Pot roast to Italian beef manicotti. (CU Independent/ Ana Faria)
It’s the third night of that pot roast and you’ve still got meat left. If you’re looking for something with a little spice, this is the recipe for you.
Day 3: Pot Roast turned Enchiladas
Ingredients
Leftover pot roast, shredded
Canola Oil
Taco Seasoning
Half an onion – chopped
Small Corn Tortillas
Grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese
1 Can Enchilada sauce
Green Onions
Small Baking Dish
Preparation
Start by warming the oil in a small frying pan for corn tortillas. Add a tablespoon of oil to the frying pan and, one at a time, warm the corn tortillas. Warming the tortillas softens them so they don’t rip when they are rolled around the filling. After warming each tortilla set them aside on a paper-towel covered plate.
Heat the leftover meat in a frying pan with a little of the taco seasoning and the onion. The seasoning will dry the meat out, so add a little water to the pan. After the meat mixture has heated, start adding it to your tortillas.
Take a tortilla and fill with the meat mixture and cheese before rolling it around the filling. Put the roll in your baking dish and repeat until you have filled your baking dish.
Pour the enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas, being careful not to overfill the dish. Sprinkle cheese and green onions over the top. Put the dish with your enchiladas into the oven at 350˚F and cook until the cheese has melted. Serve with refried beans and salsa.
Day 4: Pot Roast to Italian Beef Manicotti (Stuffed Shells)
If you’ve eaten and eaten but somehow there is still meat left, try this classic Italian style meal that will leave your stomach satisfied.
Ingredients
Shredded leftover pot roast
Manicotti or jumbo shells (boxed)
Italian Seasoning
Ricotta Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Mozzarella Cheese
1 egg
Frozen Spinach, thawed (optional)
Pasta Sauce
Small baking dish
Preparation
Prepare the manicotti according to the directions on the box and put them aside for later.
Take the leftover pot roast that’s been shredded and warm it gently in the microwave. You don’t want the meat to be sizzling hot because it has to mix with the other ingredients. The purpose of warming it is to take the refrigerator cold off of the meat so it’s easier to work with.
After the meat has warmed add it to a mixing bowl with the cheeses and the spinach. Beat the egg and add only enough to mix the ingredients into a good mixture. The moisture of the egg will help everything stay together.
Carefully stuff your prepared shells with the meat, cheese and spinach mixture, placing each one in the baking dish. When you’ve filled and placed the shells into the baking dish, pour the pasta sauce over the top and cover with mozzarella cheese.
Place in a 300˚-350˚F oven and cook until the cheese has melted and the sauce is bubbly. Add a salad or vegetable and some fresh, crusty bread and you have an Italian meal that will be sure to tickle your taste buds.
The key to these leftover makeovers is to keep your ingredient amounts relative. If you have a little meat left but you do not know if you have enough to make the manicotti, add spinach or extra cheese to bulk up your filling. The same idea works for the other recipes, too.
Another tip: if the amount of meat you use is small, keep the other amounts small as well. With these meals that are designed to stretch, you can play with the flavors until you have a recipe tailored to your favorite tastes.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Ana Faria at Ana.Faria@colorado.edu.
