What's the longest you've managed to stretch something you've cooked?

[Amy :-)]

That subject line sounds a bit weird, but hopefully my example below will make it clearer.

I am interested to know how creative and economical people can be with leftovers. I would love to know some more tips and tricks to stretch food as far as it will go, as I am on a tight budget at the moment.

My best food-stretch has been with rice. I cooked 300g in TM, some of which accompanied a curry. There was leftover curry and rice for the next night, and still leftover rice to make fried rice the night after, which was still good the next day for lunch. So that's a four day, four meal stretch, which I am pretty happy with.

What have other people managed to do?

[dede]

Lol I have 7 people in my family what's left overs?

[mcmich]

Hi Amy,
I add a tin of lentils to bolognese sause - no one knows it's there and it does help it go that little bit further.
Also chick peas and kidney beans added mashed to rissoles or meat loaf help cut down on the meat content and is that little bit healthier and more economical.

[Merlin]

I always make more rice than I need for a meal as I can use them the next day or freeze some to use later on. The other useful 'stretch' food  is chicken- I make a roast chicken one night and then use the carcass to make a chicken soup later. Half of the chicken meat then gets shredded to mix with mayonnaise and then in lunch boxes for wraps etc. I can get at least 4-5 meals out of one chook!

[Twitterpated]

Does it count if you make roast chicken and then keep the skin and carcass to make tenina's stock powder which you then use in other meals??? This stretches a long long way. Not exactly a meal though. Ha ha.

[mcmich]

Yep, Twitterpatted - absoloutely counts. Stretches that chicken much further.

[bluesed]

I add grated vegetables to the meat when i cook hamburgers for the kids (carrots, zuchinni, onions) 

[dede]

Yes same here Bluesed, try to make it go as far as possible, and add extra hidden veggies is a bonus

[Cornish Cream]

Found this thread that might be of  interest to you Amy seeing that you are on a tight budget at the moment.CarolineW seems to be able to stretch 500g of mince into three recipes

[gertbysea]

Confession tIme. I love  KFC. I know. Disgusting but I found a use for the soggy chips.  I never eat them on the day. Next day day I put a small onion in the TMX, chop, add the even more disgusting soggy chips , a couple of eggs, some leftover chicken chopped ,or bacon or what ever,  some chilli ( a must for me)  and anything else you want to get rid of . Blend it all together. Pop a fry pan on the stove with butter and oil. Press the disgusting mixture  into the pan until it hits the edges. Cook or a few minutes then pop it under the grill until brown.

Yummy. Like a hash brown with flavour .

Ok shoot me.

Gert

[EmeraldSue]

I recently got 3 meals out of 500g of mince for a family of 4. I made a bolognaise sauce with loads of veges. I went through the fridge and used( I think) 2 onions, celery, 3 carrots, 2 capsicums and a zucchini. These were all chopped up into small pieces and sautéed with garlic and a couple of anchovies in a little oil. After the browned mince was added, I also put in a tin of tomatoes and a bottle of passata as well as a swig of red wine and some herbs from the garden.
We had that with pasta the first night.
The second night I combined half a cooked, puréed cauliflower to a white/cheese sauce made with 500ml milk. I then made up 2 lasagnes which we ate with a green salad over 2 nights.
I know that this is stating the obvious as everyone makes spaghetti bolognaise, but it really yummy and none of my family realises how many veges have been used to bulk out the meal.

I also make lots of soup in winter which also manages to stretch over a number of meals. I usually soak beans of some variety and cook them with a ham hock and whatever veges I've got handy.

I also freeze any leftovers in single serve portions and I take them to work for lunch and reheat them in the microwave.

[KerrynN]

Like Merlin we make a roast chook go a long way. leftovers get used in fried rice, sandwiches, pasta bake, omelette

[judydawn]

Link is not working CC.

[Cornish Cream]

Blast!! Thanks Judy iPad playing up should be sorted now 

[dede]

Well we had roast chook tonight and there is not one teeny weeny little bit of meat left on the bone. No left overs here