Easy Beef Recipes for Busy Times
By Brenda Hyde
With the kids back in school, and the holidays around
the corner we need some easy, satisfying meals for the
whole family. Beef roasts are a great buy, and these
easy recipes are slow cooked, so even the tougher cuts
of roast will turn out tender. I like to serve these on busy
days when I am getting ready for company or running errands.
I know there will be a nutritious hot meal ready and waiting,
even if things don't go as planned!
Crock Pot Tender Roast
Ingredients:
3-4 pound Beef Roast
1 pound carrots
4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and halved
thyme (dried or fresh)
herb, regular or wine vinegar
salt, pepper
1/2 onion
Brown your roast in a skillet and season with salt
and pepper on each side. Turn off burner, and prepare
vegetables. Peel and halve potatoes, peel and quarter
carrots. put a 1/2 cup water in bottom of the crock pot,
add carrots and potatoes. Set roast on top, if it is too large
you may cut it to fit.Drizzle about a tablespoon of the
vinegar slowly over the roast, sprinkle a teaspoon of fresh of
dried thyme over the roast. Cook on high for about 6 hours.
Serve with rolls or bread.
Note: Be sure to save all leftovers, including the broth that forms
for the next recipe.
Quick Vegetable Soup
Ingredients:
1 quart beef broth (left from the roast combined with water or
add canned broth if necessary)
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup minced onion
1 cup cabbage
2 cups mixed vegetables of your choice
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, thyme or oregano (or mixed)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup uncooked small pasta shells or noodles
1 cup leftover shredded or cubed roast beef
In a large pan bring everything but the pasta or noodles to a boil.
Add pasta and simmer 10 minutes or until tender. Add meat and
heat through. This is good with garlic bread. This can easily be
put in a crockpot on low around lunch time and be ready by
supper. Save the noodles or pasta out until the last 1/2 hour.
Beef Stew
Ingredients:
4 tbls. oil
1 clove garlic, split
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cup salt
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 pounds beef roast cut into 1 inch cubes
3 cups beef broth
4 carrots, sliced
10-15 fresh mushrooms (halved)
Heat oil, and sauté garlic and onions. Remove. Mix together flour, salt
and
pepper. Dredge meat in flour mix and brown well in the oil (add more if
necessary). Return onion and garlic to pot. Add carrots, beef broth and
thyme plus wine if you are using. Simmer, covered for one and 1/2
hours or until tender. Sauté mushrooms in 1 tbls. butter for 5 minutes.
Add to meat and mix gently. Simmer for 10 more minutes on very low
heat. Serve with fresh French bread, and a salad. You can also serve
over biscuits, noodles or rice.
Note: This recipe can be put in the crock pot also, and cooked on high
for
about 6 hours, adding the mushrooms at the last 15 minutes or so.
Shredded Beef Barbecue
Ingredients:
Any size beef roast
small onion sliced thin
Your favorite barbecue sauce to cover
oil
Cut the roast into 1-2 inch cubes. Heat oil in a
large skillet. Place cubes in the oil and brown
on all sides. Transfer to crock pot. In the same
skillet cook the onions until soft and slightly
browned. Add to meat. Pour into barbecue sauce
until the meat is covered. Cook on high for about
4-5 hours, then break chunks up with a wooden
spoon. Continue to do this for about 2 more hours.
If the meat starts to look dry, add more sauce
or a small amount of water. Meat is done when
completely broken up and shredded. Serve on
rolls or hamburger buns.
About the Author
Brenda Hyde is a wife, and mom to three, living in
the Midwest United States. She is also a freelance
writer and editor of Old Fashioned Living.
