How Long A Leftover Pot Roast Will Last In The Fridge

Sometimes the prospect of leftovers is just as exciting as the meal itself. And when it comes to pot roast, you could argue that it's even better eaten the day after. The balance lies in extending the joy of the dish without letting it spoil and wasting all of that time spent cooking. With pot roast, you have a window of up to four days.

According to the USDA, any cooked beef should be eaten within three to four days of cooking, but this assumes you're using optimal storage methods. To begin with, pot roast needs to be refrigerated within two hours of cooking to keep it out of the danger zone. This is the range between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit in which illness-causing bacteria breed rapidly. Leftover pot roast also needs to be stored in an airtight container to protect it from any bacterial contamination. Covering tightly with plastic wrap works, too. Leftovers also need to be kept at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so stick the roast in the coldest part of the fridge, which is at the bottom towards the back.

Before eating leftovers, be sure to check for any signs of spoilage, such as a bad smell, mushy texture, or mold. These signs will alert you to food deterioration and potentially the bacteria that cause food poisoning. If pot roast has passed the safe-eating window, it's better not to risk it. 

Four days doesn't give you a lot of time to enjoy pot roast, especially if you are someone who doesn't like eating the same meals on repeat. Thankfully, humans are endlessly creative creatures, and you can rest assured there's a way to repurpose leftover pot roast in pretty much every meal of the day.

The fall-apart texture and rich gravy of a pot roast mean you have a ready-made topping for your favorite dishes with no extra work required. As a filling for baked potatoes, you have a hearty and warming dinner. Otherwise, you could turn a side into a main by beefing up a dish of mac and cheese with leftover meat. For something with totally different flavors, add pot roast to this Mexican-style breakfast dish of eggs, tomatoes, and chilis served in a soft tortilla. You can even take advantage of all the slow cooked flavors of pot roast to add depth and richness to beef stew, while also cutting down on cooking time significantly. Just be sure that you don't make so much that you end up with more leftovers. 

If you want to extend shelf life, you can also store pot roast in the freezer for two to three months. Simply move frozen leftovers to the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating them gently on the stove.