It's hard to get rid of that last spoonful of peanut butter that's been hanging out in your fridge for six months, but there comes a time when we all must say goodbye. Goodbye to the last swath of mayo. Goodbye to the final shakes of hot sauce. Goodbye to the chili jam you thought was a good buy at the farmers' market three years ago, but haven't figured out how to use up since.
But you needn't throw those condiments away. Instead, plan your next meal around dishes that will clear out as many of those jars and bottles as possible, swapping in whatever you have on hand for similar items in a trusted recipe. Sauces are an easy place to start tinkering—soups and stews, too. Who knows? You may ever discover a new favorite combination.
Peanut Sauce
Sure the dish is called peanut sauce, but if you're more likely to have almond butter or tahini around, use that instead. Similarly, you could swap out the soy sauce for Worcestershire, fish sauce, oyster sauce, or something similarly savory and salty. Any vinegar you have on hand can go in too, and splash of hot sauce—again, any kind, including things like curry paste or harissa—wouldn't be out of place. Toss the sauce with noodles and top with cucumbers and snap peas, drizzle on grilled chicken, or serve with lettuce cups.
Tartar Sauce
Not enough mayo to make a batch of tartar sauce? Cut it by half with sour cream or plain yogurt. Toss in chopped olives instead of capers (or in addition to!) and pickled horseradish for the dill pickles. Have a bit of anchovy paste? That works here too. Serve the tartar sauce with slow-roasted fish, as a dip for crudité or wedge salad dressing, or as a spread for salmon burgers.
Steak Sauce
This iconic New York steakhouse sauce is really a combination of cocktail sauce and traditional steak sauce. Ketchup may be the go-to cocktail sauce starter, but tomato-based chile sauce or even something like red pepper jelly, gochujang, or duck sauce works too. Hot mustard could go in for the horseradish if you'd like, and the molasses can be replaced by honey, agave, or brown rice syrup. Serve with steak, pork chops, or as a dipping sauce for a shrimp boil.
Chili
Sauces aren't the only dishes that can get the anything-goes treatment. A bit of chile oil to start the aromatics will give any chili a spicy boost. Adding tomato paste will give it an undercurrent of sweetness. A few chopped anchovies may seem like an odd addition, but they'll only give your chili—or your favorite stew for that matter—an extra layer of savory flavor that your dining companions will love, but never be able to identify.
Fruit Syrup
Swap out the agave in this sauce for maple syrup or honey and the fresh berries for any jam, jelly, or dried fruit lingering in your pantry. Then drizzle over pancakes or waffles at breakfast, or use as a sauce for your favorite pound cake at dessert. Or, you know, you could just spread that last tablespoon of preserves on a piece of toast already and move on with your life.
