Use An Almost Empty Mayo Jar For Easier Pasta Salad

If you have enough determination and a low tolerance for food waste, nothing in the kitchen is destined for the bin. Vegetable peels? A kitchen maverick will add them to soups for a burst of flavor or use them as fertilizer. Couldn't finish the rotisserie chicken? It's merely an opportunity to make these delicious leftover chicken recipes. The sad-looking leftover marinade in your fridge can also be used to make a sauce for rice.

Even a depleted jar of mayo deserves a chance to fully serve its purpose. There are plenty of ways to use the last bit of mayo that doesn't involve cutting the jar in half and scraping the mayo out with a spoon. As long as you have some pasta at your disposal, it won't come to that. An almost-empty jar of mayo works as a perfect vessel to make a creamy pasta salad. To make a basic macaroni salad, dice some colorful vegetables like carrot, celery, green pepper, and onion and throw them into the jar with some boiled macaroni. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also jazz things up with some red wine vinegar and mustard. Give the jar a good shake, and voila, your pasta salad is ready to serve. 

Making pasta salad in a nearly empty mayo jar can be incredibly convenient — unless, of course, you're dealing with a large quantity of pasta. However, you can still make a salad dressing using the leftover mayo. To make a sweet and tangy version, add a dash of vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar to the jar and shake it vigorously for a few minutes. You can customize it by adding olive oil, herbs, or just about anything you like. 

Before you pop open a new jar of mayo, think about the recipes that call for a mayo dressing and use whatever is left in the old container. Even empty jars don't have to go to waste. You can use them to store spices, leftover food, milk, homemade sauces, jams, or dry snacks. You can also use them for pickling and as vases to keep flowers fresh.