Meal Multipliers

From the editors of Cooking Light, these tips for using leftover ingredients will have you serving dinner in no time.

• Save leftover bread and make fresh breadcrumbs, bread pudding, croutons for salads or casseroles.

• When you cook too much pasta, save the leftovers for soups, casseroles, and pasta salads. Or mix with tuna for a salad.

• Use leftover chili to make tacos, Mexican salads, nachos, or as a baked-potato topping. Or add to cooked macaroni, top with cheese, and bake for a chili mac.

• Use leftover chicken for potpies, chicken salad, soups, stir-fry dishes, pasta salads, tacos, or chicken and rice.

• Save extra cooked rice for fried rice, rice salad, soups, and casseroles.

• Use extra boiled potatoes for potato salad, hash browns, and potato pancakes.

• Use extra marinara sauce for lasagna, spaghetti, a dip for cheese or breadsticks, atop grilled fish or broiled eggplant slices.