I Solved the “What’s for Dinner?” Problem — And I’m Saving Money Too

Last Updated on August 24, 2026 by Janell

I’m always looking for ways to spend less on groceries without eating the same meals over and over again.

One of the easiest ways to do that is to use what I already have before buying more food.

It sounds simple, but I know I’m not the only one who opens the pantry and sees random cans, half-used packages, sauces and ingredients I bought for a recipe months ago.

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Instead of letting those ingredients sit there, I’ve been using the America’s Test Kitchen app to give me ideas for what to make.

Start With What You Already Have

Most of the time when I meal plan, I decide what I want to make and then buy all the ingredients.

But that can get expensive. Now I’m trying to do the opposite.

I look through my pantry, refrigerator and freezer first and see what needs to be used. Then I search America’s Test Kitchen for recipes that use those ingredients.

Maybe I have tortillas that need to be used.

Or a can of beans.

A jar of sauce.

Chicken in the freezer.

A random vegetable I bought with good intentions.

Instead of searching Pinterest and scrolling through dozens of recipes, I can use those ingredients as a starting point and see what recipes I can make.

It helps answer that question we all ask:

“What can I make with the food I already have?”

We Found a New Family Favorite

This is actually how we ended up making green enchiladas. And they were so good.

Everyone in my family liked them, which is always a win when you’re feeding several people.

The leftovers were just as good, too. Next time I make them, I’m going to double the recipe on so we have leftovers.

That saves money in another way because having something everyone actually wants to eat in the refrigerator makes it much less tempting to grab takeout or run through a drive-thru the next day.

Start your 14-day free trial of America Test Kitchen

It Gives Me New Ideas

One of my biggest meal-planning problems isn’t cooking. It’s coming up with ideas.

I can cook chicken 100 different ways, but sometimes my brain can only think of the same five dinners.

Using America’s Test Kitchen gives me new ideas based on foods we already buy. It also helps me try recipes I probably wouldn’t have searched for on my own.

That means I can take inexpensive ingredients like chicken, pasta, rice, tortillas, canned goods and vegetables and turn them into something different instead of feeling like we’re eating the same meal every week.

A Few Ways I’m Using It to Save Money

Here are a few things I’ve started doing:

Pick one ingredient that needs to be used.
If I notice something has been sitting in the pantry for a while, I make that my starting point for dinner.

Check the freezer before making a grocery list.
I’m trying to build meals around meat I already bought instead of automatically buying more.

Save recipes when I find something my family will eat.
That makes future meal planning much faster.

Only buy the missing ingredients.
Instead of shopping for an entirely new meal, I may only need two or three things to finish a recipe.

Double the meals that make good leftovers.
The green enchiladas are definitely going on this list. My kids dont like a lot of leftover chicken meals - but they would eat this meal every week!

Use recipes to avoid food waste.
Even using up one or two ingredients every week adds up when you think about how much food can get forgotten in the pantry or refrigerator.

It’s Kind of Like Making My Own Meal Kit

I like the convenience of meal kits because they take away the hardest part — deciding what to make. But I don’t need another box of ingredients delivered to my house.

I already have food here.

America’s Test Kitchen gives me some of that same convenience while letting me use what I already paid for.

I can find a recipe, save recipes I want to make later and use the shopping list feature when I need to pick up the ingredients I’m missing.

Why I Like America’s Test Kitchen

America’s Test Kitchen gives you access to more than 14,000 tested recipes, so there are plenty of ideas when you’re stuck wondering what to make for dinner.

With ATK Essential, you also get:

14,000+ recipes developed by their test cooks and vetted by thousands of home cooks
Unbiased ingredient and kitchen equipment reviews
Access to the members’ app
Cooking tips, kitchen hacks and food science that can help you become a better cook

Right now, you can start with a 14-day free trial and save 50% on ATK Essential.

If you’re trying to use more of what you already have at home, spend less on groceries and find new meals your family will actually eat, it’s definitely worth checking out.