Life cycle of a leftover....

Leftovers in my house tend to have a similar pedigree. A "starter" meal will typically have three items--a main dish/meat, a starch or grain, and a vegetable. (Although I love the idea of four things; read Nora Ephron's "I Feel Bad About My Neck" for a great chapter on that fourth thing at a dinner party....).

If I'm lucky enough to have leftovers, there is a good chance that these three things will come together easily as a stew.

If I'm lucky enough to have some leftover stew, depending on the flavors, I might be able to add broth or diced tomatoes, maybe some canned beans, and turn it into a soup. Notice that at this point, I'm probably adding things to stretch my leftovers, rather than adding the leftovers to something else. The difference may seem subtle...

If I'm lucky enough to have soup leftover, I might add a small cooked pasta, (like orzo or ditalini) for a side dish.

If I'm lucky enough to have any of the pasta side dish leftover--it's probably going to be my lunch the next day! Pass the cheese, please....