Polish chefs and culinary services are promoting the idea of zero waste cooking by proposing ways to use meat leftover from cooking traditional Polish broth. Meatballs made from the meat and croquettes are presented as simple and tasty dishes that help avoid food waste. The presented recipes differ in preparation time, and the proposal of potato rolls with spinach offers an alternative to meat dishes.
Utilization of broth meat
Broth meat is a valuable, tender, and aromatic ingredient, ideal for reuse in dishes such as meatballs or croquettes.
Recipes in the spirit of zero waste
The proposed dishes are a response to the problem of food waste in households, particularly after preparing traditional dishes.
Variety of preparation times
The preparation time for individual proposals ranges from about 20 minutes for the filling to about an hour and a half in the case of the full croquette-making process.
Broth, being one of the foundations of Polish cuisine, often generates an excess of cooked meat. Culinary services from February 23 and 24, 2026 propose a solution to this problem in the spirit of zero waste. From the poultry-beef meat leftover from the broth, you can prepare exceptionally delicate meatballs or traditional, fried croquettes. The zero waste concept, although gaining popularity since the beginning of the 21st century, has deeper roots in peasant and bourgeois culture, where thrift and frugality were paramount values. Food waste was socially stigmatized, and dinner leftovers often formed the basis for supper or the next day. The recipes differ in time investment. Preparing croquettes requires about 20 minutes for the filling, 35 minutes for making the pancakes, and 20 minutes for frying. The pancake batter is recommended to be set aside for 15-20 minutes before frying. In the case of meatballs, the preparation time is shorter and the process less complicated, making them a quick dinner option. The third, most recent article, proposes a vegetarian alternative: potato rolls with spinach and garlic in olive oil, where the key is using potatoes boiled the day before.Approximate preparation time for proposed dishes: Croquette filling: 20, Meatballs: 30, Potato rolls: 45 All recipes emphasize simplicity of execution and ingredient availability, promoting rational food management at home. These proposals fit into a broader social trend, noticeable also in other areas of life, concerning conscious and responsible consumption.