✨Delicious Dishes from Everyday Leftovers✨
You’d think that over the years, we’ve learned to estimate quantities perfectly. Well… think again! Even though we spend time in the kitchen every day cooking for different numbers of people, there are rarely any empty pots and pans at the end. Instead, there are three boiled potatoes, one portion of cooked spaghetti, or two slices of bread left lying around. And oops – right at the back of the fridge there’s also half an onion and some not-so-crisp-anymore carrots. Leftovers everywhere. And these leftover ingredients are the perfect base for creative leftover recipes.
Throwing food away is not an option for us – and it wasn’t for our grandparents’ generation either. Today we call it saving food, zero-waste cooking, or food waste management – but the idea stays the same: use up food scraps instead of tossing them. That’s why we’re sharing lots of ideas here on how to store leftovers properly, combine them wisely, and turn them into delicious meals. And of course, there are plenty of recipes for you to try. Get excited! Instead of exact measurements, our leftover kitchen focuses on intuitive cooking. And don’t worry – it’s easier than it sounds, we promise. It doesn’t matter if it’s yesterday’s leftovers, extra food, or a spontaneous mix of fridge finds – with a little creativity, it can quickly become a tasty meal… maybe even your new favorite dish?! How about a baked dish using leftover cooked spaghetti, one with vegan cheese leftovers, or a colorful “everything-goes” style mix? Drumroll please: Today we’re making “leftover cooking made easy,” because this article is full of delicious leftover recipes.
If you want to try avoiding food waste in the first place, meal prep planning could help reduce your food waste problem. But if, like us, you love eating something new every day, then a few simple zero-waste kitchen tips can come in handy. And what you definitely shouldn’t miss: a solid understanding of how long food lasts. Here are the key points: store food properly in the fridge to keep ingredients fresh longer, or freeze food to save leftovers. It’s worth knowing the shelf life of food in the fridge, the shelf life of frozen food, and even preserved food shelf life, as well as how to extend it.
And if you’re wondering how to tell how long food lasts – our tip: don’t just look at the date, use your senses too. A good zero-waste cookbook can also give you extra inspiration.
Here’s What You Can Make With...
… Already Cooked Potatoes
We all know that cold potatoes with a bit of vegan butter and salt taste fantastic on their own. But instead of just eating them like that, you can repurpose cooked potatoes—and there are so many ways to do it! Whether you want to prepare them in the oven, in an air fryer, or throw them into a quick casserole: there are plenty of ideas for potato leftovers.
Until then, it’s best to store the potatoes in the fridge for 3–4 days, covered but not airtight (otherwise they might mold). For peeled potatoes, the shelf life is slightly shorter—about 2–3 days.
Fun potato fact: When stored overnight in the fridge, some of the starch in the potatoes transforms into resistant starch, which is beneficial for your gut microbiome. So, potatoes cooked the day before are actually a bit healthier.
Whether sweet or savory, in a bake or soup—reusing cooked potatoes is always worth it. And to make sure you always know how to turn your leftovers into something tasty, we’ve gathered plenty of simple potato leftover recipes on our blog.
Recipes
👉🏻 Vegan fried potatoes with vegetables
👉🏻 Vegan schnitzel with potato salad
👉🏻 Stewed Cucumbers with Potatoes and Plant-Based Meatballs
👉🏻 Vegan lentil stew with sausages
👉🏻 Sourdough bread with potato & walnut
👉🏻 Vegan potato-spinach-fish stick casserole with “egg”
👉🏻 Vegan potato soup with smoked tofu
👉🏻 Vegan alpine macaroni (Älplermagronen)
👉🏻 Crispy oven potatoes with three vegan dips
👉🏻 Vegan potato dumplings with mushroom goulash and red cabbage
👉🏻 Vegan colcannon with roasted carrots
👉🏻 Vegan samosas with potato-chickpea filling
👉🏻 Vegan gözleme with spinach-potato filling
👉🏻 Mashed potatoes with creamed spinach and vegan fried eggs
👉🏻 Creamy vegan potato-broccoli casserole
📘 So far only in the cookbook: Vegan Farmer’s Breakfast
... fruit that’s not so fresh anymore
Time to apologize to your roommates and neighbors – things are about to get loud. We’re bringing out the blender, because there’s definitely a better use for overripe fruit than just watching it go bad. Luckily, the solution is right at hand: ripe banana rescue time!
In a zero-waste kitchen, creativity is key. In no time, you can whip up smoothies, juices, and banana bread from those overripe bananas. One of the most popular ways to reuse them? Baking banana bread, of course – let the banana bread variations roll!
But freezing is also a great option, whether you go with banana chunks or purée. A bit of sugar can even extend their shelf life, and in theory, you can enjoy your frozen stash for up to 12 months. Once defrosted, the texture may change a little, but they’re still perfect for smoothies and the like.
Looking for more leftover-friendly recipes? No worries: we’ve linked a few of our favorites to help you make the most of leftover food – from ripe bananas to meal scraps and even sweet uses for stale bread. Because the question “What to do with leftovers?” has way more answers than you might expect!
Recipes
👉🏻 Vegan Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce
👉🏻 Vegan Crêpes with Tofu Filling & Orange Marmalade
👉🏻 Vegan Pumpkin Banana Bread with Crumble Topping
👉🏻 Simple Vegan Banana Bread with Walnuts & Chocolate
👉🏻 Vegan Vanilla Waffles with Rhubarb Compote
👉🏻 Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes with Cherry Compote
👉🏻 Vegan Oat Waffles with Apple-Pear Compote
📘 Only in the cookbook: Plum-Cinnamon Jam, Red Berry Compote
… already cooked rice
We don’t know why, but rice always ends up cooking enough for an entire football team – you just wanted one portion, and suddenly there’s a pot full that could feed half the neighborhood. Sound familiar? Then it’s high time for some creative leftover rice ideas! Because: cooking with rice leftovers is not only super easy, it’s also delicious – and helps you consciously use up leftovers and cut down on food waste.
Cooked rice will keep in the fridge for about two to three days if stored in an airtight container. If you want to keep it longer, you can also freeze it without any problems – just pack it in a well-sealed container, and you’ll have the perfect base ready for rice-based leftover recipes– whether sweet or savory!
Still thinking, “Great, but what exactly can I make with leftover rice?” The answer: so much! For example, an Asian-inspired fried rice with soy sauce and veggies, a summery rice salad – perfect for picnics & meal prep – a creamy risotto, stuffed bell peppers, or the classic: fried rice with colorful vegetables. See? Endless possibilities. Got a sweet tooth? No problem! Sweet rice leftovers work great too – how about vegan rice pudding, rice cakes, or a quick coconut milk dessert?
Whether you’re looking for a specific recipe to use up leftover rice, or just want to know how to reuse rice, we’ve got you covered. And the best part: you’re doing something good for both yourself and the planet.
Recipes
👉🏻 Vegan Stir Fry Rice with Tofu
… already cooked pasta
We’ve all been there: you just wanted to cook a small portion of pasta, but somehow you ended up with enough to feed Taylor Swift’s entire dance crew. Don’t worry! Cooking with leftovers can be super easy and delicious – especially when you're trying to reduce food waste and use up leftovers mindfully.
Cooked spaghetti will keep for up to four days if you let it drain and cool completely before sealing it in an airtight container. If you want to keep it even longer, you can freeze it for up to three months – just toss it with a splash of olive oil first to prevent it from sticking together.
So, what can you do with leftover pasta? Cold noodles are perfect for a fresh pasta salad – ideal for hot summer days. Or just mix them with leftover sauce – like a quick and easy Bolognese remix. They're also great for baked dishes – just make sure to adjust the baking time since the pasta is already cooked.
We’ve got tons of spaghetti leftover recipes on our blog. Sooo, vegan leftovers – here we goooo!
Recipes
👉🏻 Quick Pasta Salad with Melon, Basil & Grilled Corn
👉🏻 Vegan Pasta Salad à la Ratatouille
👉🏻 Summer Pasta Salad for Every BBQ
👉🏻 Cold Udon Noodles in Sesame Sauce with Chili Soy Granules
📘 Only available in our Vegan Guide (so far): Pasta Chips, Spreads, Egg Salad, Waffles
… stale bread
First things first – everyone, please listen up: we do not feed old bread to ducks! We repeat: no leftover bread for ducks! Instead, there are some seriously genius ways to use up stale bread. Welcome to the zero waste kitchen, where we turn simple ideas into delicious creations and find smart ways to use up leftovers. With a few tricks, even the driest loaf can be easily repurposed.
Turning bread into breadcrumbs is probably the easiest way to reuse stale bread – perfect for casseroles, as a topping for pasta, or for breading. If you’re in the mood for something savory, you can use up stale bread with cheese – like baked bread or a hearty bread soup.
Can you use stale bread in sweet recipes? Absolutely! One of our favorite ideas is bread pudding – we love it best with cinnamon and apple. And if you’re looking for stale bread breakfast ideas, French toast is a classic and our go-to recipe.
If your bread is just a bit dry: simply run it briefly under water and pop it in the oven – it’ll come out crispy and delicious again. This trick also works super well for making croutons from stale bread – just cube it, season it, and bake or fry it.
When it comes to storing bread: it likes airflow, but not too much dryness. Don’t seal it in airtight plastic (it’ll mold faster), but don’t leave it out in the open either. Bread boxes, clay pots, fabric bags, or the classic paper bakery bag are ideal. And if you’ve got too much: slice it and freeze it.
Recipes
👉🏻 Vegan Bread Pudding ("Scheiterhaufen")
👉🏻 Vegan Bread Dumpling Casserole with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
… leftover mashed potatoes
Leftover mashed potatoes? As proud members of the mashed potato fan club, we almost can’t believe it happens – but apparently, it does. And if it does, there’s one golden rule: stay calm, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container. Also: start thinking about when you’ll bring it back out of the fridge to turn it into something delicious. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to three days.
Want to freeze your leftover mashed potatoes? No problem at all! It works great – just reheat them in a water bath, microwave, or pot with some plant milk or vegan cream. A cozy win all around!
Recipes
👉🏻 Sweet Vegan Potato Pancakes
👉🏻 Vegan Cottage Pie with Pumpkin
👉🏻 Vegan Potato Cakes with Spinach and Cream Cheese Filling
👉🏻 Vegan Potato Roll with Mushroom-Nut Filling and Cream Sauce
👉🏻 Vegan Potato Dumplings with Mushroom Goulash and Red Cabbage
… leftover chopped vegetables
We asked 100 people: “Name a dish you can make with chopped vegetables.” You can probably guess what 99 of them said. Yep – salad. How booooring! Why? We’ll tell you in a second. But first, the facts: most vegetables belong in the fridge and should be stored in a breathable environment. If you’re not already using the veggie drawer in your fridge, it’s time to start.
That said, some veggies are cold-sensitive – like avocados, eggplants, cucumbers, green beans, bell peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes (check out this storage temperature guide for more info).
Now, back to the fun part – way more creative than salad: so your chopping wasn’t in vain. There are tons of great zero-waste recipes for leftover veggies! Wondering what to do with leftovers? Just take a deep breath and get creative. You could turn your chopped vegetables into a soup, a curry, or even a vegan chili.
There are so many ways to make leftover meals vegan – who knew that cooking with veggie scraps could be this fun? For even more inspiration, check out our leftover vegetable recipes below. These ideas are perfect for turning leftover ingredients into tasty dishes – no waste involved! So if you want to learn how to make the most of your veggie scraps, you’re in the right place.
Recipes
👉🏻 Vegan Stir-Fry Rice with Tofu
👉🏻 Simple Vegan Vegetable Curry with Rice
👉🏻 Baked Vegetables with Dukkah and Toum
👉🏻 Quick Stir-Fry with Cashew and Rice
👉🏻 Veggie Bowl with Quinoa, Lentils, Sesame Dressing, and Crispy Chickpeas
👉🏻 Vegetable Kebab with Homemade Pita Bread
👉🏻 Vegan Puff Pastry Strudel with Mince-Vegetable Filling
📘 Only in the cookbook (so far): Veggie Skewers (Schaschlik)
