I made beef stew, but when you make beef stew in the beginning of the week, you're likely going to be eating it the rest of the week. Boring old re-runs of the same beef stew, with a simple re-heat to eat? No, remixes.

I re-mixed the beef stew into a simple beef pot pie, but I also used this exercise as an experiment. Which "top" tastes the best with the beef stew?

Before placing the beef stew into the ramekins, I did add a few ingredients to make them work a little better for a pot pie filling. Sitting in the refrigerator overnight, the stew loses some of its "gravy," so I reheated the stew on the stove top and added a bit more beef stock. To change up the flavors so it really feels re-mixed, this would be a good time to use red wine, a little beer, or even cream (but be prepared for a very weird beige-colored beef filling if you use cream).

One pie got mashed potatoes on top, like a traditional shepherd's pie (though shepherd's pie filling is made with lamb and different vegetables). Simply spoon creamy mashed potatoes on top of the beef filling. I felt a little ooh-la-la so I piped the mashed potatoes into a spiral.

The second pie got a crumbly biscuit topping, which is similar to many of the southern homestyle chicken pot pies that simply have biscuit dough plopped on top. I made the biscuit dough by whisking together 1 c. all-pupose flour with 1¼ tsp. baking powder and a pinch of salt, cutting in 3 Tbsp. diced cold butter, and bringing it together with ½ c. milk. That's enough to cover two small ramekins.

The third pie got the traditional flaky pastry topping.

I thought about puff pastry as a fourth top, but you know what? Puff pastry works for frou frou pot pies like ones made with lobster, but didn't seem at all appropriate for a hearty beef filling.

Bake all of them in a 425-degree oven for just under 15 minutes.

The winning top for the beef pot pie?

Three-way tie.