4 Easy Recipes for Using What You Have

Excerpted from WE USE WHAT WE HAVE: 101-Easy Weeknight Meals by Alex MacLaren, copyright © 2026, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

Follow Alex MacLaren on TikTok and Instagram.

Happy Cheeseburger Macaroni

When I was a university student, I was shopping for one on a budget so I couldn’t always get every ingredient to cook from scratch. This one-­pot cheeseburger macaroni was a weekly staple. Whether you need to save time, budget, or cupboard space, doctoring up packaged foods is a great way to elevate them while also developing your We Use What We Have cooking skills. Add whatever veggies you need to use up—­it doesn’t matter if you wouldn’t put them on an actual cheeseburger, as somehow it still works.

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 g) ground beef
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ cups (225 g) fresh green beans, sliced on the bias, or frozen French-­cut green beans
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1 (7.25-­ounce/200 g) box macaroni and cheese
• 2 cups (500 mL) water
• 1 cup (100 g) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons relish
• ¼ cup crispy fried onions (optional)

Directions

1. Sauté the ground beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 7 minutes. Drain off any fat, then add the onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic powder, pepper, and salt and mix well, then add the macaroni (but not the cheese powder yet) and water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente and the water has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. If the water evaporates before the pasta is done, you can add a bit more.
3. Add the cheese powder (no need for butter or milk here), mix to combine, then stir in the cheddar cheese, ketchup, mustard, and relish. Sprinkle each bowl with a tablespoon of crispy fried onions, if using. Serve.

WHY: Onions sweat, so you want to drain the grease before adding them to avoid pouring out any of that delicious onion juice.

Use What You Have

This is really an “anything goes” recipe—­use what you have! Here are some other combinations I like that use up leftover meat:

Croissant Casserole

Years ago, I had a breakfast cookbook from HomeSense that had a pastrami, Swiss cheese, and avocado egg sandwich in it, and I still love that flavour combination. So, it was a no-­brainer for me when croissant casseroles were going viral to make one with those ingredients, and I have to say, I was so, so right.

Ingredients

• 6 large croissants, cut crosswise into 2-­inch pieces
• 9 large eggs
• ½ cup (125 mL) milk
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 4 ounces (125 g) sliced pastrami, cut into 1-­inch strips
• 6 slices Swiss cheese, quartered
• 1 tablespoon everything bagel seasoning, divided
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9 × 9-­inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Lay out the croissant pieces in the prepared casserole dish. Beat the eggs with the milk, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture over the croissants and toss to coat. Stuff the pastrami strips and Swiss cheese pieces between the croissant pieces, then sprinkle with ½ tablespoon of the everything bagel seasoning.
3. Bake the casserole for 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggs set up. Check the sides and middle as you may see some wetness around the cheese from its oils, where the eggs are actually fully set. Let cool and set up for 5 minutes.
4. Scatter the avocado and remaining ½ tablespoon everything bagel seasoning over the casserole. Slice into squares to serve.

More flavour combos to try

Wow! Chicken Cacciatore

My mother-­in-­law requests my chicken cacciatore on her birthday almost every year. It’s the first “big girl” dinner I learned to make while in university. If you want to impress your friends and family on a budget, this is the recipe—­bone-­in chicken cuts are some of the cheapest meat options out there, and when prepared correctly can still feel super special. Serve over rice or with a side of crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• ½ cup (60 g) all-­purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, or 2 to 3 pounds (1 to 1.5 kg) bone-­in, skin-­on chicken pieces
• 1 medium onion, cut into 1-­inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 1 bell pepper (any color), cut into 1-­inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 8 ounces (227 g) white mushrooms, cut into 1-­inch (2.5 cm) pieces
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch (6 mm) thick
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• ½ cup (125 mL) chicken broth
• 1 (16-­ounce/960 g) can diced tomatoes
• ¼ cup pitted green olives, chopped (optional)
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat a 9 × 13-­inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or other large, heavy-­bottomed pot over medium-­high heat.
3. In a shallow bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Pat the chicken pieces dry, then dredge in the seasoned flour. Set aside the remaining seasoned flour for later. Gently place the chicken pieces skin-­side down in the hot oil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then use tongs to flip the pieces and cook until browned on the other side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the browned chicken to the prepared baking dish.
4. Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, and carrots to the same pot and sauté for a few minutes until they start to soften, then add the garlic and cook for another few minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reserved seasoned flour. Add the tomato paste and Italian seasoning and cook for about 3 minutes, until the tomato paste starts to brown.

WHY: Cooking tomato paste gives it a rich depth of flavour (if you’ve ever had a flat, mild tomato sauce based dish, this is probably the step that got missed).

Use What You Have

Alternative Method

For a weeknight version, you can make this recipe in the slow cooker. First, make sure you remove the spine from the chicken breasts as the cartilage tends to melt and the spine bits end up all through the dish. Omit the flour and chicken broth (you won’t want the extra liquid if you aren’t adding the thickener). Don’t sauté anything (having to cook before slow cooking is one of my kitchen pet peeves!)—­just layer everything over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours (but check it sooner as slow cooker temperatures vary by size and model).

Pizza Soup

My kids always get excited for pizza soup, and they don’t need to know I only make it because I have a fridge full of slightly sad veggies and abandoned leftovers. This is the ultimate We Use What We Have recipe—­never the same but always a favourite. I typically make it in my Instant Pot because I love hands-­off cooking, but I’ve included stovetop instructions too.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 8 ounces (227 g) white mushrooms, diced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 5 ounces (150 g) chopped pepperoni or salami
• 1 (6-­ounce/170 g) can tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 (1-­quart/900 mL) carton chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 (12-­ounce/350 g) package fresh cheese tortellini
• 1 lemon wedge (optional)
• 2 cups (200 g) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oil in an electric pressure cooker set to Sauté mode or in a large, heavy-­bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, mushrooms, garlic, and pepperoni and sauté until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and Italian seasoning and sauté for another few minutes to bring out their flavours.
2. Add the broth and sugar. Set the pressure cook for 5 minutes on high, then let naturally release for 10 minutes. If using the stovetop, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Turn the pressure cooker back to Sauté mode. Add the tortellini and cook for 5 minutes. Optionally, add a squeeze of lemon juice for zing. Top individual bowls with cheese—­it’s pizza soup, after all!

BTW . . . This recipe is more of a formula for my “clean out the fridge” soup, so feel free to experiment with it! Grab everything that’s been sitting around—­floppy vegetables, meal prep that never got used, leftovers nobody is reaching for. Inspect everything to make sure it’s still edible and food safe (see page 23 for more info). And you can use more or less pasta and it will still turn out fine.

Use What you Have