You can recycle the bay leaves for another use and save some money, too. Simply rinse the leaves, then pat them dry with paper towels. Use again in a savory soup or stew.
You can cut your cost by purchasing a king sandwich size loaf of bread. Cut 3 rounds from each slice of bread. Use the leftover bread scraps to make a great bread pudding.
Save money by preparing your own black-eyed peas. The leftovers make delicious Hoppin' John, a southern dish of equal parts black-eyed peas and rice, with chopped fresh tomatoes and green onions.
Many supermarkets charge more for chicken tenders than for skinless, boneless breasts. So choose whichever is the least expensive. Or, save money by purchasing cooked chicken from the deli.
With a mini muffin pan and a box of piecrust mix, you can make your own bite-size quiche crusts. Homemade crusts cost just a fraction of the price of refrigerated pie pastry.
Here's a perfect place to use up small amounts of leftover shredded cheese. Cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella-measure out 1 cup of whatever you have available for a penny-pinching appetizer.
If you have a hard time using up leftovers, buy only as much cooked chicken as you need for this recipe at the deli. Eight ounces of chicken will yield 1 cup. Mince it or chop it in a food processor.
Brown-shelled eggs are often more expensive than the white-shelled variety. Save your money. Egg shell color, determined by the breed of hen that laid the egg, affects neither the taste nor nutritive value.
Fresh spearmint can be very expensive when purchased in the small packages available at most supermarkets. You can substitute 1 tablespoon of dried mint for a comparable, less expensive taste result.
The next time you buy fresh beets, do not discard the greens. Cooked beet greens make a great side dish. Sauté greens in oil until tender, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes.
Put leftover anchovies to good use. Chop finely and mix them into potato salad. You can also cream them with butter for a great steak topping, or mash them with soy sauce to make fish sauce.
