Make the Most with Your Roast - Leftover Pot Roast Recipes (2024)

Are you looking to stretch your grocery budget? These leftover pot roast recipes will stretch one roast into several meals, without getting bored of the same leftovers.

Make the Most with Your Roast - Leftover Pot Roast Recipes (1)

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Leftover Pot Roast Recipes

In this economy, it is important to use up everything that you have. Many people waste a lot of food, just by throwing it away when they are tired of eating it. Sometimes you put it away in the freezer, with good intentions of using it later….but I prefer to use it up right away, if possible.

This is an example of what I recently did with a family size roast. We butcher our own beef and I usually get my roasts cut to 2-3 pounds each, so that is the size roast that I used. It was a nice, meaty roast, not a bone in one. We stretched this roast to be 3 different (and delicious!) meals.

Day 1 – French Dip Sandwiches

Put the roast in the crockpot (frozen) in the morning with plenty of water and seasonings (I use a steak seasoning blend). Cook the roast all day and that evening on low so it’s nice and tender.

–If you haven’t done a roast in the crockpot before you may want to check out this article on making Shredded Beef.

For our first meal, we enjoyed the shredded roast on buns and used the broth that the roast simmered in for dipping (french dip sandwiches). Serve alongside some fresh vegetables orHomemade Tater Tots.

Save all of the leftover broth and beef to be used in meals for the next few days.

Day 2 – Beef and Vegetable Soup

For our second day of roast, I used the crockpot and made a beef/vegetable/noodle soup.

I used approximately 1/2 of the beef that was left and added in some vegetables, beef broth, seasoning and water. Let everything cook together on low, all day in the crockpot. About an hour before serving it, I added in some small alphabet noodles that I had on hand.

For my vegetables, I used one small summer squash (leftover from garden), fresh mushrooms, carrots, leeks, onion, celery, and potatoes. You can use any combination of vegetables that you like or have on hand.

–If you happen to have lots of summer squash on hand, shred up the extras while you are making this dinner and either make Cheddar Yellow Squash Biscuits for a side or Yellow Squash Chocolate Doughnuts for dessert.

Make the Most with Your Roast - Leftover Pot Roast Recipes (2)

Day 3 – Chinese Shredded Beef

For our third day of roast, I’m making Shredded Beef. This is a recipe that I got from an old friend and it is a great way to serve up the leftover shredded beef with a Chinese twist.

Mix together the following ingredients in a saucepan until boiling:

  • 2 T. sugar
  • 4 T. soy sauce
  • 4 tsp. minced green onion
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • dash of pepper
  • 2 T. sesame seeds
  • 1 T. cooking sherry
  • 1 T. sesame oil

(I added in about 1/4 – 1/2 cup beef broth also, as I had more than 1 lb. of meat)

Then add in 1 lb. of the leftover cooked meat (roast).Cook until the meat is warmed through and serve over rice.

–Make this meal even easier by using Cook Ahead Freezer Rice

Need to print this to add to yourRecipe Binder? Get the recipe below:

Make the Most with Your Roast - Leftover Pot Roast Recipes (3)

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Chinese Shredded Beef

Ingredients

  • 2T.sugar
  • 4T.soy sauce
  • 4tsp.minced green onion
  • 2tsp.minced garlic
  • dash of pepper
  • 2T.sesame seeds
  • 1T.cooking sherry
  • 1T.sesame oil
  • 1lbcooked meatpot roast

Instructions

  1. Mix together the following all of the ingredients, except the roast, in a saucepan until boiling.

  2. Then add in 1 lb. of the leftover cooked meat (roast)

  3. Cook until the meat is warmed through and serve over rice.

Hopefully, this will give you some ideas on how to stretch a roast the next time you cook one up!

After serving these meals for three nights in a row, we still had enough leftover of the soup and Chinese Beef and Rice meal to enjoy for lunches for two days!

More Ideas for Leftovers

Looking for more creative ways to stretch your grocery budget? Check out these ideas for using leftovers:

Creative Ways to Use Leftovers

No Food Waste: How to Use All of Your Food Scraps

Must Try Cheap and Easy Recipes With Ground Beef

How to Cook a Whole Chicken Easily and What to Do With It

Turkey and Feta Quesadillas Using Leftover Turkey

Stretching a Buck Lasagna

Money Saving Meals With Dried Beans

Looking for even more ideas on saving money?

  • Reuse Everyday Objects
  • Useful Finds from Antique Stores
  • Best Money Saving Tips
  • 12 Simple Ways to Save Money on Groceries

What’s your favorite way to use leftover pot roast?

This post with Leftover Roast Beef Recipes was originally published on Little House Living in November 2011. It has been updated as of November 2019.

Make the Most with Your Roast - Leftover Pot Roast Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What to do with leftover tough pot roast? ›

15 Ways to Use Up Pot Roast Leftovers
  1. Soup. Of course soup is an easy choice, but trying to decide what kind of soup to make and what ingredients are needed can be a challenge. ...
  2. Shepard's Pie. ...
  3. Artichoke Dip. ...
  4. Pot Roast Casserole. ...
  5. Breakfast Hash. ...
  6. Beef Salad Sandwiches. ...
  7. Pot Roast Rigatoni Casserole. ...
  8. Beef Stew.
Feb 2, 2023

How long is leftover pot roast good for? ›

USDA recommends using cooked beef within 3 to 4 days, kept refrigerated (40°F or less). Refrigeration slows but does not stop bacterial growth. USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days.

How do you make roast more tender after cooking? ›

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat. It adds moisture, but it also cooks the meat.

How do you moisten leftover pot roast? ›

If your roast beef tends to be dry, moisten it with gravy or broth. Cover it and warm it in a oven 325–350. Sometimes leftover roast beef is easier to slice thinly while it is cold. If it's not previously sliced, slice it then pour gravy over it.

How do you make a tough roast tender? ›

How to Tenderize a Tough Cut of Meat
  1. Pound it out. Pounding softens and tenderizes meat, making it easier to cut and eat. ...
  2. Use salt. ...
  3. Use an acidic marinade. ...
  4. Use kiwi, papaya, or pineapple. ...
  5. Score it. ...
  6. Slow cook it.
Jan 17, 2024

What can I add to pot roast for more flavor? ›

I opt for basil, thyme, paprika, dried bay leaves, and black pepper. These add a lovely, almost Italian-inspired flavor to this pot roast recipe. Veggies. Including onions, garlic, carrots, and potatoes (all of which are also in my beef stew!).

Can you eat chuck roast like a steak? ›

Yes, a chuck steak roast can be cut into chuck steaks. Your butcher can do this before you bring the meat home, or you can cut the roast into steaks yourself.

What can I use instead of carrots in pot roast? ›

Simple is always best when it comes to a classic pot roast, but this recipe is very versatile. Substitute carrots for other starchy vegetables, like chopped russet potatoes, parsnips, or butternut squash. Any leftover meat is delicious served cold on sandwiches the next day with a smear of mustard and mayonnaise.

Can you eat 5 day old pot roast? ›

Beef, veal, lamb and pork roasts, steaks and chops may be kept 3 to 5 days. After cooking, meat, poultry and seafood can be safely stored in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

Can I eat 6 day old pot roast? ›

According to the FDA Food Code, all perishable foods that are opened or prepared should be thrown out after 7 days, maximum. No leftovers should survive in your fridge for longer than that.

Is it safe to eat pot roast left out overnight? ›

Havern explains: "The maximum amount of time perishable foods can [spend] in the danger zone is two hours. At two hours, the food must be consumed, stored correctly, or thrown away. This includes all cooked leftovers, [chopped] fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products."

What tenderizes a roast? ›

Covering your meat in salt or an acidic marinade several hours before cooking is another way to jump-start tenderization. Salt helps break down those tough proteins, but it needs some time to work. If you sprinkle your meat generously with salt (on all sides) up to 24 hours before cooking, it'll begin the process.

How do you tenderize already cooked roast beef? ›

However, there are a few ways to help make it tender again:
  1. Reheat in the oven: Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C). ...
  2. Reheat in a slow cooker: Place the pre-cooked roast beef in a slow cooker with a small amount of beef broth or water.
Nov 21, 2020

Why is my roast still tough after 8 hours? ›

There are several reasons why this could have happened even after so much cooking. First, your choice of a rump roast could be a factor since cuts from the hind quarter are very muscular and, since muscles are the most resistant to breaking, this cut is quite stubborn when it comes to becoming tender.

How do you fix a tough roast in a crock pot? ›

Cook Low and Slow

Add your other ingredients and liquids, then set your cooker to "low." Plan for 6-9 hours of cooking time for your warming slow cooker meal. This long, slow braise breaks down the connective tissue and fat, creating deliciously soft and juicy meat.

Can I fix a tough roast in the Instant Pot? ›

If it's still tough, you will need to cook it longer. The pressure cooking process breaks down tough meat, making it tender. Put the lid back on, seal the pressure cooker, and cook at high pressure for another 10 to 20 minutes.

Why is my pot roast still tough after 6 hours? ›

Here are some possible explanations:
  • Lean Cut of Meat: The cut of meat you used may have been too lean. ...
  • Insufficient Cooking Time: Six hours may not have been enough time to fully tenderize the meat. ...
  • Low Crock Pot Temperature: The temperature of your crock pot may have been too low.
Jan 19, 2024

How do you reheat a tough roast beef? ›

Place roast, uncovered, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Place sheet on middle rack in 250-degree oven. Roast until meat registers 120 degrees (1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of your roast).

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