Everybody loves pot roast. It’s even better the second day when you follow Chef Belinda Smith-Sullivan’s recipes.
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
INDIVIDUAL BEEF POT PIES
SERVES 6–8 (DEPENDING ON SIZE OF RAMEKINS)
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock
1 cup whole milk
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup frozen peas
1 large russet potato, peeled and diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup diced onions
3 cups shredded pot roast
3–4 pie crusts, store-bought or homemade (or puff pastry)
1 egg, whisked for egg wash (or ¼ cup milk)
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter. Add flour and whisk until lumps are gone and mixture is the consistency of wet sand, 1–2 minutes. Add stock, milk, salt, pepper and oregano. Lower heat slightly and simmer until thickened, 6–8 minutes. Add corn, peas, potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and beef. Mix well and bring to a slight boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
Lightly spray ramekins with vegetable oil. Cut pie crusts into circles (or whatever shape ramekins you have) slightly larger than the tops of ramekins. Divide the beef mixture evenly between each ramekin. Cover tops with the rounds. Make 2–3 slits in the top of each crust to allow heat to vent. Place the ramekins on a shallow baking sheet, brush the tops with egg wash and bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown.
Beef-Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 4
4 large russet potatoes
Olive oil
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups leftover pot roast, warmed
Shredded cheese, Monterey Jack or cheddar
Sliced scallions
Sour cream, optional
Preheat oven to 425 F. Using a fork, prick the potatoes on all sides. Coat with olive oil or vegetable spray. Wrap in a small piece of foil and close ends. Bake for 1 hour or until soft when squeezed. Cut each potato in half horizontally, without cutting all the way through, and add 2 tablespoons of butter to each. Divide the pot roast between the potatoes and top with cheese, scallions and sour cream.
Vegetable Beef Soup
Photo by Michael Phillips
SERVES 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
4 celery stalks, halved and sliced diagonally
3 large carrots, halved and sliced diagonally
½ pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
3–4 cups leftover pot roast, shredded or diced
4 cups beef stock
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, add oil. Add onions, celery and carrots and sauté for 8–10 minutes or until soft. Stir in green beans, potatoes and garlic and sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Add pot roast, stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, salt, black pepper and Worcestershire. Stir well to combine ingredients. Using kitchen twine, tie herbs together and place on top of the soup mixture. Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
Cheesy Beef Empanadas
MAKES 8 5-INCH EMPANADAS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, sliced
1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)
1 garlic clove, minced
½ pound leftover pot roast, shredded or sliced
⅓ cup beef stock
Pinch, crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
2 9-inch pie crusts, store-bought or homemade
Monterey Jack cheese or queso blanco
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup heavy cream, for brushing
Preheat oven to 375 F. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add oil. Sauté onion and peppers until soft, 4–5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté an additional minute.
Add pot roast, stock, crushed pepper, cumin, salt and pepper and stir. Let come to a slight boil, lower temperature and allow to simmer until almost all liquid is evaporated. Cool slightly.
On a lightly floured surface, unroll pie crusts and cut into six 5-inch rounds. Rework scraps to make additional 2 rounds. On one side of the rounds, leaving about a ¼-inch edge, place a heaping tablespoon of the filling and a half-tablespoon of cheese. Brush the egg wash around the edges. Fold the other side over and press down to seal. Starting at one end, fold the dough up and over and keep repeating all the way around, or use a fork to crimp.
Place empanadas on a parchment-lined baking pan and brush with cream or more egg wash. Bake in oven 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
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Chef’s tips
Remember that cooked roast will already be well-seasoned. Be sure to taste before adding additional salt.
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Related story
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