recipes

81 Leftover-Friendly Recipes to Get You Through the Week

They’re the kind of meals you’ll want to enjoy again—and again.
SpicySweet Sambal Pork Noodles
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones

We love cooking! But that doesn’t mean we always have the time (or...energy) to cook every single meal every single day. That’s when we turn to the recipes that are not only delicious right after serving, but also as leftovers a day (or three, or four) later. Think stews that get better with age, roasted salmon that’s just as satisfying right out of the fridge, and lentils that won’t mind another day in their marinade. These leftover recipes aren’t just about dinner tonight, but the meals we can actually look forward to again—and again.

  • Image may contain Bowl Food Dish Meal Curry Soup Bowl Plant and Soup
    Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li
    1/81

    Posole Verde with Chicken

    We like toasting the canned hominy to concentrate and develop its flavor, but if that’s one step too many, it will still be awesome!

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Alison Attenborough
    2/81

    Saag Paneer, But With Feta

    This riff on the classic dish swaps paneer out for salty chunks of feta (but keeps the garlicky spiced spinach sauce).

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
    5/81

    Spicy Mushroom Larb

    Don’t even think about tossing, stirring, or shaking that pan until the mushrooms are golden brown and crisp.

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  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski
    6/81

    Kimchi-Fried Grains

    This easy stir-fry, combined with the trusty #putaneggonit, is irresistible.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminsky
    7/81

    Ice Water Salad

    A stunning salad that's as crunchy and refreshing as it gets—plus, you can make it up to six hours in advance.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    8/81

    Vegetarian Chili With Lots of Fritos

    Quick, spicy, filling, and made mostly of pantry ingredients, this chili/tortilla soup/frito pie mash-up is calling your name. (Shhh. Listen closely.) 

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  • Peden + Munk
    9/81

    Red Posole with Pork

    If you’ve never made posole, this is a good starter recipe.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Pearl Jones
    10/81

    Carbonara Lasagna

    This lasagna version of carbonara includes mild Fontina, pancetta-studded ricotta, and eggs baked right in, toad-in-the-hole style.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich 
    13/81

    Cauliflower Bolognese

    No, this isn’t some kind of joke, and you don’t have to be a vegetarian to love what’s going on here.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    14/81

    Lemony Lentils and Rice With Caramelized Onions

    This recipe is inspired by mujadara, a simple combination of lentils, rice, and onions that exists in various forms across the Middle East. It's comforting but not too rich, and it's fresh and vegetarian without relying on many perishable ingredients. In other words, it's the perfect meal for the nights in between holiday parties.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth
    15/81

    Oxtail and Red Wine Stew

    Oxtails contain a ton of collagen, which melts into the stew to create an ultra-rich, ultra-silky texture and flavor.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boystova
    16/81

    Bulgogi-Style Eggplant

    This easy weeknight pan-fried eggplant is so flavorful and pleasingly chewy, it’s practically meaty. 

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    19/81

    Cashew Nam Prik

    Nam prik is a delicious chile-based dip found all over Thailand. Here's our healthyish take on it.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou
    20/81

    The Garlickiest Fried Rice

    Crispy fried garlic on top, garlic oil leftover, and rice fried up in all of it. Garlic heaven.

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  • Photo by Stephen Kent Johnson, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
    23/81

    Party Posole Rojo

    Posole is one of the tastiest, prettiest one-pot dishes on earth. Make ahead and all that’s left to do is ice some beers and set out all the toppings.

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  • 24/81

    Broccoli and Egg Fried Rice

    A pan full of veggie-packed fried rice is one of the easiest and most satisfying weeknight dinners we know of.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Megan Hedgpeth
    25/81

    Ham Hock and White Bean Stew

    The ham hock in this stew lends a rich, smoky essence that flavors the beans from the inside out.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro
    26/81

    Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad

    Here’s the answer to your question: “What can I make on Sunday night that will taste great for my desk lunch on Wednesday?”

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    27/81

    Obe Ata Stew With Chicken and Spinach

    Obe Ata is a Nigerian sauce that incorporates floral habanero chiles and bell peppers. This recipe uses obe ata as the base for a spicy, warming chicken and sweet potato stew. 

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski
    28/81

    Feel-Better Chicken and Rice Soup

    If you want this take on classic chicken soup to have a similar consistency to congee, add 10–15 minutes to the cooking time.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova
    35/81

    Digaag Qumbe (Yogurt-Coconut Chicken)

    Warming cumin, cardamom, turmeric, and ginger make this Somali chicken stew recipe from Hawa Hassan a rich aromatic experience.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Pearl Jones
    36/81

    Okra Gumbo

    This rich, warming stew, punctuated by succulent shrimp, juicy hunks of beef, and crisp-tender okra, is one of our favorites from Toni Tipton-Martin’s new cookbook Jubilee.

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  • Photo by Caleb Adams, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone and Jennifer Ophir
    37/81

    Crispy-Skin Salmon With Miso-Honey Sauce

    Quick cooking, not-too-expensive, and super satisfying, salmon fillets are a weeknight dinner slam dunk—and our go-to method for making them is pretty much un-mess-up-able.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova
    38/81

    Curried Peanut Dip

    This creamy, spicy-sweet dip pairs with leftover rotisserie chicken, jammy eggs, cucumber spears, and roasted sweet potatoes for the perfect desk-friendly lunch.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    39/81

    A Better Turkey Chili

    Pair ground turkey with white beans and a robust dried chile purée for a bowl of winter comfort with major body and richness.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio
    40/81

    Chicken and Rice Meatballs With Hummus

    Gluten-free meatballs are as easy as adding cooled cooked rice instead of bread to ground meat.

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  • PHOTO BY CHELSIE CRAIG, FOOD STYLING BY ANNA BILLINGSKOG
    41/81

    Sheet Pan Chicken Meatballs With Tomatoes and Chickpeas

    Harissa, a spicy North African paste of chiles, garlic, and spices, is available in many large grocery stores and Middle Eastern markets—some brands come in tubes, others are sold in jars. If you can’t find it, though, substitute by mixing together your favorite hot sauce, tomato paste, a pinch or two of ground cumin, and a drizzle of olive oil. Keep playing with the ratios until you have a medium-spicy paste.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova
    42/81

    Pork and Shiitake Congee

    Since congee can take hours to make on the stovetop, we came up with a clever trick: Rinse the rice and freeze it overnight. 

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  • Photograph by Elizabeth Coetzee, prop styling by Emma Ringness, Food Styling by Emilie Fosnocht
    43/81

    BA’s Best Lasagna

    Layers of ragù and béchamel are all that’s right in this world.

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  • Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Molly Baz
    44/81

    Winter Crunch Salad

    Shredded brussels and kale, salty cheese, sweet-tart apple, and crunchy seeds make for a borderline addictive salad.

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  • Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boytsova 
    47/81

    Broccoli Cheddar Soup With Cheesy Croutons

    Our better-than-ever broccoli cheddar is lighter, brighter, and less gloppy than the kind you’d find in your corporate cafeteria—with a creaminess that comes from blended potatoes and broccoli stalks rather than heavy cream.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio
    48/81

    Crunchy Pickle Salad

    ATTN: Pickle lovers. We’re here for you.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
    51/81

    Steamed Kabocha With Ginger-Soy Dressing

    This creamy kabocha squash with a punchy ginger-soy dressing makes a case for steaming over roasting any day of the week. 

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova
    52/81

    Seedy Arepas With Black Beans and Avocado

    There are countless variations of arepas all over Colombia and Venezuela, but whether they’re stuffed with cheese, chicken, or pork, the dough starts in the same way: with arepa flour.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Chris Morocco, Prop Styling by Emily Eisen
    53/81

    Sheet-Pan Salmon and Squash With Miso Mojo

    Spiking fresh orange and lime juices with a shot of rice vinegar gives the sweet citrus flavor an edge to stand up to rich fish and earthy roasted vegetables.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Pearl Jones
    54/81

    Piri-Piri Meatballs

    Fresh piri-piri chiles can be difficult to find, so for our take on a vibrant piri-piri sauce, we subbed in a fresh Fresno chile.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Emily Eisen
    57/81

    Rice Noodles with Cashew Sauce and Crunchy Veg

    This recipe is inspired by Gado-gado, a colorful and crunchy Indonesian salad, made with a wide array of raw and cooked vegetables (and sometimes noodles). The dressing is usually peanut-based, but we used cashews. Feel free to try another tender nut such as pistachios or pecans instead.

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  • Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Molly Baz
    58/81

    Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup

    The most flavorful, hearty, and warming meal you've ever made with (almost) exclusively pantry staples.

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  • Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'mytrek Brown, Props from Meilen Ceramics
    59/81

    Quick Tomato Chicken Curry

    The honey lends a sweet, caramelize-y twist to this quick curry, but if you want to up the heat, add a big pinch of cayenne pepper. Have some thick, crusty bread handy to scoop up all the extra sauce, or serve alongside a pile of rice for a low-maintenance comfort food dinner.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Judy Mancini
    60/81

    Chicken Tikka Masala

    For this chicken tikka masala recipe, the yogurt helps tenderize the chicken; the garlic, ginger, and spices in the marinade infuse it with lots of flavor.

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  • Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li
    65/81

    Chicken Meatballs in Spring Vegetable Broth

    For this soup recipe, we skipped browning the meatballs and poached them instead. This will keep them very tender and their flavor light, which is ideal for this seasonal dish.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Kate Buckens
    66/81

    Instant Pot Chicken Stock

    You will get as much richness and depth from this stock after 40 minutes under pressure as you would from 3 hours of simmering on the stovetop.

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  • Alex Lau
    67/81

    Easiest Chicken Adobo

    We get that sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky chicken adobo flavor with minimal effort. Lazy folks, rejoice!

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  • Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima
    68/81

    Lentil Kielbassoulet

    All the satisfaction of a hearty, rich, bean-based cassoulet with none of the painstaking hours of cooking.

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
    71/81

    Big Green Lentil Salad

    Cool yogurt, crunchy seeds, and avocado turn lentils into a lunch salad you’ll actually be excited to eat.

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  • Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro
    72/81

    Slow-Roasted Salmon With Fennel, Citrus, and Chiles

    Don’t bother trying to divide this fillet into tidy portions. Instead, use a spoon to break it into perfectly imperfect pieces.

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  • Photo by David Malosh, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Cindy Diprima
    73/81

    Spicy Baked Pasta With Cheddar and Broccoli Rabe

    Alison Roman couldn’t find a baked pasta she liked. So she made one she did. 

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  • Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Olivia Mack McCool
    74/81

    Ratatouille Pasta

    If we were to round up an all-star team of summer's greatest produce, it'd look a little something like ratatouille: Eggplant and zucchini. Peppers and tomatoes. The gang's all here!

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