How to turn takeout leftovers into something you want to eat again Tuck these simple techniques into your tool kit, step up to the stove, and just start cooking with what you have â like chefs do on TV. By Sheryl Julian Globe Correspondent,Updated February 2, 2021, 12:00 p.m. Email to a Friend There it sits: a single meatball no one felt like eating, a chicken drumstick, the top of a bun someone pulled off a burger (saving on carbs?), a scoop of mashed potatoes, strands of spaghetti or rigatoni with a little tomato sauce. All this at one time or another sits at the bottom of the takeout container when dinner is done. Itâs a shame to discard but no one wants them.