Planned leftovers are a busy cook’s best friend. Cook up a little extra of something one night, turn it into something else the next. The simplest way to do it is with a big batch ofmarinara sauce, which becomes the basis for a half-dozen other dinners, from puttanesca to a mock bolognese ragù.

Want to make leftovers that you’ll never even recognize on the second day? These recipes are truly transformative:Seared steakturns into a flavor-packed Vietnamesenoodle soup, creamyrisottobecomes crisp-crustedrisotto cakes, and a colorfulratatouillemorphs into asavory tartor awhite-bean gratin.

Still, the king of planned leftovers is undeniably the simpleroasted chicken. Using our tips forgetting the most from the leftovers, the meat can be used for wraps, soups, sandwiches, or our two very different chicken salads: aTex-Mex versionwith fresh corn and avocado, or aMediterranean onewith fennel and pine nuts. For a warm-weather rendition of the “roast a chicken and…” routine, try ourgrilled Thai chicken, which transforms into arice-noodle salador acurried fried rice.