Take your run-of-the-mill leftovers and make something exciting! Being a resourceful cook goes a long way in saving money at the grocery store. It can also help produce some surprisingly delicious meals from ordinary leftover food. A well-stocked pantry helps to incorporate new ingredients and create a fresh meal with vibrant flavors. Keep tortillas, salsa, ancient grains, and pesto in your pantry so you will be ready for a leftover reboot. Long-lasting root vegetables, like carrots, squash, potatoes, and cabbage, are also healthy options that can take a meal in a new direction. Here are some ideas for reinventing your leftovers.

Make a chicken salad to reuse leftover chicken, particularly a rotisserie chicken. A little mayonnaise and chopped celery will bring dry chicken back to life. Adding curry to the chicken salad is another excellent way to add a different flavor to your day-old chicken.
Leftover ground beef tastes great in a wrap or quesadillas with sautéed veggies.
Grilled fish or shrimp can be recreated when served with creamy risotto.
Rice turns into a bowl of delicious fried rice when a few veggies and an egg are added.
Pasta can find new life in a Caprese salad with a balsamic vinaigrette or pesto sauce.
Any kind of pasta or ancient grain, like quinoa, pairs well in a broccoli and cheese bake.
Old bread makes a great crunchy crouton for salads or soup.