One Roast- Two Meals- Brilliant

As you know, I am really trying to become frugal, it's against my nature but I am trying like hell.  So this is one of those things that really makes me feel accomplished in saving a few bucks.  We enjoy the potroast one night and then repurpose it into a different meal the next.  Viola, two meals.  I am not a fan of "leftovers" so this is great because it's totally transformed into something else so I don't even feel like it is leftovers.

Meal #1 - The Pot Roast

Ingredients:

1 pot roast (bottom round etc. something appropriate for slow cooking)
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 C beef or vegetable stock (or broth)
1 T garlic, chopped
2 T worcestershire sauce
1 envelope onion soup dry mix (I used french onion flavor)
fresh thyme sprigs tied in a bundle (I used 3-4)

 

Cooking it:
Add vegetables to bottom of a lined crock pot (slow cooker).  Add half the onion soup seasoning to vegetables.Top with thyme bundle.  Then top with roast.  Pour the broth/stock over roast and then sprinkle the remaining soup mix over roast.  Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours until super tender.

When the roast is done, be careful and place the roast on a cutting board to rest while you make the sauce.

Pour everything that is in the crockpot (vegetables & liquid) into a blender and blend until liquified.  Pour into a saucepan and bring up to a boil and then simmer a few minutes, adding salt and pepper if needed.

Slice your pot roast and top with gravy.
Serve with mashed potato and vegetable of your choice.  I like to use carrots.

Meal #2 - Shepherd's Pie.

It does NOT look appetizing but I promise it will be delicious.

Ingredients:

leftover pot roast and it's gravy, chopped
1 bag frozen or canned mixed vegetable (cooked to package instructions)
2 Cups left over mashed potato or freshly made mashed potato
1 T butter

Recipe:

Heat 1 T butter in large saute pan.  Add chopped pot roast and gravy.  Cook about 5 minutes until heated through. Add meat and gravy to bottom of a 9x9 casserole dish.  Top with vegetables and then top that with mashed potato. Bake 350 for 20 minutes and gravy is bubbling up.