What Can I Make With Scraps?
Reducing Food Waste in the Home Kitchen
By Anna Hewitt, Master Food Preserver volunteer
What can I make with scraps, leftovers, stems, peels, odds, and ends?
There are nearly endless options for using up leftovers and odd bits. Be creative, try new things. Here are some of my favorite ways to use up food:
Soup
- vegetables, cooked or raw
- tomato sauce, paste, salsa
- pasta
- cooked beans and grains
- cooked meat
- stems of herbs such as parsley or cilantro
- extra herbs fresh or dried
- stale bread can be used to thicken soups (purèe it or make bread crumbs) or turned into croutons to top soup
Stock
- vegetable scraps and peels (avoid brassicas like broccoli and cabbage. avoid beets unless you are making a beet soup with the stock)
- bones
- stems of herbs
- extra herbs, fresh or dried
Smoothies
- fruit that is too soft or mushy
- fruit that is partially eaten
- yogurt
- applesauce
- juice
- milks
- nuts/nut butters
Pesto
- herbs
- greens like kale or spinach
- stems from cilantro or parsley
- carrot tops
- seeds
- garlic
- citrus zest
Veggie Burgers
- cooked vegetables
- cooked grains and beans
- small amounts of cheese
- herbs
- cilantro and parsley stems
Muffins/Pancakes/Waffles
- cooked grains
- fruit
- buttermilk
- yogurt
- milk
- citrus zest
Pizza or Calzones
Top pizzas or fill calzones with:
- pesto
- tomato sauce
- cheese of all kinds
- cooked or raw vegetables
- cooked meats
- garlic, onions
Savory Pie or Empanadas
Fill with:
- mashed potatoes
- cooked vegetables
- leftover curry
- leftover stew
- cooked beans and grains
- cheeses
Savory Pancakes
- cooked grains
- shredded broccoli stems
- carrots
- potatoes
- parsnips
- winter squash
- zucchini
- eggs
- cheese
Salad/Slaw
- shredded broccoli stems
- herbs
- cilantro and parsley stems
- cabbage
- kale
- fruit
- nuts and seeds
- cooked grains and beans
Bread crumbs/Croutons
Use stale or extra bread to make:
- croutons
- bread crumbs
- panzanella
- baked French toast
- egg-in-the-hole
- casseroles
Cakes
- use just a bit of extra dairy to bake a cake
- sour cream
- yogurt
- buttermilk
- citrus zest
Ferment
- extra vegetables that are still very fresh such as:
- cabbage, broccoli stems, carrots, ginger.
- Use leftover milk to make yogurt
- Use extra cream to make crème fraîche/sour cream
- fruit scraps: peels, cores, etc. can be fermented into vinegar
Pickle
Use fruits and vegetables that are still very fresh
- cucumbers
- carrots
- watermelon rinds
- broccoli stems