For busy mums and dad, spaghetti bolognese is a great mid-week meal that fills tums and can be made easily in bulk.

The question then becomes, what do you do with leftover bolognese sauce?

The good news is there is so much you can do with your bolognese sauce to stretch it into two meals (or more if you really whipped up a big batch!).

Here are more than 20 ideas to get you started. Yay for leftovers!

1. Lasagne

Probably the most obvious way to use up leftover bolognese sauce, a lasagne is so much easier to cook when half the work has already been done.

If you feel like you don’t really have enough sauce to make a whole lasagne, you can always throw in a tin of tomato, some beans, or even some crispy diced bacon to stretch it out even more. Looks like a winner to us!

2. Tacos

Tacos are the ultimate last-minute dinner when you’ve got leftover bolognese sauce.

Just warm the sauce in a pan and throw in some tinned tomatoes, some Mexican/taco seasoning, and some black beans if you have them and you’ve got a great taco filling.

Pair with salad and cheese for a family-friendly meal.

3. Jacket Potatoes

If you’re looking for comfort food, jacket potatoes are a great choice, and it’s easy to pair bolognese sauce with them.

Just roast a couple of decent sized potatoes (you can par-boil them first if you choose), cut them open at the top and spoon your leftover bolognese sauce all over them. Top with yoghurt or sour cream and cheese, and serve some salad on the side!

4. Polenta + Sauce

Polenta might not be the most popular grain in the homes of Australia, but it should be. Not only is it really yummy, but it goes great with leftover bolognese sauce and it’s really filling.

Polenta is a kind of cornmeal porridge, which you can whip up on the stove by mixing 4-5 parts water/stock with 1 part polenta (by volume).

Once cooked, stir through butter or cheese, and top with your sauce.

5. Stuffed Capsicum

A super easy, and really fast, dinner that uses leftover bolognese sauce is the humble stuffed capsicums.

Stretch your bolognese sauce by adding rice and a little bit of tinned tomatoes, and then fill capsicums that have had their tops sliced off. Pop some grated cheese on the top, whack the lid of the capsicum bake on, and bake until tender. Easy!

6. Cottage Pie

Cottage pie, what a comfort meal. Also a breeze to make with your leftover bolognese sauce.

Heat the sauce and pour it into a baking dish so it’s at least 2.5cm thick. You can stretch the sauce using any methods you prefer (adding tinned tomatoes, stock, beans, peas etc). Then just top with mashed potatoes (even better if you have leftovers) for a unique tomato cottage pie.

7. Nachos

Perfect for a weekend lunch after a big cook up, nachos go great with leftover bolognese sauce.

Just heat the sauce, and add some black beans and Mexican seasoning if you want, before assembling your nachos.

Lay down a pile of corn chips, top with your leftover bolognese sauce, avocado, salsa, sour cream and cheese. Bake/grill until cooked to your liking.

8. Chicken Parmi

We do love a good chicken parmigiana, or chicken parmi as we usually call them in our house.

Even better when we can use that last bit of bolognese sauce to finish the recipe off. Thin your sauce if you want with a little bit of water or stock, then pour over the top of a cooked chicken schnitzel, top with cheese, and bake/grill.

9. Bolognese Meat Pie

Slightly thaw some puff pastry and press them into a greased muffin tin.

Spoon in your leftover bolognese sauce (feel free to warm the sauce first and add extras if you want to stretch it), and either top with cheese or more pastry.

Bake as per package directions, and you have little bolognese meat pies. Great for lunches and snacks!

10. Chilli Con Carne

If you’re a fan of Chilli Con Carne but you never get around to cooking it, start with your leftover bolognese sauce and go from there.

Leftover bolognese can be mixed with some kidney beans, a chopped red chilli, and some hot sauce to make a really yummy and easy Chilli Con Carne. Feel free to also add capsicum, corn kernels or baked beans. Once it’s hot, serve it up as desired.

11. Quesadilla

Bring life back to your leftover bolognese with this delicious quesadilla. Just top your flour tortillas with the leftover bolognese sauce, sprinkle a bit of cheddar then cook on a griddle or fry. Yum!

12. Bolognese Quinoa Bake

Quinoa bakes are the best for people who are time poor, so a leftover bolognese quinoa bake would be perfect! Just add the leftover bolognese sauce on to the quinoa, with some tinned tomatoes, mix well and add some cheese.

13. One Pot Short Rib Bolognese

The marriage between pasta and leftover bolognese just completes my day and this one pot short rib bolognese is the right recipe for me.

14. Spanish baked eggs in Bolognese

Give you leftover bolognese a kick by using it in this classic Spanish recipe.

15. Beef Bolognese Sloppy Joes

If you’re planning for a perfect evening of family friendly meal, this sloppy joes using your leftover bolognese should end your day right.

17. Roasted Acorn Squash Bolognese

For a guilt-free meal, you can dig in this healthy low-carb roasted acorn squash bolognese to your heart’s content.

18. Spaghetti Grilled Cheese

Now if you like carbs on carbs and decided to put off dieting for even just one night, this spaghetti grilled cheese should be on your menu.

19. Pizza

Ahh pizza!!! What could be the more perfect way to use your leftover bolognese than on a pizza! Now this is heaven!

So there you go, over 20 ways to use leftover bolognese sauce.

Feeling inspired?