>Freezer diving. Shop-the-Shelves. Pantry raid. Call it what you will: it means cook or bake something with what you already own. My family cooks Planned-Overs.

Like Leftovers, planned-overs are the extra: the chicken breasts thawed on the grill as the fire dies, the double batch of chili in the crockpot with half intended for the freezer, the extra spaghetti without sauce that will become carbonara later in the week.

Planned-overs are frugal, green, and efficient. Starting a few potatoes on the grill (I live in tailgate party country, okay? We honestly cook this way) lets me turn them into bakers or twice-baked in the next day or two. When sweet corn is all over the farmers’ market, I cook at least one extra ear each meal. Sliced off the cob, it makes a great addition to any casserole or soup of veggie mix. I’ve even added corn (along with the perpetual grated zucchini) to chunky tomato sauce. Steaming extra veggies one night to become soup the next saves time and doesn’t take any more energy.

Planned-overs. At my house, it’s what’s for dinner. Enjoy.