Did you know that American families throw away about 25% of the food and beverages they buy each year? In fact, the estimated cost of food and beverages thrown away by the average American family each year is around $1,300 to $2,200.

Try these ideas:
1. Use leftovers for lunches or snacks.
2. Keep a container of soup in the freezer.
3. Lucky nights.
4. Have a buffet night.

When I freeze leftovers, I like to do three things:
1. Freeze leftover vegetables in 1 container.
2. Freeze leftover meat in another container.
3. Freeze vegetable, meat and pasta juices in another container.

With these three food containers I can make a variety of foods:
pans
sauces
stew
soups
mini meatloaf
meat and noodles
vegetable soup
hashish
Fried rice
quesadillas
sandwiches
jar cakes
omelettes

Make sure you don’t leave food out for more than two hours.

Put it in the fridge quickly to prevent bacteria from multiplying.

Your refrigerator temperature should be set below 40 degrees for food to stay safe.

When it’s time to reheat leftovers, bring them back to their original temperature.

Food experts say you should eat leftovers within three to four days.

Ideas for leftover recipes in this cookbook:
Pasta: Tuna Pasta Salad, Spaghetti Sandwich, Scrambled Eggs and Noodles, Burger Stew, Beef Stroganoff, Spaghetti, Vegetable Entrée, or Chicken Noodle Soup.

Bread – Rueben Sandwich, Bum’s Casserole, Pate Spread, Baked Beef, Cornbread Pie, Corned Beef Poppers, Spam – Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich, French Onion Soup, Banana Sandwich or Grilled Cheese

Cheese: Rueben Sandwich, Blue Cheese Salad Dressing, Penne Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach, Couscous Salad, Mac & Cheese, Spam Mac & Cheese, Panzanella Salad, Canned Cheese Spread, Holiday Cheese Ball, Pancake corn or fried polenta

Pizza: frittata, omelet, quiche, breakfast pizza

Rice – Currant Rice, Cold Rice Salad, Spam and Rice, Fried Rice, Fried Rice with Vegetables, Baked Rice Pudding, Spam Sushi, Sushi Wrap, Broccoli Rice Stew, Cheese Onion Rice Bake, Coconut Rice, Cucumber Sushi, Risotto Cakes, Beans and Rice, Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

Eggs: Egg Salad, Spaghetti Pie, Easter Egg Bread, Banana Bread, Center Cooked Beef, Pate Spread, Deviled Eggs with Corned Beef, Fried Rice, Second Floor Breakfast Fried Chicken Spam

Chicken – Chili Verde, Chicken and Onion Skewers, Warm Chicken and Cabbage Salad, Chicken and Broccoli, Mexican Chicken Salad, Tomato Garlic Chicken, Fried Rice, Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup, Chicken and Meatballs, Chicken Pot Pie chicken egg rolls

Beef: Beef and Bean Burrito, Ramen Taco, Beef Stew, Beef Stroganoff, Hamburger Stew, Irish Mac Sloppy Joes, Goulash, Nacho Cheese Soup, Elder’s Chili, or Green Oklahoma Stew

Pork: Carnitas, Baked Pork Chops, Mexican Pork, Gyoza, Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Bananas: Banana Bread, Banana Smoothie, Banana Sandwich, Fruit Sandwich, Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, Peanut Butter and Banana Wrap, Banana Custard

Tortilla Chips – Tortilla Soup, Mexican Eggs

Vegetables: Chicken Pot Pie Casserole, Macaroni Salad, Potato Zucchini Frittata, Roasted Vegetable Slices on Bread, Steak and Potato Frittata, Beef Salad, Couscous Salad

Potatoes: Twice Baked Potatoes, Potato Salad, Potato Gnocchi, Potato Galette, Home Fries, Baked Potato Wedges, Crispy Potato Skins, Home Fries, Potato Zucchini Frittata, Sweet Fries, Vegetable Rosti Spanish omelettes, potato patties, Canned Beef Soup, Kale and Sweet Potato Salad, Frau Weis Potato Salad

Turkey: Turkey Sandwich, Turkey Bacon and Swiss Rolls, Turkey Cabbage Bundles, Meatloaf, Meatloaf Sandwich, Turkey Burgers with Honey Dijon Mayonnaise, Turkey Stew, Six Layer Dinner, Sloppy Joes, Meatloaf Muffins, Nacho Cheese Soup