15 clever ways to use up leftover cheese — from fridge-clearing fondue and frittatas to cheese crisps, sauces, and freezing tips.
Ends of cheese, half-used wedges, and odd bits accumulate in every cheese lover's fridge. Rather than letting them go to waste, you can turn leftover cheese into delicious meals and snacks. Here are 15 ways to use up leftover cheese.
Why Not Waste It
Good cheese is too precious (and often too expensive) to throw away. Even small amounts and mixed odds and ends can be combined into excellent dishes — in fact, many great cheese recipes are flexible about exactly which cheeses you use. With a few go-to ideas, you'll never waste a scrap. (Trim any unwanted mold from hard cheeses; discard soft cheeses that have spoiled.)
Melt Them Together
- Fridge-clearing fondue: Combine leftover firm cheeses with a little wine and cornstarch for an improvised fondue.
- Mac and cheese: A mix of leftover cheeses makes a flavorful mac and cheese sauce — a blend often tastes better than one cheese.
- Cheese sauce: Melt odds and ends into a béchamel for a sauce over vegetables, pasta, or nachos.
- Grilled cheese or toastie: Use up bits in a toasted sandwich, mixing cheeses for depth.
- Quesadillas: Stuff leftover melting cheeses into a tortilla and griddle.
Bake With Them
- Frittata or omelette: Eggs welcome almost any leftover cheese, crumbled or grated in.
- Quiche or savory tart: A great home for leftover cheese in a custard filling.
- Cheese scones or muffins: Fold grated leftovers into a savory bake.
- Gratins and bakes: Top vegetables, potatoes, or pasta with leftover cheese and bake.
- Pizza: A mix of leftover cheeses makes a fine pizza topping.
Quick Snacks and Toppings
- Cheese crisps: Bake small piles of grated hard cheese into crunchy crisps.
- Soup topping: Grate or crumble leftovers over soup, or melt a crust on French onion soup.
- Salad topping: Crumble blue, feta, or goat cheese ends over salads.
- Cheese board: Combine small pieces into a "tasting" board with crackers and fruit.
Save the Rinds and Freeze
- Use the rinds and freeze the rest: Save hard cheese rinds (like Parmesan) to simmer in soups, stocks, and sauces for savory depth. And remember you can freeze leftover cheese — hard and semi-hard cheeses freeze reasonably well (grated freezes best), though the texture becomes more crumbly, so use frozen cheese for cooking rather than eating fresh.
A Note on Storage and Safety
To have good leftovers in the first place, store cheese well: wrap it in wax or cheese paper, keep it in the fridge, and use softer cheeses sooner. Trim surface mold from hard cheeses (cutting well below it), but discard soft or fresh cheeses showing mold or off smells. Good storage means fewer sad, dried-out ends — and more cheese to enjoy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze leftover cheese?
Yes — hard and semi-hard cheeses freeze reasonably well (grated freezes best), though they become more crumbly, so use frozen cheese for cooking.
What can I do with cheese rinds?
Save hard rinds like Parmesan to simmer in soups, stocks, and sauces, where they add savory depth; remove before serving.
What's the easiest way to use up mixed cheese ends?
Melt them together into a cheese sauce, mac and cheese, or fondue, or bake them into a frittata, quiche, or gratin — blends often taste great.