This Breakfast Classic Might Be The Best Way To Use Up Leftover Pot Roast

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It takes a low, slow cook to create a fork-tender pot roast — and chances are you're going to have leftovers. No shade to eating that flavorful beef, cold and standing over the sink as a midnight snack. But to get the most out of its deep and savory slow-cooked flavor, it's best to stop eating leftover pot roast as-is and bring it to the breakfast table. Pot roast hash is the rich, hearty comfort food that's perfect for lazy weekends and chilly weather. In a single skillet, tender beef meets crispy potatoes for a breakfast item that's as thrifty as it is transformative.

If you own a cast iron skillet, we invite you to bust it out here; it's the key to getting a mouthwatering golden-brown crust on the potatoes in our diner-style home fries recipe, which can be made in the same pan as the rest of the pot roast hash — hooray for fewer dishes to wash, post-brekky! On slow, meandering Sunday mornings that cast iron skillet can even be placed right on the kitchen table (underneath a potholder) for you and a friend or two to take bites directly from the pan, family-style. That said, any skillet will get the job done.

To prepare pot roast hash, start by sauteeing ribbons of sweet yellow onion and peppers in oil. Then, add in a generous amount of cubed, parboiled Yukon Gold potatoes. Once the potatoes are crisp, chop your leftover pot roast into bite-sized pieces and add it into the pan, folding all of the elements together to warm and combine. 

In a Reddit thread dedicated to creative ways to repurpose leftover pot roast, one commenter swears by making pot roast hash with a bag of frozen hash browns. Opting for convenient frozen potatoes can ensure that all the ingredients required for this hearty breakfast are waiting on-hand when you need them. Here at Tasting Table, Ore-Ida is our all-time favorite frozen hash brown brand to stash in the freezer. For a pop of color, cubed sweet potatoes work, too.

From there, all that's left to do is load on whatever toppings your heart (and stomach) desires. A sprinkle of cheese would lend luscious body, extra flavor, and some moisture. We recommend sharp white cheddar or nutty Fontina, plus a runny fried egg and a sprinkle of cracked black pepper to further emphasize the umami. Pro tip: Popping the pan under the broiler for about one minute will help the cheese melt into a perfectly gooey texture. If you're feeling ambitious, garnish with aromatic green onions, chopped on the diagonal.

For even more moisture, a squirt of sharp, pungent horseradish cream sauce would cut through the richness of the beef. Want to turn up the heat? Add a dash of hot sauce, like Lee Kum Kee Honey Sriracha for dynamic flavor dimensionality. You could even fold in some crumbled bacon to up the smoky ante. To complete the breakfast, serve with orange marmalade toast or these 3-ingredient drop biscuits smeared with honey — the touch of sweetness will counterbalance the ultra-savory hash.