Does anyone know of a Web site where you can enter in the food you have in your fridge and it creates a list of recipes you can cook?
Wait…I think I found one. LeftOverChef.com lets you enter whatever meat and side ingredients you have, then shares recipes. Since I am dreading eating rice and beans again tonight (I gave up meat for Lent without much thought to my stomach) I am going to test it out.
I hope they do not require you to use every ingredient – cranberries, brocoli and peanut butter would not be so tasty!
The 220 results I got hone in on apricots, for some reason. Apricot Honey Oat Bars sound tasty enough, just not what I wanted for dinner. They also suggest a vegetarian chili that I could pull off.
I did a second, more detailed search using the keyword “vegetarian” and including just the dinner-like ingredients I want to cook with. Were the results more appetizing?
Yes. The vegetarian lasagna sounds tasty, though it requires a trip to the grocery store. The minestrone soup I could make with some substitutions, thereby avoiding a grocery trip. Put it on the stove for an hour, toast a roll from the freezer and I’m good to go!
Caveats: I had to register (free) to access the recipes.
Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Using leftovers from the fridge is called every-day cooking in my house, and has been for many years. Comes from growing up during days of rationing, food shortages, and escalating food prices. I can honestly say that almost nothing goes to waste in my house. Fortunately, my family all enjoyed leftovers! BTW ~ I hope you didn’t give up fish for Lent. So many things can be done with leftover grilled salmon, and tuna is very flexible in so many kinds of dishes.
Nice! It is all about attitude, right Ellie? I did give up fish, too. All meat, in fact. I think it’s helping me lose weight! I went to the doctor’s today and I weighed in 5 pounds less than last time. 🙂
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/zip/1062017893.html
Found this on craigslist today and was reminded of people looking for free gardening classes… here you go!
Thanks for sharing!
http://www.Cookinglight.com has a section where you can plug in ingredients that you already have, and they will give you recipes for it. I “piggyback” my dinners, usually only having 2-3 original meals, and using leftover meat for days later in a variety of dishes…with increasing percentages of veggies or grains. Cheaper and healthier!
Try searching on Allrecipes. Here’s a link — http://allrecipes.com/Search/Ingredients.aspx
The best recipes I’ve found on the web (free with registration) are at AmericasTestKitchen.com and CooksCountryTV.com. While not exactly what you were searching, I find their recipes so tasty and foolproof, that everyone eats them and nothing is thrown away. There are so many recipes in just one season, I’m sure you can find something tasty to do with those refrigerator ingredients. Their books are often on sale for cheap, cheap, cheap in bargain bins.
I thought I’d re-share the Mark Bittman Recipe here, seems more appropriate. This recipe is delish and CHEAP!
3 large poblano chilies
3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large baking potatoes, peeled, cooked and cubed
1 cup cooked corn kernels
1 cup crema (or crème fraîche or sour cream), optional
Red or green salsa, more crema or crumbled cotija for garnish.
1. Over a flame, in a broiler, on a grill or in a cast iron skillet on high heat, char skins of chilies until completely black on all sides. Put in a paper or plastic bag to steam for 15 minutes. Remove, then peel or rinse away skin; remove seeds and veins and slice into strips 1/2 inch wide by 2 inches long.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat lard or oil and cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until translucent and tender. Add chili strips and salt, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, another 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add potatoes and corn, and continue cooking for a few minutes, until potatoes are heated through. Check seasonings; if you are using crema, stir in at the last minute or so of cooking. Place in warm tortillas and add condiments as you wish.
Yum! Sounds tasty. I have one leftover baked potato in the fridge. Maybe I will try this tonight. Thanks for the recipe!
you can enter whatever ingredients you want to use up & the word recipe on google or another internet search engine & you will get a plethora of recipes to use up your leftovers.
Nice! I’ll have to try this. Thanks for the tip.
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Sorry, forgot to add great post! Can’t wait to see your next post!