These past few nights have been a carnivore’s delight. On Friday we served pot roast. This wasn’t so much a display of my domestic prowess as it was a practical choice: after a long Thursday on set we remembered a browned, prepped roast that had been left in the oven for the beauty shot. Thanks to the conveniences of television production, I took the roast home and finished it in the slow cooker the next day while we filmed Episode 5: Low-Fat Baking. I quartered some potatoes, set them to boil, and when I arrived home they only needed a quick rough mash with a potato masher, a splash of buttermilk, and a handful of frozen peas that steamed up in another pot. Simple, hearty comfort food that came together quickly.
On Saturday morning we filmed short location segments in my kitchen. An eight-person crew arrived early, so I put a batch of cheese biscuits into the oven and then swapped a ham in to roast. After about an hour I glazed the ham with a sticky, savory mixture of brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, and grainy mustard—roughly equal parts, with perhaps a touch less mustard—while the crew adjusted lights and sound. For lunch we served the glazed roast ham with the cheese biscuits. I also made a tortellini salad to round out the meal, tossing cooked tortellini with crumbled feta, white kidney beans, and a bit of pesto so W wouldn’t fall into a week-long lunch routine of eggs and toast. The variety went over well and kept everyone satisfied during a busy day of shooting.
Sunday’s shoot focused on greens, which meant preparing two large batches of tabbouleh. That provided a welcome balance to the meat-heavy meals of the previous days: a big bowl of herbed bulgur salad, packed with parsley, mint, tomato, and lemon, felt like redemption for my recent indulgences. I may have topped my own tabbouleh with a generous slice of roast beef—small rebellions are allowed—but overall the greens balanced the weekend’s richer dishes.
Expect about a week of creative cooking with leftovers. Leftover pot roast and glazed ham are some of the best ingredients to have on hand: they reheat well, lend themselves to sandwiches and salads, and can be transformed into entirely new meals. Shredded pot roast makes excellent tacos, hash, or a quick stroganoff; sliced ham can be folded into pasta, fried rice, or baked into a savory strata. Planning for leftovers not only saves time but also stretches the value of a single roast across multiple meals.
Before I wrap up, a note about the crumbly eat-more cookies I mentioned previously: I’m sorry some readers had trouble with them. I’ll double-check the recipe to see if anything got lost in translation or if sleep deprivation affected my notes. If you ran into problems, please consider what type of peanut butter you used. Some readers used all-peanuts natural peanut butter, which behaves differently from stabilized or partially hydrogenated commercial peanut butters. I personally reach for a lightly processed peanut butter that is a bit sweeter and less oily than traditional Kraft-style spreads; it tends to make the cookies hold together better while still tasting great. I’ll test the recipe again, post an update, and offer troubleshooting tips so the cookies come out as intended.
In the meantime, enjoy the leftovers and don’t be afraid to reinvent them. A slow-roasted pot roast and a well-glazed ham can carry you through quick weeknight dinners, satisfying weekend meals, and inventive lunches. Stay tuned for updates on the cookie recipe and more ideas for turning roast leftovers into new favorites.