It's So Easy To Transform Leftover Pot Roast Into A Classic British Meal

Pot roast is one of the best large-format meals to make. Those studiously selected, well-marbled hunks of beef chuck can satisfy a group and still leave leftovers. But if you don't want to keep eating it in its original form in perpetuity, shepherd's pie is an excellent way to repurpose pot roast into something that's pretty convincingly a whole new meal.

A classic shepherd's pie recipe typically calls for ground beef or lamb. So, while your leftover pot roast may not be traditional, it's at least sourced from one of a shepherd's pie's standard proteins. It's also pretty easy to chop pot roast down to something approximating mince with a sharp knife and a little patience. Once it's joined by veggies, sauce, and topped with mashed potatoes, nobody even has to know that this comforting dish is in its second act. You can even break out your frozen leftover pot roast from dinners past for a fresh take on something that might otherwise have gone to waste.

If you've already made and stored your pot roast in a sauce or gravy, then congratulations — even your shortcut has a shortcut. You'll still want to remove the remaining meat to a cutting board to dice as tiny as you have time for. You can then reintroduce it to the sauce or gravy, toss in some peas and carrots, and layer it as the base in a baking dish. Without much sauce or gravy, you can still whisk together what's there with the classic tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, seasonings, and stock or broth that you'd use for any other shepherd's pie, and stir that in, too.

Your biggest challenge might be making the mashed potatoes, but even that doesn't need to be a big hurdle. You can even skip the giant pot of boiling water and make baked mashed potatoes instead. However you pulverize your spuds, you'll just need to spread them over the meat mixture, and bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes to finish. And should you end up with any leftovers from this spin, you might just want to invite more people over for dinner next time.