients Like Ricotta
Wondering what to do with leftover lasagna noodles? Rach has tons of easy recipe ideas that don't require ricotta.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER PEANUT BUTTER
MAKE: Bottom-of-the-Jar Peanut Butter Smoothie With Banana
Instead of scraping leftover peanut butter out of the jar — or worse, letting it go to waste — make a peanut butter banana smoothie right in the jar.
IF YOU HAVE LEFTOVER COFFEE
MAKE ANY OF THESE: Leftover Coffee Recipe Ideas
Leftover coffee? Rachael shares 4 recipe ideas for using up leftover brewed coffee so it doesn't go to waste.