Easy Shepherds Pie with Leftover Roast is one of my favorite comfort foods. My mom accuses me of wanting to make a roast just so I can have Shepherds Pie. And, she may be on to something, but I’ve won over Mr. McKinney too and since both of us love a Sunday Roast, I know we are always good for multiple meals from one.
This past weekend was a special time for our family. We dedicated Little Man at church (start at 17:46). Many churches hold this special time on Mother’s Day, but there is nothing special about the date. It is, however, a special time for families where they commit to raising their kid, as best they can, to know and follow Jesus. They commit the life of the child to the Lord and His work. And, the church and the people in the church commit to coming alongside parents to help and support.
Y’all it was so special. Long before Little Man was in this world, I thought about this day. I remember as a teenager discovering a letter my dad wrote me the week they brought me home from the hospital. It told me about them praying together over me, for me, and with me in the parking lot at the hospital before they brought me home.
Its hard to be a parent and it does involve a ton of praying. Praying for your little one. Praying for your self. Praying for decisions you make. Praying for mess ups you cause. Praying for Plan B to be as productive as Plan A. Praying for your marriage. Praying for their friends. Praying for the town you raise them in. Praying for the people and environment where you leave them. It’s a lot of praying to overcome all the worrying.
And, we were lucky enough to have some special family come and celebrate the day with us. So, I knew I wanted something hearty and filing for our family, but also easy and make ahead because we had some traveling to do to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend and graduation as well.
So, Easy Shepherds Pie with Leftover Roast was my go-to. We had roast earlier in the week, then I threw this together as I cleaned up dinner and put it in the freezer. I set it out on Saturday night when we got home and it was ready to go in the oven for 30 minutes after we got home from church. I cooked it in the oven while we were getting ready for church, then turned off the oven and let it sit inside until we got home after the service. Then we just had to toss a salad and bake the rolls for 8 minutes and we were ready to go!
Because I know we love this meal so much, I intentionally buy a bigger roast than we will eat so we can have 2 meals off the same meat.
Easy Shepherds Pie with Leftover Roast
Ingredients
- 5 Cups au jus liquid from the roast
- 1/2 Cup flour
- 2-3 Cups chopped roast meat pork or beef, use leftovers from a meal with roast
- 2 Cups carrots potatoes, onions from the roast, diced in chunks
- 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 4-5 red potatoes or 3 cups chunked baking potatoes
- Stir-ins for mashed potatoes – or use 2 packages of instant mashed potatoes and mix according to package
Instructions
- Cook roast as preferred – crockpot, dutch oven, grill. (I usually cook mine in a crockpot with onions, carrots, and peppers around it. I prepare it with 1 package Lipton Onion Soup and a canned coke. I cook it for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low)
- Fill stock pot with water and salt to season.
- Bring water to boil.
- Dice potatoes for mashed potato topping.
- Once the water comes to a boil, drop in potatoes.
- Boil for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender when checked with a fork.
- Chop leftover meat and set aside in baking dish.
- Dice and cube leftover potatoes, carrots and onions and place in baking dish with meat.
- Drain au jus through a strainer to remove extra bits.
- Pour au jus into skillet and heat to a boil.
- Remove 1 Cup juice and place in mason jar or bowl.
- Stir in flour.
- Replace lid and shake or stir together with a fork to make a slurry. (Be careful so it doesn’t burst)
- Pour through strainer in to boiling au jus in skillet.
- Continue stirring until thickened.
- Immediately remove from heat.
- Stir in diced tomatoes with green chilies.
- Pour over meat and vegetables.
- Stir together in baking dish until all is combined.
- Spread evenly in baking dish.
- Drain boiled potatoes.
- Mash potatoes with hand mixer or fork.
- Add in butter, milk, cheese, salt & pepper, etc to make desired taste.
- You will want thinner mashed potatoes to spread over top.
- Top meat mixture with mashed potato mixture, spreading evenly across the top.
- Store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.
- Unthaw completely if frozen.
- Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes at 350.
- Remove foil for last 5 minutes or until edges are bubbly.
- Serve hot.
- Great to mix with green beans or a side salad.
Notes
This is such a great, and easy, meal to make with leftovers. You can stretch 1 meal into 2. This is also an easy thing to throw together and put in the freezer for a later week. Or, to make and take to a friend with a new baby, surgery, or just to bless a family with a busy week.
We had crockpot roast for dinner one night last week and as I cleaned up after dinner, I put this together and put in the freezer. When we got home on Saturday night, I set it out on the counter and put it in the over while we were getting ready for church. Turned off the oven, went to church, and it was warm and almost ready when we got home.
Hosting a group of people with a homemade meal really can be that easy. My secret is always making double benefit from the same effort. What are your secrets to gathering people and keeping it easy on yourself?
Let me know if you make it and what you think!
Other great ideas to make and take:
- Take Them a Meal ideas
- Crockpot Freezer Meals
- Crockpot Gumbo
- https://bigpittstop.com/short-cut-lasagna/
Other easy weeknight dinners:
Check out some of my favorite Slow Cooker meals too:
- Crockpot Freezer Meals
- Crockpot Turkey Tacos
- Crockpot Apple Butter
- Skinny Lasagna Soup
- Crockpot Sausage Tortellini Soup
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin Chili
- Green Chile Chicken Chili
- KMac’s Crockpot Gumbo
- Mexican Chicken and Roasted Tomato Soup
- Mama Sue’s Kitchen Cabinet Gumbo
- Stockpile Stew (7 Can Soup)
- Slow Cooker Mock Gumbo (WW friendly)
- Slow Cooker Venison Stroganoff
- Slow Cooker Venison Swiss Steak
- Rustic Italian Chicken Stew
- Green Chile Chicken Chili
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
