A great wave to save money on meals each week is to stretch those meals as far as they can go, whether than means eating leftovers for lunches, freezing leftovers, or recreating something completely new with those leftovers.

It may get monotonous, for example, to keep eating the same meat dish you prepared on Monday day after day. Instead, get creative and turn those meats into a meal that no one will recognize as being recreated. This is especially frugal when you buy meat on sale: it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

If you’ve got some cooked steak in the fridge, either prepared at home or at a restaurant, you can use it to make some really tasty meals that seem way more expensive than they are. But here’s the thing to remember about using leftover steak: a steak that’s already been cooked to perfection once will only become tougher and less succulent should you choose to cook it again for longer periods. So, the recipes I’ve chosen here are all about quickly searing the meat to bring out the flavors and to heat it up without losing its texture.

The prices listed below are an average price based on what’s on sale this week so you’ll have something to compare to your shopping list for your local grocery store.

Cheesesteak Subs – recipe

boneless london broil – $2.99 lb
cheese slices – $2.50
onions – $2.49 3 lb bag
mushrooms – $2

Quick & Easy Steak Quesadillas – recipe

tortillas – $1.99
sirloin steak – $4.99 lb
salsa – $1.69
sour cream – $1.99

Beef Stroganoff – recipe

sirloin steak – $4.99 lb
tomato paste – 79¢
beef broth – $2.50
sour cream – $1.99

Steak Hash – recipe

sirloin steak – $4.99 lb
potatoes – $3.99 4 lb bag
olive oil – $4.99
eggs – $1.50

Steak Cobb Salad – recipe
No additional steak cooking required!

romaine – 99¢
bell peppers – $1.49 lb
bacon – $2.99
avocado – 99¢

See more menu plans!