Modern "Left-Over Stew:" Recipe

Disclosure: this is not the best photo...but the dish was great.

When I was young, my mom used to make "left-over stew" after a dinner of steak and mashed potatoes. I remember it being delicious - for some reason the left overs were even better than the original dish! She basically made her version of Shepperd's Pie with potatoes on the bottom and on top, beef, carrots and peas from a can and Franco-American gravy. I repeat...I loved this as a kid. It served its purpose - mom got us to eat left-overs and disguised them in a new package.

This weekend I made a fantastic steak dinner with mashed potatoes but there was so much left over so as I sat there at the end of the meal, the vision of mom's Left-Over Stew came to mind. I made a few updates and I offer you a recipe for something a bit more sophisticated, for lack of a better word.

Thanks Mom for the idea (and for all those yummy dinners!)

Modern Left-Over Stew
2 cups of cooked steak, cut into bite-sized pieces (1/4 cup collected juice from the cooked steak)
3/4 cup frozen petite peas
3/4 cup cooked corn
3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
3 1/2 cups mashed potatoes
4 carrots, sliced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. fresh rosemary + 2 sprigs about 2" each
2 small scallions, sliced (white and pale green parts)

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat and add scallions and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots and saute another 3 minutes. Add 1 tsp. rosemary, the sugar and chicken broth. Stir and cover. Lower the heat to low and let cook about 10 minutes until carrots are soft.

Run peas under very hot water in a colander for about 5 minutes, and be sure to shake the colander to ensure all peas get water. Peas are done when they are bright green.

In a large bowl, combine steak, corn, carrots, and peas. Mix well and add in the soy sauce and the juice from the steak. Mix.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a 9" pie plate, spread 1 cup of mashed potatoes on the bottom. Place both rosemary sprigs on top of the potatoes. Add the meat mixture and cover with the remaining mashed potatoes. Bake the dish for about 60 minutes, until the potatoes are browned.

Cool a few minutes before serving.