What to make with what you have

The short answers

• What to make with leftover rice

  With leftover rice you can make fried rice, burrito bowls, stuffed peppers, rice soup, cheesy rice cakes, arancini or rice pudding.

• What to make with rotisserie chicken

  A rotisserie chicken gives you about 3 cups of meat, enough for chicken tacos, chicken noodle soup, enchiladas, a shortcut pot pie, fried rice, a creamy pasta or loaded salads.

• What to make with leftover turkey

  Leftover turkey makes an easy pot pie, turkey noodle soup, enchiladas, fried rice, quesadillas, a creamy turkey pasta or club sandwiches.

• What to make with eggs

  With eggs you can make a frittata, shakshuka, egg fried rice, breakfast burritos, quiche, egg muffins, deviled eggs or a quick egg drop soup.

• What to make with Greek yogurt

  Greek yogurt marinates chicken until it is tender, makes tzatziki and ranch dip, turns pasta sauce creamy, stands in for sour cream on tacos and chili, and goes into pancakes, smoothies and overnight oats.

• What to make with cottage cheese

  Cottage cheese works in pancakes, scrambled eggs, egg bites, baked pasta in place of ricotta, blended pasta sauce, flatbread, dips and no-bake desserts.

• What to make with chicken breast

  With chicken breast you can make sheet-pan fajitas, chicken parmesan, lemon chicken orzo, honey garlic chicken, fried rice, quesadillas or a creamy chicken and broccoli pasta.

• What to make with ground beef

  With ground beef you can make tacos, spaghetti bolognese, sloppy joes, skillet lasagna, cheeseburger pasta, shepherd’s pie, stuffed peppers or beef and broccoli.

• What to make with ground turkey

  With ground turkey you can make turkey meatballs, turkey taco bowls, turkey chili, Asian lettuce wraps, turkey burgers, stuffed peppers or a turkey bolognese.

• What to make with salmon

  With salmon you can make sheet-pan salmon and vegetables, teriyaki salmon bowls, honey mustard salmon, salmon cakes, creamy salmon pasta, salmon tacos or a simple lemon-garlic baked fillet.

• What to make with broccoli

  With broccoli you can make crispy parmesan roasted broccoli, broccoli cheddar soup, beef and broccoli, broccoli tots, chicken and broccoli pasta, a cheesy broccoli rice casserole or broccoli fritters.

• What to make with cabbage

  Cabbage makes egg roll in a bowl, fried cabbage with sausage, an unstuffed cabbage roll skillet, hearty cabbage soup, crunchy slaw for fish tacos, stir-fries and roasted cabbage wedges.

• What to make with pasta

  With pasta and a few pantry staples you can make garlic butter pasta, pasta with tomato sauce, baked ziti, tuna and lemon pasta, pesto pasta, pasta e fagioli or a creamy one-pot pasta.

• What to make with lentils

  Lentils make soup, red lentil curry, sloppy joes, taco filling, a hearty bolognese, shepherd’s pie and salads.

• What to make with a can of chickpeas

  With a can of chickpeas you can make chickpea curry, crispy roasted chickpeas, hummus, smashed chickpea salad sandwiches, a quick tomato and chickpea stew, grain bowls or chickpea pasta.

• What to make with canned tuna

  Canned tuna makes tuna melts, tuna noodle casserole, lemony tuna pasta, tuna patties, rice bowls, lettuce wraps and pasta salad for lunches.

• What to make with tortillas

  With tortillas you can make quesadillas, enchiladas, tortilla pizzas, breakfast burritos, baked taquitos, pinwheel wraps, a layered tortilla casserole or homemade baked chips.

• What to make with potatoes

  With potatoes you can make loaded baked potatoes, creamy potato soup, a sheet-pan sausage and potato dinner, breakfast hash, crispy smashed potatoes, shepherd’s pie or potato and egg tacos.

• What to make with ripe bananas

  With ripe bananas you can make banana bread, banana muffins, banana pancakes, oatmeal banana cookies, smoothies, baked oatmeal or one-ingredient banana “ice cream.” The browner the peel, the sweeter and more flavorful the banana, which is ideal for baking.