8 Super Easy Dinners That Make REALLY Good Leftovers (cook once, eat twice!)
Ever find yourself staring at an empty grocery list, wondering what meals to plan for the week WITHOUT breaking the bank? Oh sweetie, you are so NOT not alone!
Let’s talk a minute about some easy ways to make frugal meals for dinner that also double as lunch… or another dinner the next night – and then I’ll share some of MY favorite dinner recipes that I can cook once and eat twice (or more!)
Welcome to Life Hacks for Moms - we hope you enjoy all our tips and tricks for busy moms! Please note that we use affiliate links and ads to generate income at no cost to you.Thanks for visiting - and please feel free to share!
Planning Meals That Make Good Leftovers
Since meal planning IS all about planning, here are a few tips to plan out these larger batch meals for the week (or month).
✅ Batch Cooking is the Key: When you find a recipe everyone loves, make twice as much. This way, you’ve got dinner tonight and lunch (or another dinner) tomorrow. It’s like giving yourself a high-five for being so prepared!
✅ Mix and Match Ingredients: Use simple ingredients that can work in multiple meals. Like as an example, cook a big batch of chicken, and then you’ve got meat for tacos, a filling salad, or a simple dump casserole. It’s the dinner that keeps on giving.
✅ Think One-Pot Meals: These are lifesavers. Throw everything into a pot, and voilà – dinner is served! They’re perfect for busy nights and add minimal cleanup to your workload. Plus, they’re great for leftovers since we all know many dishes taste TOTALLY better the second time around.
✅ Get Friendly with Your Freezer: Make meals in large batches and freeze portions for later. Make ahead freezer meals, soups, stews, and these freezer-friendly casserole recipes hold up well and taste just as great reheated (if not better!). Thank your past self for these frozen treasures on hectic evenings!
✅ Plan for Leftovers: When you’re meal planning, think about how tonight’s dinner can be tomorrow’s lunch. A roasted chicken one night can turn into chicken salad the next day. It’s all about working smarter, not harder.
✅ Embrace Sauces and Spices: Boring leftovers can be totally transformed by adding a new sauce or seasoning (or cheese…. everything tastes better with cheese haha!) Yesterday’s plain rice can have a whole new personality with a splash of soy sauce or spice mix (or cheese).
By making a few strategic choices, and planning ahead, you can make your meals stretch further, helping you save money and time while still enjoying delicious, and affordable, home-cooked food.
Best Leftover Meals
Below are recipes for dinner recipes that also make the best LEFTOVER meals – all highly recommended!
Best Meals To Make For Good Leftovers
Ground Beef Orzo with Tomato Cream Sauce is an ideal choice for an easy dinner that delightfully transforms into leftovers.
This one-pot wonder comes together in a breezy 30 minutes, making it perfect for those hectic weeknights when cooking time is at a premium.
The dish combines hearty ground beef with tender orzo pasta smothered in a rich tomato cream sauce, ensuring a satisfying meal for everyone at the table.
What's even better is how well it holds up for the next day.
As leftovers, this dish only gets better because the flavors continue to develop, making it even more delicious when reheated.
You can easily revive it with a splash of cream while warming it up if the orzo absorbs too much liquid in the fridge.
Its comforting, creamy texture and robust flavor profile make it a standout choice for lunch or dinner repeats
The Ham Casserole with Broccoli and Rice is considered an easy dinner that makes good leftovers for several reasons:
- Make-Ahead and One-Pot Meal: You can prepare it in advance, which saves time on busy evenings. The ingredients are combined in one pot, minimizing cleanup.
- Leftover Utilization: It's perfect for repurposing leftover ham, reducing food waste.
- Freezer-Friendly: The casserole freezes well, so you can make a large batch and store portions for future meals, offering convenience and time efficiency.
- Versatile Storage: It can be refrigerated for a few days or frozen for months, making it ideal for meal planning and quick reheating.
These features, coupled with its creamy texture and flavorful ingredients, make it a reliable and satisfying option for both immediate meals and future leftovers.
Ground Beef Stroganoff is an ideal easy dinner option that's ready in just 30 minutes, making it a lifesaver on busy weeknights.
This dish is a perfect balance of simplicity and deliciousness, relying on pantry staples like ground beef, egg noodles, and a few other ingredients to create a comforting, creamy meal without canned soups.
It's budget-friendly and family-approved, so you can feed everyone with little hassle.
Plus, this recipe is even better when made in larger batches because it makes excellent leftovers.
You can store it in the fridge for a few days, and it reheats beautifully, ensuring a quick meal the next day without compromising on taste.
This One-Pot Creamy Shells and Sausage dish is a lifesaver when you're looking for an easy dinner that doesn't compromise on flavor.
It's made in a single pot, which not only simplifies the cooking process but also enhances the flavors as they meld together during cooking. Starting with savory browned sausage, and building layers of taste with sautéed onions, garlic, and spices, this meal brings comfort and satisfaction.
The convenience doesn't stop after dinner, as this dish makes excellent leftovers.
The creamy sauce remains delicious even after reheating, making it a perfect choice for meal prep or for enjoying a hassle-free lunch the next day.
Simply store in a sealed container in the refrigerator, and you've got a ready-to-go meal that retains its creamy, cheesy goodness.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Bubble-Up Bake is an ideal go-to for busy weeknights when you want something easy yet satisfying.
This dish combines the classic flavors of chicken, ham, and Swiss cheese, all topped with Pillsbury biscuits for simplicity and comfort.
It only requires 20 minutes of prep time and an hour in total, making it a quick option without compromising on taste.
Moreover, this bake is perfect for leftovers.
The flavors meld beautifully overnight, allowing for even richer, more integrated tastes the next day.
Reheat for a wholesome lunch or another casual dinner, and enjoy the delight of minimal cooking on consecutive days.
This Chicken and Stuffing Casserole is a breeze to prepare and perfect for those busy weeknights when you want something delicious without much fuss.
With ingredients that come together in under an hour, it offers a comforting blend of creamy and savory flavors, complemented by a golden, crispy topping.
The simplicity of this dish doesn't just end on the dinner table; it makes great leftovers!
Its flavors deepen overnight, providing you with a quick, reheatable meal the next day.
Plus, it’s an efficient use of leftover chicken or vegetables, cutting down on waste and saving time on meal prep across the week.
By succeeding both in taste and practicality, this casserole ticks all the boxes for an easy, satisfying dinner that stretches beyond just one meal.
The Chicken Pot Pie Noodle Skillet is an absolute gem when you're looking for an easy dinner option that also provides excellent leftovers.
First off, it's a breeze to whip up—taking just about 25 minutes in total.
Using noodles instead of a crust simplifies everything, turning what’s traditionally a bit more involved into something manageable for any weeknight.
When it comes to those leftovers, they're just as delightful.
You can enjoy them as is, or—a personal favorite—you can transform them into a comforting chicken noodle soup with a bit of broth.
This Pizza Pasta Bake is an absolute delight for those busy nights when you need something quick the whole family WILL eat.
It combines the best of both worlds—pizza and pasta—resulting in a dish that's not only easy to prepare but also incredibly versatile.
You can customize the ingredients to suit your family's preferences - which makes it a consistent crowd-pleaser in my house.
I also love that this recipe is perfect for making ahead of time.
You can assemble the pasta bake, freeze it, and then simply bake it when needed.
This convenience extends to leftovers, as the dish tastes just as delicious when reheated, making it an ideal option for those busy weekday lunches or dinners.
With ingredients like rotini pasta, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and a generous layer of mozzarella cheese, it's a satisfying meal that's sure to become a family favorite.
Plus, the ease of preparation and flexibility in ingredients mean that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy it, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
Best Make Ahead Freezer Meals
Good Freezer Meals
This Chicken Bacon & Potato bake is a tasty freezer meal that is easy to double, triple or quadruple, so you have plenty of meals when you need one! And bonus points because... it has bacon!
Helpful tips on freezing individual meals and how to freeze meal components like veggies and proteins.
6 Crockpot Freezer Meals complete with a shopping list and everything you need to know about prepping and cooking these healthy freezer meals. All 6 of these crockpot freezer meals are perfect for the expecting mom, a sick friend/family member, or for an easy meal prep dinner throughout the week.
Dinner made easy with an easy freezer meal beef and cheese ravioli made with simple ingredients and a dash of spice.
Perfect for those of you that want to avoid eating out for lunch or purchasing pricey prepared meals, but can’t devote the time to a full-on freezer cooking session.
Freezer meal prep can be a game changer, especially during really busy seasons. Stock up your freezer with meals that are either partially prepared or cooked all the way to enjoy later on. The time you can save is amazing.
Chicken and veggies marinated with olive oil, herbs, and spices and packed in zipper bags. These easy to pack bags make it super easy to cook lunch or dinner in minutes and last up to 2 months in the freezer!
The best way to get started making freezer meals for after baby comes is to read through this entire post, pick the recipes that you want to make, and design a shopping list. Group together the fresh foods, the canned foods, and the bulk items that you may need to prep all your chosen make-ahead meals.
These make ahead casseroles below are all freezer-friendly for cheap simple freezer to oven meals on busy weeknights – plus tips for casserole dishes, freezer meal prep shortcuts and lots of recipes!
My biggest regret last time I made these Ham and Cheese Potato Bakes for the freezer was that I only make three large 9×13 pans full. This freezer meal recipe is so good. If your family loves ham, cheese, and potatoes you might want to double this recipe to yield six 9×13 pans.
Easy-to-make handy pasta dinner freezer meals! These are a great way to have dinner already made. All you have to do is heat them up and dinner is ready!
Here are 19 freezer meal prep sessions that will help you stock your freezer in no time.
Prepare some of these family-favorite freezer casseroles to have on hand next time you are in a time crunch or just don't feel like cooking.
Get a jump start on your meal planning with these 8 crock pot freezer meals, perfect for busy families. Find easy recipes for Crock Pot Ground Beef, crock pot chicken and pork.
Weekday mornings are so easy with these delicious make-ahead Breakfast Burritos! Great for on the go, camping, hiking, or regular breakfast!
7 Easy and Healthy Oven Freezer Meals in Under 2 Hours
I made this casserole ahead of time and put it in the freezer – it came out fantastic!!! I put crushed Tostitos on top and finished with sour cream….Love, love it!!!
Mama always said – the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach! Even if you have a picky eater husband, you know this to be true.
So let’s bring on the comfort food in the form of romantic little mini single serve casseroles to serve your special someone for Valentine’s dinner or ANY special date night meal!
More Inexpensive Meals To Try:
