With things like leftover veggies and chicken, I like a savoury crumble. You can make a great "shepherd's" pie out of leftover duck confit, cooked onions and jus.

I like to look at what's left and let it speak to me. Sometimes I make things up. Child wanted grilled cheese yesterday. I'm trying to use up odds and ends in the house before they go off to University, so I said, what can I put on that? Leftover white pearl onions I'd used in chicken noodle soup, became carmelized onions for it. Added street taco roja sauce I'd used for a copycat el diablo burger (burger with chipotle mayo, roja sauce, carmelized onions, pepper jack cheese, and habanero/serrano mixture). Inspired child picked bacon to add to it all. Viola! Less boring and got rid of two more things.

Not sure how creative it is, but I deliberately cook larger amounts of things so I can have leftovers. Leftover cooked pasta can be a salad or a casserole, for instance. Leftover rice often becomes rice pudding. Leftover coleslaw dressing makes a yummy dip.

My father wouldn't eat "leftovers" with any regularity. He had no problems with things made out of leftovers, but he didn't want to see warmed over whatever. I learned from my mother how to make stuff from leftovers, and I don't know if I can describe since it's kind of instinctive. Like Rob's speaking fridge. My father would name it different things because no one knew what it was going to be until it was done. Regular names were "refrigerator stew" and "ragout" or occasionally "goulash". Whatever it was, it had to be a true main dish. No "tapas" or "smörgåsbord", which is what he sister would do. With those, one could remember, "that was Monday", "that was yesterday". Not to be!

Depending on what there was, it really could be a stew, or a casserole, or a paella, or whatever shape it seemed to work for. Left over cheese filling could become a cheese soufflé. Left over sliced tomatoes and peppers would become a toping for baked omelette. Leftover kebabs often went into paella.

So, I've done things like savory bread pudding, and similar outré inventions, as well as the basic casseroles, or whatever I think my father would eat if he were here. Spiralized veg make a nice alternative to pasta as a base for "goulash". I don't like them sauced like pasta, but good as a nest for something goopy.

The trick is not to try to use only leftovers. Dump bits and pieces in, sure, and clean the fridge out, but if you have to make rice or add some peas or whatever, don't hesitate to add something new.

BTW, my lasagna is good cold out of the fridge and holds up well to zapping, but you can dump a little extra sauce and cheese on top and reheat in the oven, too, and it'll be good. Not that a lasagna sandwich doesn't have it's own appeal, especially if you'd eat bread with it anyway. :D

I dont really do leftovers. Very few things: pizza, pasta, maybe a pot roast. I will just reheat and eat those.

I never got into the whole idea to make something else out of leftovers. It always still tastes the same. Pot roast for example. I've seen people make Shepards pie out of it. It still tastes like pot roast. Thanksgiving leftovers turned into soup or whatever. Tastes the same. I always try really hard just to make enough for one meal, and maybe one more portion for SO. He doesn't mind leftovers. For the most part,depending on the ingredients, excess leftovers go to the dogs or the cat.

My sister had the best description of leftovers -- WLIF (whatever is left in the fridge) - if she put cheese on it it became WLIF Supreme of WLIF Deluxe.

What's a "leftover?"

I make deep fried quesadillas with leftover cooked vegetables. These are made with fresh (or reconstituted) masa, flattened to a circle, filled, and the folded over and sealed before deep frying in a wok.

I also use leftover vegetables in empanadas and piroshki/pirogi, but the deep fried quesadillas are my favorite.

I also make quesadillas with flour tortillas, which is how I had them in Texas, whereas the deep fried masa version is what I had in Mexico, especially as street food in Mexico City.

I use leftover roasted chicken to make crêpes, but sometimes I add it to rice or enchiladas.

I make large batches of my bean dip, which I use somewhat as a condiment, the way it is used in Mexico, and then I put it in burritos, migas, tacos, etc.

@Lars, Would you be willing to share your bean dip recipe? Love that idea!

I use all the leftover meats from the week in a "hash" with taters, veges etc cooked ahead and the cubed meats being thrown in only long enough to warm up.

Lars, I like the idea of a quesadilla, but I would air fry it to get a crispy, yet less greasy bite!

Frankly I think leftovers are the best! Besides soups and stews, wich only get better as the flavors marry, I love leftover meats....always makes a good sandwich. Any kind...pot roast, pork loin, chicken, salmon, meat loaf...all good

My sister in law never saved anything from a meal. One time I was visiting, and when I visited I always did a lot fo the cooking, and was helping her clean up and she was about to throw a half a grilled chicken breast and a leg into the garbage! I said what are you doing!! She said you want to eat that cold piece of chicken tomorrow? I replied maybe!

Well the next day I offered to fix lunch for the 2 of us, brother in law was at work, and I cut up the leftover chicken, added some celery a few halved grapes from the bowl on the counter, mayo, a bit of curry and some slivered almonds. She said where did you get that? I reminded her of the chicken she was going to toss.

Another time a few of us were out to dinner on a friday, and I ordered the chicken livers and mushrooms and 2 others at the table had the liver and onions. There was lots left over whbich no one seemed to want, so I said give it to me1 The next day we all were going to a college football game tail gate. I ground up the leftover livers, mushrooms and onions, added a couple of hard boiled eggs, a little raw onion, mayo and lemon juice and packed it into a crock and brought it to the tail gate and served it with some crackers! It was delicious!

Here's my bean dip recipe. I sometimes use half of a Habanero chili instead of the Serrano chilies, if I have one in my yard.

• 1-1/3 cup dried pinto (or red) beans (about 2 cups cooked)
• 1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 1 bunch of cilantro, about 2/3 cup chopped
• 1 can RoTel tomatoes (10 oz.) or similar tomatoes, diced with green chilies
• 1-2 Serrano chilies, coarsely chopped (I usually use more)
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tbsp dried oregano)
• 1 tbsp soup base—vegetable or beef (or 1 tsp salt, to taste)

Cook the beans your preferred method – I've been using a pressure cooker lately and follow the instructions that came with it. Drain the beans after cooking and discard most of the water.

Place all of the ingredients and process until the beans are pureed. I remove some of the seeds from the chilies and save them, in case it comes out too bland. You can remove more seeds, if you like it mild. Add some of the bean cooking water if it comes out too thick, but you should not need more than a couple of tablespoons.

Serve warm or cold with tortilla chips.

Yield: one quart.