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Waste not, want not…….. What to do with leftover ingredients

Aunt Sissy’s Poppy Seed Chicken from Once a Month Meals

You don’t need to have grown up during the depression era to dislike wasting things.  Each person has their own motivation – whether it is money, the environment, or the availability of resources. The bottom line is that we don’t want to be always throwing food away. Sure you can have it for lunch the next day but that can get boring pretty quickly!  

We know that sometimes when you are prepping for a meal plan, you end up with some ingredients leftover. So whether you have 2 cups of cooked chicken, extra cooked ground beef, or some leftover veggies that you just chopped… this post will offer you various recipes to put those ingredients to good use before they expire.  

Using up those leftover ingredients to put into a quick & easy freezer meal means your effort won’t go to waste in the fridge. It means not wasting food (or the time, money, and resources that went into it). And best of all, it means you’ll have another make-ahead meal in the freezer.

Below you’ll find recipes that:

Have few ingredients… so, you’re more likely to have them on hand. 
Are easy to make… meaning you’ll be more motivated to make them.
√ Have been tested (and tasted) for quality… so, you know they’ll be yummy & hold up well in the freezer!

(Quick Tip: If none of these recipes appeal to you, you can do still find your own to make with Once A Month Meals with ease! Simply use the search bar on our recipes page. Type in the ingredient you have on hand and want to use and hit ‘enter’. Recipes with that ingredient will appear for you to sort & pick from!)

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Bowls from Eazy Peazy Mealz

Cooked Chicken

You can use cubed/shredded chicken interchangeably in most recipes.  

Shredded Chicken with Summer Veggies – Ready to Eat Dinner

Jody’s Chicken and Noodles – Dump and Go Dinner 

Low Carb Chicken Enchilada Bowl – Dump and Go Dinner

Chicken Chimichangas – Dump and Go Dinner

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice – Dump and Go Dinner

Aunt Sissy’s Poppy Seed Chicken – Dump and Go Dinner

 

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup from Cook the Story

Ground Beef

You can use ground turkey

Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Casserole – Dump and Go Dinner

Easy Freezable Beef Enchiladas – Dump and Go Dinner

Bacon Cheeseburger Soup – Dump and Go Dinner

Instant Pot Hamburger Helper – Dump and Go Dinner

Bulk Taco Meat 

Pizza Casserole – Dump and Go Dinner

Slow Cooker Creamy Sloppy Joes – Dump and Go Dinner

 

Cheesy Quinoa & Veggies from Once a Month Meals

Veggies

Eat Your Veggies Casserole – Dump and Go Dinner

Skinny Slow Cooker Southwestern Chicken and Veggies – Dump and Go Dinner 

Mini Veggie Frittatas 

Slow Cooker Veggie Taco Chili with Brown Rice – Dump and Go Dinner

Cheesy Quinoa and Veggies – Ready to Eat Dinner 

Grilled Veggie and Bean Burritos 

Sweet Potato Veggie Breakfast Wraps