Leftover Lamb Casserole

1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a skillet, melt the butter and cook the onion until tender. Add the mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned.

3. In a large bowl, add the cooked and diced lamb, cooked rice, undrained tomatoes, salt, pepper, curry powder, and sautéed onions and mushrooms with their cooking liquid. Mix gently to combine.

4. Turn the mixture out into the greased casserole dish. Top with the grated cheese.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve hot.

More Ways to Use Leftover Lamb

Lamb is expensive so leftovers come at a premium. Let those creative juices flow and try using it in one of these savory dishes.

• Shepherd's pie made with cooked lamb, peas, carrots, and a sauce or gravy is topped with fluffy mashed potatoes for a soul-satisfying meal.
• The classic Greek gyro is made of thinly sliced lamb wrapped in pita bread along with cucumber, onion, tomato, and feta cheese. A dressing of tzatziki is the quintessential finishing touch.
• A lamb sandwich made with thinly sliced meat on pita or naan bread with tzatziki sauce has Middle Eastern, Indian, and Greek overtones that deliver a powerful punch of flavor.
• Instead of using beef roast in a Cornish pasty, try making it with lamb leftovers, potatoes, carrots, and celery. You'll have the original meal-on-the-go favored by Cornish tin miners back in the day that's perfect for lunch boxes.
• Soup is a great vehicle for leftover lamb. Instead of cooking raw meat with vegetables in Icelandic lamb soup, prepare the recipe and toss in cubes of cooked lamb at the end just to warm them through (you don't want to toughen the meat or dry out the soup).
• Main-course salads; Greek-inspired tacos with mint, grilled onions, and feta cheese; quesadillas with tzatziki sauce; pita pockets; and pasta dishes are all brilliant ways to enjoy leftover lamb.