How To Turn Leftover Pot Roast Into Another Comfort Meal

While delicious, pot roast often creates so many leftovers that you may get tired of eating it the same way. Luckily, with nothing more than some frozen veggies, a bit of gravy, and a store-bought pie crust, you can easily transform your spare meat into a comforting pie!

Once you've combined all the ingredients for your filling, the real key step is getting it all to lie flat. Not only will this give your pie the best possible presentation, but it'll also ensure that each slice has an even amount of meat and vegetables. If you already have some spare vegetables, frozen or otherwise, lying around, this is a great excuse to use them up before they go bad. Plus, you may not even have to buy any gravy if you've already got about a cup on hand from your roast.

@cookinginthemidwest

Leftover Roast Pot Pie is my favorite way to use up those pot roast leftovers! Recipe 2 cups leftover roast 2 cups leftover potatoes, carrots, onions 1 store bought pie crust (needs a top and bottom crust) 1 cup of beef gravy 12 oz frozen mixed vegetables Steps -Start by chopping up the leftover cooked potatoes, carrots, and onions into bite size pieces. -Shred the leftover cooked roast. -Make 1 cup of beef gravy. For this you could use a beef gravy packet or you could use the juices from the crockpot from cooking the roast and make a gravy. I'll leave the details on how to do that down below. -Steam the bag of frozen mixed vegetables. -Lay out the bottom crust in the bottom of a deep pie dish. -In a bowl, combine leftover roast, carrots, potatoes, onions, steamed mixed vegetables, and at least 1 cup of beef gravy. -Stir everything together well and pour into the pie dish on top of the bottom crust. -Smooth the beef and vegetable mixture out evenly. -Top with the pie crust and do your best to tuck the edges of the top crust under the bottom crust. -Use a knife to cut 4 slits in the top center of the pie crust. -Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes. To make beef gravy from the juices on the crockpot I combined 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of flour in a pan over medium heat. Stir together until the flour is combined in the butter and it starts to thicken. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the juice from the crockpot. Stir until it thickens and is like gravy! #potpie #beefpotpie #dinner #recipe #easyrecipes #leftoverroast

♬ original sound – Luke Brown

Leftover pot roast only lasts a few days in the fridge, but this method reheats it enough to give it more longevity. But even if it's not about to go bad, this, like adding broth, is also a great method for fixing a tough, chewy roast. The extra moisture, combined with a partially covered environment, gives you a chance to lightly steam the meat back into tenderness. Just be sure to keep a tight seal on the crust and add a few slits on the top to let excess steam escape and not make the crust grow soggy.

Transforming your leftovers is always a great chance to elevate and diversify its flavors. For pot roast especially, it's a cinch to add new textures, introduce new flavors, and even improve existing ingredients, all while keeping this trick nice and easy.

Like any meat pie, this recipe loves peas and carrots. Frozen varieties are often blanched or partially cooked already, so once they've thawed, they don't need much time to become soft. If using fresh vegetables, particularly root veggies, it's important that you give them a head start, so they won't be too tough once the pie crust finishes cooking. If you really want to give your pot roast a brighter flavor, try incorporating some small dried fruits. Raisins are particularly great since they don't require any prep and are small enough to disperse evenly, all while providing a bit of sweetness that pairs perfectly with the marbling of your cut.

If your roast is already tender and you've got plenty of gravy left over, try straining your meat from the juice and giving it a quick fry in a pan. This gives the meat a pronounced, savory Maillard flavor, but it'll have no problem rehydrating once it's baked in the crust. You can even do this with any potatoes and other root vegetables as well, caramelizing their sugars and contributing to a richer flavor profile.