Easy, delicious and quick, this good old-fashioned leftover lamb stew is a rich, economical and filling dish that makes a perfect week-night supper.
Leftover Lamb Casserole
A little lamb goes a long way in this frugal but tasty peasant casserole, so it is an excellent way of using up leftovers. Using pre-cooked lamb means that an easy one-pot casserole doesn’t have to cook for hours, making it suitable for an after-work supper. If anything, this tasty dish is even better the next day, so you can make enough for two meals or prepare one in advance.
My easy lamb casserole is a classic Northern European style recipe. Hearty and filling, it uses hard fat (dripping, lard, butter, or most economically, fat skimmed from roasting joint) rather than olive oil.
This is a fantastically adaptable dish – perfect for using up all the vegetables at the bottom of the fridge, as well as any leftover roast potatoes or gravy from your roast dinner.
How to Make Leftover Lamb Stew
Step 1 – First, assemble the ingredients. Heat oven to 180°C (Fan) / 350°F (Fan) / Gas Mark 5.
Step 2 – Prepare the potatoes by chopping larger new potatoes in half, or if using older, larger potatoes, peel and chop into 2 cm pieces. Parboil the potatoes in salted water for 10 minutes. Then drain and set aside.
Step 3 – Put the fat in a shallow oven-proof dish with a lid. Set it on the stove to melt the fat, on a medium to low heat.
Step 4 – Fry onion and celery for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt to draw out the liquid. Crush the garlic into the mixture and stir in. Cook for a few minutes so that the onion is translucent.
Step 5 – Add lamb, carrots, and stir in.
Step 6 – Add the herbs and flour. Stir in well, so that the fat is all absorbed. If there is flour left over that hasn’t combined with any fat, add a little more fat. Then cook flour for a further 4–5 minutes.
Step 7 – Slowly add the stock, stirring the whole time. Scrape the bottom of the dish with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing’s stuck.
Step 8 – Add potatoes on top, and season with salt and pepper. Cover the dish with a lid, and place in the oven.
Step 9 – Cook for 30 minutes.
Step 10 – If the sauce needs thickening, take a tablespoon of cornflour in a small dish, and add a tablespoon of the sauce. Stir in until well mixed, and add to the casserole.
Step 11 – Finally, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. It’s ready to serve!
Hints & Tips
- If you have it, add leftover gravy to the stock. Alternatively, you can use wine or beer.
- Mix up the vegetables – use more carrots or celery – add in other root vegetables such as diced parsnips, turnip or swede.
- Use gluten free flour if intolerant.
- I made my leftover lamb stew with new potatoes, cutting the larger ones in half. If using older, larger spuds, peel and chop into 2–3 cm cubes.
- You can use leftover roast potatoes, add for the last 15 minutes of cooking to reheat.
- Add some preserved lemon for the last 10 minutes of cooking to add zip and lightness to the dish.
Old-fashioned Leftover Lamb Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp lamb fat ( (from the roast), lard, or butter)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 sticks celery (diced)
- 2 carrots (diced)
- 250 g cooked leftover lamb (cut into 2 cm cubes. Discard bits of sinew and gristle.)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp dried herbs (thyme or oregano)
- 500 g potatoes (halve larger new potatoes, or peel and chop larger spuds)
- 250 ml stock (lamb, chicken or vegetable)
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp cornflour (if needed)
- juice of half a lemon.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 180°C (Fan) / 350°F (Fan) / Gas Mark 5.
- Prepare the potatoes by chopping larger new potatoes in half, or if using older, larger potatoes, peel and chop into 2 cm pieces.
- Parboil the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Put the fat in an oven-proof flat casserole dish with a lid. Set on a medium low ring on the stove to melt the fat.
- Fry onion and celery for a few minutes. Add a pinch of salt to draw out the liquid. Crush the garlic into the mixture and stir in. Cook for a few minutes, stirring until the onion is translucent.
- Add lamb and carrots and stir in. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add flour and herbs. Stir in well, so that the fat is all absorbed. If there is flour left over that hasn't combined with any fat, add a little more fat. Cook flour for a further 4–5 minutes.
- Slowly add stock, stirring well as you do so. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to make sure nothing’s stuck.
- Place potatoes on top of stew, and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover with the lid and place in oven. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft
- If the sauce needs thickening, measure the cornflour into a small dish. Add a tablespoon of the liquid and mix well. Add more liquid if necessary, and stir to make a smooth paste. Add to the stew to thicken the sauce.
- Finally, just before serving, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. This adds zing and really brightens the dish.
Notes
- If you have it, add leftover gravy to the stock. Alternatively, you can use wine or beer.
- Mix up the vegetables - use more carrots or celery - add in other root vegetables such as diced parsnips, turnip or swede.
- Use gluten free flour if intolerant.
- With made this it with new potatoes, cutting the larger ones in half. If using older, larger spuds, peel and chop into 2–3 cm cubes.
- You can use leftover roast potatoes, add for the last 15 minutes of cooking to reheat.
- Add some preserved lemon for the last 10 minutes of cooking to add zip and lightness to the dish.
- This recipe is 3 Weight Watchers Smart Points per portion.
More delicious leftover lamb recipes: my Leftover Lamb Tagine with Apricots Recipe and Leftover Lamb Curry.
Or, for an equally British side dish to the stew, there’s my fully loaded dirty chips.
Lola Osinkolu
This surely looks like a perfect week night meal! Thanks Helen!
Helen
Its a great comforting way to use up the leftover roast!
Lynn
I make this recipe every time I have leftover lamb. Everyone who has eaten this dish loves it! Great comfort food, highly recommended!
Helen
thank you Lynn! i really appreciate you letting me know.
Gillian W
I do love a good lamb casserole, so satisfying. Love the combination of veggies in this one, really tasty and hearty.
Samantha
Such a good classic supper, full of flavour and goodness. Really great family meal and great value too.
Jenay
Thanks so much for this! We purchased a cook at home covid lamb meal, and well, it was pretty much inedible! So I took the lamb jus as the meat and made this & it was finally delicious! I did use the preserved lemon (plus I had a take away box of not great take away roasted potatoes that also were perfectly repurposed & added the last 15 min as suggested) I added the half lemon at the end, as well as some
Fresh thyme
Helen
That is lovely to hear, although I am sorry your initial meal kit was disappointment! thank you.
Victoria
Good wholesome meal that can easily be made in advance for feeding the family. Truly delicious and good value too.
Bryan B
I love using leftovers to make something as tasty as the original meal and this did not disappoint. Really good food.
Cindy Redman
Delicious comforting food that you really appreciate after a busy day. Lamb is such a tasty meat.
Tricia L
This is a classic meal full of good food. Makes a great family dinner with no real fuss.