Do you love Shepherd’s Pie? Or Cottage Pie? It’s been a fave since I was a kid, but this Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast is crazy good! There’s no comparison to any old-school recipe! This will have me running to the kitchen whenever there’s leftover pot roast – and the family running to the table when it’s served!

Everything about this dish is stellar! The bit of roast is so tender and flavorful (it only needs 2 cups of chunked-up roast), and then there’s there’s the gravy! That’s the best part. Or maybe the best part is the mashed potato topping, just a little crispity on top and creamy deliciousness below – that gravy bubbles up along the edges of the potatoes and it melds into something divine.

Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast

About Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast:

I guess you’ll just have to make this and decide for yourself what the best part is! This has a deep, rich, long-braised flavor from the pot roast leftovers. It’s pure down-home comfort food, filling, delish, and easy to make. It’s a lick-your-plate-clean kind of recipe.

And before I forget, there are the standard veggies in here, too, onions, celery, carrots, and, of course, a few peas. They are the supporting staff, but even those who don’t love veggies don’t seem to mind them when coated with that luscious gravy. (I’ll give options, below, if you don’t have enough gravy.)

No one will ever guess this recipe starts from leftovers! If you get flack from a family member who won’t eat leftovers, just hoard this for yourself and any others in the family who don’t mind. Tell that leftover hater to go make a PB&J. In real life, I wouldn’t be that tough on them, but there are times I’ve wished I could have been, lol!

I used beef leftover from That Old Lipton Onion Soup Pot Roast, but just about any leftover pot roast can sub in. If you’re looking for options, check my main menu for Beef Meals & Entrees for more pot roast recipes. Another option would be to make this with leftover stew. Just top it with the mashed potatoes and bake.

Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast

Making Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast:

Start by cooking the potatoes and making the mash. It’s simple and straightforward, but will take some time to boil the water, cook the potatoes, and mash them, so start ahead. It will probably take about 20 to 25 minutes, total,  mostly hands off. The mash needs to be substantial and thick so add a little milk and only add the rest if needed. It’s in the recipe.

Next, prepare and saute the onions, carrots, and celery, taking a bit of time to make sure they’ve softened. Start dicing about 15 minutes after you put the water on for the potatoes and they’ll both be ready at about the same time.

When you saute the veggies, add in the leftover gravy (you’ll need about two 1/2 cups, so I’ve added instructions to make more, below, if needed), the leftover roast, and the peas. The mixture really doesn’t look like much. You might have some doubts about the amounts but once the mashed potatoes are on and it’s all baked up you’re going to find it’s all OK.

I dunno, it’s maybe a little magical the way Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast manages to stretch a few leftovers to feed a family.

The Gravy:

I always try to make a lot of gravy (sometimes more than in a pot roast recipe) but I don’t usually have 2 1/2 cups leftover. I’m guessing you might not, either. Do measure what gravy you have left over and use it as a starting point for the 2 1/2 cups. Then you’ll know how much more gravy you might need.

The 2 1/2 cups isn’t super particular but you want to be close enough so everything isn’t drowning in gravy or even sadder, too dry. A quick pan gravy can be made right in the pan after the veggies are sauteed. Someone in the comments suggested a gravy mix. Make it if you’d rather, but make it in a separate pan so you can measure out how much you need.

If you want to make more grave, here’s a quickie method. Most gravies have a pretty standard ratio of 1 tablespoon of flour to 1 cup of liquid. Sprinkle the amount of flour you need over the sauteed veggies (before adding the peas) cook it off a bit so it loses its “raw” taste, and then add in beef broth, simmering for a few minutes to thicken it.

Don’t feel like “mathing today?”

• For one cup (or very close) of gravy, use 1 tablespoon flour and 1 cup of broth.
• For 1 1/2 cups of gravy, use 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 1 1/2 cups broth.
• 2 cups is 2 tablespoons flour and 2 cups of broth.
• 2 1/2 cups gravy is 2 1/2 tablespoons flour and 2 1/2 cups broth.

Other Recipes for Leftover Pot Roast:

Here are the recipes I make from the leftovers from That Old Lipton’s Onion Soup Pot Roast, though just about any pot roast is a great candidate for leftovers:

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Saving on Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast:

Leftovers: These are the most expensive food in the house. You’ve paid for them, transported them, stored them, cooked them & then stored them again. That’s a big investment in money and time. Using them well is a huge flex!

Basic Vegetables: All of these are dirt cheap; potatoes and carrots do go on sale, but they’re cheaper seasonally and often at big discounts before any fall or winter holiday. Even celery may be on a discount then, too. Both potatoes and carrots are usually less in larger bags.

Peas: Frozen is the best option. Look for larger bags of basic peas when they’re on sale. Prime times to buy are in the weeks before almost any holiday or in the late summer as the harvest is coming in.

Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast

Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast

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• Author: mollie kirby
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 6 to 8 1x
• Category: Casseroles
• Cuisine: Irish

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

You will want about 2 1/2 cups of gravy to make this recipe. If you have enough leftover, great. If not, figure out how much leftover gravy you have and make the quick gravy in the recipe to make up the difference. Use a tablespoon of flour for every cup of broth. Example: you have one cup of gravy, you’ll want 2 1/2 cups total. Make 1 1/2 cups of gravy using 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour and 1 1/2 tablespoons broth.

For the Mashed Potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and boiled (about 4 medium see note)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• about 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon salt & 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste

For the Shepherd’s Pie:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, in small dice, about 3/8ths
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• up to 2 1/2 tablespoons flour
• up to 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, optional
• splash of red wine, optional
• about 2 cups leftover pot roast, cut in 1/2″ chunks & any gravy leftover from the pot roast
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon melted butter to brush on top of potatoes

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

First, make the mashed potatoes:

Start the potatoes to boil (see note below) and then continue with the rest of the recipe. In the pan the potatoes were cooked in, while potatoes are still hot, mash the potatoes. Add 2 tablespoons butter and the milk and continue to mash. Add salt and pepper. The mash should be stiff and heavy but a texture that’s spreadable. Add a little more milk if needed. Cover to keep warm while the rest of the dish is assembled.

Make the shepherd’s pie:

In a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, heat the three tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and stir. Continue to cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with the amount of flour needed to make the amount of gravy you need. Stir for about 2 minutes until flour begins to appear dry and incorporated. Add the amount of broth you need and stir, bring to a simmer and cook several minutes until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add any additional leftover gravy and heat through. Taste and add Worcestershire sauce, a splash of wine, salt, and pepper to taste.

Gently stir in leftover pot roast, sprinkle with peas, top with mashed potatoes. Make the top attractive with swirls or with a crosshatch done with a fork. Brush with the melted butter and place in oven to heat through, about 20 minutes. It’s ready when hot; the gravy will probably be bubbling up around the edges of the pan. If the top isn’t browned to your satisfaction, turn on broiler and watch carefully. It usually takes three or four minutes.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Notes:

To cook potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and return to the pot to keep warm.

If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, the ingredients for Shepherd’s pie can be transferred, after cooking, to a casserole and then topped with the potatoes.

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I’m sharing Shepherds Pie from Leftover Pot Roast at Fiesta Friday #243, hosted by Catherine @ Kunstkitchen’s Blog and Becky @ Bubbly Bee., as well as at What’s for Dinner?