Eat All Week with Triple Duty Beef Recipes

Back to school season is here and for most of us that means saying goodbye to lazy poolside picnics (for now) or eating out at whim and, instead, falling back into a more structured mealtime routine. The thought of preparing an endless loop of wholesome, balanced meals for the family may leave you feeling frantic, especially if you’ve been on a hiatus from home cooked meals. However, with a little front-end meal planning and execution, you can put together a nourishing meal that the entire family will love without getting stressed out – plus you’ll save money in the process.

Using two “master” beef recipes, Farm Fresh Meat Sauce and Mexican-style Pot Roast, you can cook enough protein at once to use in my six meal suggestions. These recipes also freeze really well. Just set aside some time on Sunday night or Monday morning to get the recipes completed. With the completed recipes and a few basic, additional ingredients, you can make six meals that will work for breakfast, lunch or dinner. A single batch of each “master” recipe makes about 8 servings. However, if you have a family larger than 4 or one with extra-hearty appetites, I would suggest doubling or at least half-upping each recipe.

Farm Fresh Meat Sauce

Not only is this sauce delicious and versatile, you can “sneak in” extra veggies like zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots It’s a great starter for creative meals, here are some ideas:

• Sauce served over cheese grits, polenta, or pasta.

• Sauce baked in skillet for about 30 minutes with eggs “shakshuka” style.

• Sauce turned into soup by warming up 1-part sauce, 1-part beef broth, ¼-part half-and-half cream together.

Mexican-style Pot Roast

Mexican Pot Roast is a frequently-requested beef recipe in my family. This easy dish relies on an economical chuck roast and canned items, like corn, salsa, and black beans, that you probably already have in the pantry. Plus, there are so many ways to serve it, including:

• Shredded roast served with a whole grain and salad or vegetables.

Cuban Crispy Shredded Beef

• Shredded roast served in taco shells with guacamole, salsa and other fixings.

Mexican Beef Sopes

• Shredded roast added to egg scrambles, omelets and frittatas.

Shredded Beef & Egg Quesadillas

Schedules of busy families are prone to change at the last minute, and you may realize the meat sauce or shredded beef will not be finished off over the week. Both the Farm Fresh Meat Sauce and Mexican-style Pot Roast can be portioned into desired serving sizes, packed in air-tight storage containers or heavy plastic baggies, and kept in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Before reheating,simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Looking for more batch cooking recipes?

Slow Cooker Brisket Sofrito

Lone Star Chili

Mexican-style Beef Sausage

What are your favorite recipes beef recipes to batch cook? Tell us in the comments below!