One roasted chicken for the two of us will last several meals: 2 or maybe meals 3 as roast chicken. I don't cut the whole thing, but carve off what I will serve for that meal. Next comes chicken salad and chicken sandwiches. The rest of the carcass goes into soup.

One ham steak will yield dinner servings, smaller servings chopped up into an omelette or with leftover brocolli in a quiche, and a bit to flavor the beans.

We like macaroni and cheese, so we have it often, but I add more cheese and maybe 1/4 -1/3 cup Greek unflavored yogurt to make it creamy and add more protein.

For a filling bowl of Top Ramen, add grated carrot, and some slices of green onion tops for color. Finish it off with a boiled egg sliced. Multiply for more people. My husband scoffed the first time I ever served it, but changed his mind by the end of the meal.

Make cabbage rolls with more rice and onion but less meat.