Leftovers. What a nuisance to put away! But they do come in handy when you want a fast meal or dessert. It just takes a little imagination to use up what you have saved instead of throwing it out. Leftovers can save you time and money if you find ways to use them before they turn into a science experiment.

Here are some suggestions to help you clear out your refrigerator and bread box:

#&149; Cut up meat, vegetables, potatoes, stir in gravy and heat on the stovetop for a stew.

#&149; Stir fry chopped vegetables and meat and add stir fry sauce or soy sauce.

#&149; For an easy pot pie, combine cubed meat, vegetables and cubed potatoes with gravy. Top with reduced fat biscuit topping and bake until browned.

#&149; Slice or shred roast pork or beef, combine with barbecue sauce and serve on buns or rolls.

#&149; Make soup with chunks of chicken or turkey, vegetables, noodles or rice and broth or add any of these leftovers to canned soup.

#&149; Make a pasta salad with leftover plain pasta, raw or cooked vegetables and Italian dressing. Add grated or cubed cheese.

#&149; Stir together mashed potatoes, an egg and onion powder. Form into rounds and cook until golden brown on both sides in a fry pan sprayed with cooking spray.

#&149; For shepherd's pie, combine meat, vegetables and gravy or tomato sauce and top with warm mashed potatoes. Bake in oven until potatoes are lightly browned.

#&149; Fill a tortilla or pita with shredded or sliced meat, poultry or cheese, chopped raw vegetables, shredded lettuce and salsa.

#&149; Make stir fried rice by sauteing chopped onion until soft, adding an egg and scrambling and then adding cooked rice. Season to taste with soy sauce.

#&149; Chop raw vegetables and saute until tender. Use as an omelet filling.

#&149; Use stale bread for bread crumbs, stuffing or croutons.

#&149; Add corn to pancakes or corn muffins.

#&149; Use celery tops to flavor stews, soups and stuffings.

#&149; Cut tortillas or pita into wedges, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with basil. Bake in a single layer in a 400 degrees oven until crisp. Use as a substitute for chips.

#&149; Puree soft fruit and use as a topping for frozen yogurt, angel food cake or pudding.

#&149; Make banana bread from overripe bananas or mash bananas and freeze to use later in bread, muffins or cake.

#&149; Combine cooked rice, a small amount of milk, raisins and a sprinkling of cinnamon and microwave for rice pudding.

Tip of the week:

For a wealth of recipes using only leftovers, go to the Web site

www.leftoverchef.com.

Christine Gutelius, MA, RD, CDN, is a nutrition resource educator with the

Eat Smart NY program at Cornell

Cooperative Extension of

Cayuga County

Quick Catchall Casserole

Makes 6 servings

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon oil

2 cups diced cooked meat

1 cup cooked vegetables

1 cup cooked pasta, rice or potatoes

1 can condensed cream soup (undiluted)*

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (for chicken or turkey) or thyme (beef or pork)

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth, water or milk

1 cup grated reduced fat cheddar cheese

Place onion and oil in a 2-quart casserole. Cover with wax paper or microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave 3 minutes. Stir in all remaining ingredients except cheese. Cover and microwave on medium high (70 percent) until heated through, 12-14 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave on medium-high until cheese is melted, 3-4 minutes.

*For chicken or turkey use cream of chicken soup. For pork, use cream of celery soup. For roast beef use cream of mushroom soup.

- Source: Recipe modified from

www.leftoverchef.com