What to do with leftovers in the fridge? The 4 question method

Cooking with leftovers saves money, cuts down on waste, and means one less trip to the store. The hard part is spotting the meal hiding behind a bunch of random ingredients. This four question method works every time.

1. What needs to go first?

Open the fridge and spot what’s on its way out, the veggies going soft, the half used cream, the dish from two days ago. The meal is going to be built around those ingredients. Everything else is a bonus.

2. What’s the base?

A thrown together meal almost always rests on a simple base, one you probably already have in the cupboard.

• Eggs, for an omelet, a frittata, or baked eggs.
• Pasta or rice, for a stir fry or a bake.
• Pie dough, for a quiche or a savory tart.
• Bread, for open faced melts or savory French toast.
• Broth, for a soup.

3. What ties it together?

For a plate of leftovers to feel like a real dish, you need something to bring it together. A splash of cream, some yogurt, grated cheese, a tomato sauce, a drizzle of olive oil and herbs. That’s what turns a plate of leftovers into a recipe.

4. What’s actually missing?

Often, nothing. And when something’s missing, there’s almost always a substitute. No cream? Try cream cheese or milk with a bit of flour. No onion? A shallot or a bit of garlic. No bacon bits? Diced ham.

A few combos that work

• Leftover rice, eggs, peas, a fried rice in 10 minutes.
• Cooked pasta, cream, cheese, a pasta bake.
• Yesterday’s veggies, eggs, cheese, an oven baked frittata.
• Roast chicken, tortillas, raw veggies, wraps for everyone.
• Cooked potatoes, onion, egg, a Spanish tortilla.

Let Mon Chou take stock

In Mon Chou, the « With what I have left » button does this work for you. You snap a photo of the fridge or dictate what’s in it. Mon Chou lists what it spotted, you tap to remove anything that’s gone, and it suggests dishes, starting with the ones that need nothing bought.