Growing up, my mom would occasionally cook up a pot roast as a big family meal. It was absolutely delicious the first day, but having it over and over again for leftovers can get a bit... boring. So my family came up with some delicious ways to re-use the meat, and you would never guess it was leftovers! Here’s 3 ways to makeover your pot roast leftovers!
Pulled Beef BBQ Sandwich
Ingredients
Pot Roast Leftovers (meat and a bit of the juice/onions)
Your favorite BBQ Sauce
Hamburger bun
Method
This is a very simple recipe my mom came up with, and it works great especially if you overcooked the meat a bit the first time. The first step is to shred up the leftover meat using two forks to pull it apart. In a skillet, warm up the meat and a bit of the leftover juice. If you have no juice, a splash or two of water will work as well. As the liquid begins to boil off, cover the pan to trap the steam to re-hydrate the meat (and this allows for a more even heat of the meat). Once the meat absorbs most of the liquid, add in your favorite BBQ sauce to coat the meat. The amount of sauce is up to you, make it as saucy as you like. Once the sauce is heated and clings to the meat, serve it on a toasted bun.
Braised Beef Over Risotto
Ingredients
Pot roast leftover meat
All of the pot roast leftover juice
Cornstarch
Risotto
Method
This is the way my grandma likes to serve leftover pot roast. Now, you are more than welcome to make homemade risotto, like I am sure she did, but using a boxed or frozen risotto works just as well and is a lot easier (there is so much whisking involved in making it from scratch!). What is special about this is how you reheat the meat and turn the sauce into a scrumptious gravy. To begin, add a bit of oil to a skillet on medium heat, and add in your leftover pot roast. Skim some of the fat off of the juice, and add that to the pan as well, with a splash or two of water and let it come to a simmer. Once it is simmering, add in a bit of cornstarch, a little at a time, whisking well to incorporate. Once the gravy is as thick as you want it, and your pot roast is re-heated, serve it over risotto.
Beef Street Tacos
Ingredients
Pot roast leftover meat (and a bit of the juice, or water)
Chili powder (Approx. 1 Tbs)
Cumin (Approx 2 tsp)
Smoked Paprika (Approx 1 tsp)
Garlic Powder (Approx 1 tsp)
Onion Powder (Approx 1 tsp)
Mexican oregano (Approx 1/2 tsp)
Cayenne Powder (Approx 1/2 tsp)
Soft Corn taco tortillas
Onions
Cilantro (Fresh)
Lime Wedges
Method
This is a leftover recipe I came up with, and I am so pleased with the results! The first step is to shred up the leftover meat using two forks to pull it apart. In a skillet, warm up the meat and a bit of the leftover juice. If you have no juice, a splash or two of water will work as well. As the liquid begins to boil off, cover the pan to trap the steam to rehydrate the meat (and this allows for a more even heat of the meat). After a few minutes, uncover and add in the spices. I do not have exact measurements and the ones I listed are my estimates, to give you an idea of how much I used. You will want to add a lot of chili powder and cumin as that is the base of the flavor, then add smoked paprika to give it a smokey taste. The onion and garlic powder round out the flavor, the Mexican oregano gives it a bit of herby brightness, and the cayenne powder adds the heat so be careful not to make it too spicy. It’s all to taste, so literally taste it to see if you like it, and don’t forget to season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve on top of a warmed corn tortilla (or 2 of them dipped in a bit of oil and heated in a skillet if you want to get fancy), and top with fresh cilantro, diced onions, and a lime wedge.
BONUS! How to make the Oliver Family Pot Roast
Never cooked a pot roast before? No worries! Watch this quick video.
Ingredients
Chuck roast
1 onion (cut in half then sliced to make thin even-ish strips)
Lawry’s Seasoning
Salt
Pepper
Water
Method
Season the chuck roast with salt pepper and Lawry’s seasoning. It is a thick cut of meat so you will need quite a bit of seasoning, and make sure to do both sides. Heat up a skillet or a cast iron pan with some oil. You want this pan nice and hot to get a good sear. Sear the meat for 1-3 minutes on each side to form a crust on the meat. Transfer the meat to an oven-safe 16 x 9 pan. Cover with sliced onions and add water until the pot roast is about half-way covered in water. Tent the pan with tinfoil and put it in the oven at 350F for about 2-2.5 hours, depending on the size of the roast. Flip the roast about halfway through the cooking, and remove the tin foil for the last 30 minutes. You can tell it is done when the meat easily falls apart when pulled with a fork.