Pot Roast, Remixed
Ah, pot roast. The American staple made to feed a crowd – and one that’s almost guaranteed to leave a bit of leftovers in the fridge. And while reheating the same meal is enjoyable when it’s this delicious, getting creative with your leftovers can also help you create new family favorites that put a different spin on this classic cut.
Pot Roast Sloppy Joe
The soft, tender beef in pot roast is obviously delicious. But if we’re being honest, it’s the gravy that really makes this dish an ultra-decadent favorite. And it’s what makes this sloppy joe on steroids oh so delicious, too.
The prep couldn’t be simpler. Just reheat pot roast on the stove or in the oven, toss it with some reheated gravy, pile it high on a bun and get ready to dig in. And bring extra napkins, because things are going to get sloppy. And we mean that in the best possible way.
Beefy Breakfast Burritos
When it comes to enjoying the rich, tender flavors of a classic pot roast, don’t feel like you have to wait for lunch or dinner. Tender, slow-roasted beef makes a great alternative protein to more traditional options like bacon, sausage or chorizo in arguably the best quick breakfast you can take to go.
Most breakfast burritos start with a scrambled egg and some kind of meat. And a pot roast and egg burrito is delicious on it’s own! But if you want to broaden your flavor horizons, potatoes (from leftovers or fresh-made hash browns) make a delicious add-in for this quick breakfast, as do diced onion, sliced jalapeño, fresh parsley and a little shredded cheese.
But don’t feel bound to any specific recipe! These lil’ roll-ups are kind of like people – no two are the same, but all of them are wonderful in their own way. So get creative with whatever’s in your fridge.
Ultimate Mac and Cheese
Whether you make it from scratch or reach for everyone’s favorite blue box, adding pot roast to your mac and cheese is an easy way to elevate this pasta side to main dish status.
If you want to get creative, feel free to add a little diced tomato or spinach or arugula. But let’s be honest, we already have pot roast, cheese and carbs here. And this holy trinity of decadent deliciousness is pretty much perfect on its own.
Beef Stir-Fry
Pot roast is normally served with potatoes and root vegetables, but swapping those out for a different kind of starchy base can lead to a range of delicious options with an Asian twist.
Basic stir-fry starts with a base of rice and adds vegetables, a protein and sauce.
For rice, standard short-grain white rice works great. If you want to upgrade, medium-grain jasmine rice brings its own distinct aroma to the dish and grains won’t stick together quite as much.
TIP: For perfect stir-fry rice, make the rice a day ahead. Let cool to room temperature, then store in the fridge. The rice will dry out a bit overnight, which helps it achieve that springy, firm texture you expect from fried rice. If you need to cook the rice and stir-fry on the same day, spread out the rice on a baking sheet and let it cool a few minutes to let some moisture evaporate out before stir-frying.
For vegetables, frozen peas, carrots or mixed vegetables are a great place to start. Aromatic bases like yellow onion, scallion, garlic and ginger provide wonderful taste and aroma. And hearty vegetables like carrots, broccoli, bell peppers or snow peas are always welcome additions. It’s really up to you! The world (or at least the wok) is your oyster.
As far as protein goes, ahem – pot roast. Done.
And for sauce, the traditional recommendation is equal parts soy sauce, hoisin and oyster sauce. But many pre-made stir-fry sauces work just dandy and are readily available at grocery and big box stores.In terms of how to cook a stir-fry, you can learn the basics from about a million online tutorials in less than 5 minutes. Take a peek at how easy it is, and just make sure to have all the ingredients prepped and ready. Once the pan gets hot, this meal comes together FAST.
Street Tacos
How this isn’t more of a thing, we don’t know. But pot roast makes an excellent base for a quick 2-3 bite treat.
If you want to keep a more authentic street taco style, start with a traditional corn tortilla and follow package instructions for how to steam ’em up right.
From there, you can simply reheat your pot roast in the oven. But if you want to add a little bit of flavor and texture, you can also pan fry it for just a few minutes until it’s hot and getting a little browned and crispy around the edges.
Once the pot roast is hot, place it into your tortilla with some diced onion, cilantro, your favorite salsa, jalapeños and/or a bit of cheese! Shredded cheddar or pepper jack are great options, or you can upgrade to a Mexican-style cheese like queso fresco or cotija. And if you have it on hand, a squeeze of lime juice helps bring all those wonderful flavors together.
Grilled Cheese
Everyone loves a classic grilled cheese. But sometimes, you just have to take that nostalgia to a whole new level. And this is a quick, easy way to do it.
When it comes to prep, it can be just as simple as you like. For many, the favorite grilled cheese is 2-3 slices of American cheese on sandwich bread, which is then fried in butter in a skillet or crisped up in a toaster oven. There’s a reason it’s such a beloved American classic, and adding pot roast to the situation only makes things even more delicious.
If you want a classed-up version of the sandwich, opting for a crusty sourdough bread is a great start. A different cheese, like provolone or muenster, can also give your sandwich an interesting twist. And bleu cheese is a classic pairing with beef.
To take your sandwich up another notch, adding sauteed spinach or onions can help make your grilled cheese game downright impressive using simple, inexpensive refrigerator staple ingredients.
Sheet Tray Nachos
Grab a baking sheet and fire up the oven, folks. Nachos are the ultimate way to use up your leftovers and feed the whole gang all at once.
Simply grab a sheet tray and start piling it high with tortilla chips, shredded cheese and pot roast. Throw it in a 350ºF oven until the cheese is melty and delicious. Then top with add-ins like sour cream, guacamole (or diced avocado), diced tomato, black olives, chopped cilantro, jalapeños, hot sauce and – well, whatever you like, really. Because at the end of the day, whatever you choose is going on top of a bed of hot chips, ooey-gooey cheese and tender beef. So it’s almost guaranteed to be delicious!
Are your culinary creative juices flowing yet? Are you inspired? Ready to cook? A little bit hungrier than when you started reading this post? Then let’s hit the kitchen and get those leftovers out of the fridge. Or maybe find a fresh pot roast and get that baby in the oven. Either way, it’s time to feed yourself and your family an easy meal that you can be proud of – and they’ll be impressed by.
