Blog

What to Cook With What's in My Fridge: A No-Waste Approach to Dinner

Name: Fridge-Cleaner Fried Rice
Prep time: 12 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 cups leftover cooked rice; 2 eggs; 1 cup diced mixed vegetables; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame oil

It is 6 PM. You open the fridge. There is half a bell pepper, some eggs, a block of cheese that is getting hard at the edges, leftover rice from two days ago, and a bag of spinach that is about one day from being unsalvageable. You close the fridge. You open it again. Nothing has changed. This is not a willpower problem. It is an information problem. You have ingredients — you just do not know what they become together. According to the USDA, the average American household wastes roughly 30 per

Updated April 09, 2026

Featured Recipes

Fridge-Cleaner Fried Rice

12 min easy

A quick fried rice using leftover rice and whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.

2 cups leftover cooked rice 2 eggs 1 cup diced mixed vegetables 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp sesame oil

Whatever's-in-the-Fridge Frittata

15 min easy

A simple egg frittata using whatever vegetables, cheese, and leftovers you have on hand.

6 eggs 2 tbsp milk or cream 1 cup mixed vegetables (any kind) 1/2 cup shredded cheese 1 tbsp olive oil

Pasta Aglio e Olio

18 min medium

Classic Roman garlic and oil pasta — the perfect almost-empty-fridge meal.

8 oz spaghetti or linguine 4-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp red chili flakes Salt

Shakshuka

22 min medium

Eggs poached in spiced tomato sauce — a satisfying meal from pantry staples.

1 can (14 oz) diced or crushed tomatoes 4-6 eggs 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin

Pantry Coconut Curry

25 min medium

A quick coconut curry using canned coconut milk and whatever vegetables need using up.

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk 1 can chickpeas or 1 lb protein of choice 2 cups mixed vegetables 1 onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced