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Hero Recipes

Need to clear out some space in your fridge and freezer? Get inspired to use up all those lingering bits and leftovers with a Hero Recipe, designed to put them all to good use.

Watch above as Chef Jim McCarthy walks us through his favorite "Hero Recipe" for Moroccan Chickpea Stew, using up a range of vegetables and some leftover meat.

Chef McCarthy's video is just one of the amazing resources from the Virtual ReCook Cafe, an event that showcased a number of chefs' "favorite tips, tricks, techniques, and more to help home cooks get the most out of their food," put on by Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA) and Northeast Recycling Council (NERC). 

You may not know it, but you might already have a favorite Hero Recipe. Whether it's a fried rice, soup, fritatta, shepherd's pie, or a good old fashioned casserole, what's your go-to recipe for using up the last bits of ingredients and leftovers in your fridge?

Additional Recipes

Use up pantry odds and ends to make some delicious granola
Homemade Granola
Some veggies and herbs can be easily regrown from scraps.
Regrow from Scraps
Turkey Soup
Gazpacho
Apple-Pear Crumble
Yellow pot of soup on stove with wooden spoon sticking out
Beautiful Soup
Use up extra leftover veggies by making quick refrigerator pickles flavored to your taste or gifted to friends
Pickled Veggies
Onion rings are a simple and tasty way to use up bread crumbs.
Onion Rings