Favorite Hot and Delicious Harvest Recipes

Harvest meal planning can take on a life of its own. Weeks before we start harvesting, I typically start mentally calculating the amount of ground beef that needs to be browned, the number of pans of bars that need to be baked and supplies that will be purchased. 

It's like planning a graduation party or wedding!

I plan ahead for twenty meals, make my shopping list and start prepping. I have a handful of tools that make all this meal prep and delivery much easier. With my new Instant Pot, I can make twelve pounds of frozen beef roasts into the most tender and juiciest shredded beef - in only 90 minutes! I can also take  pounds of potatoes and make the fluffiest mashed potatoes in 10 minutes. Such a versatile kitchen appliance; I cannot believe it took me so long to admit I needed it!  

Another must have for harvest meal delivery is the Presto Nomad Crockpot.  It is a crockpot that looks like a lunch box cooler! It includes a handle and an airtight seal which allows for no spillage. This makes for easy serving and cleanup. As I head to the field with dinner, my pickup is stocked with paper products, water, milk, coffee, serving utensils and lawn chairs.

The chopping crew of eight, as well as the rest of the family, and any other employees that are working late are welcome to join us for dinner in the field.  At any given time, there may be as many as sixteen people sitting on tailgates and lawn chairs enjoying a harvest meal. This year has been even more memorable, as our new grandson often makes his way out to the field to have supper with his daddy and grandpa.  My father-in-law likes to come out and visit with the crew as well, which makes for the perfect four-generation picture opportunity.  

When I was a newlywed, I remember my mom telling me to “find a recipe you like, and make it your go-to."  Such good advice, since I was the farm girl that spent more time in the barn with my dad than in the kitchen with my mom.  I am sure there were meals over the years that made the field crew cringe and consider bringing their own lunch box the next day.  But as I became a more seasoned cook, I would gauge the success of a meal by the amount of second helpings that were taken.   

My recipe box is full of successful recipes, and these are a couple of my go-to favorites that have fed men in the field, my family around the supper table and have been delivered to neighbors in need.  Anyone who has eaten around my dinner table, or from the back of my pickup, knows that I am not a fancy cook! I make easy, family-friendly dishes with ingredients that are always in my freezer and pantry.   

I like to think of my cooking genre as “fill them up and keep them going." And what better way than to use beef (and dairy😉).  I hope you get a chance to visit our Facebook page, and follow our family as I “fill them up and keep them going” during this harvest season.

Chicky's Farm Favorite Recipes

Pizza Hotdish

It's a comforting classic, as delicious and simple as it sounds!

Ingredients:

directions:

Combine ground beef, pasta, sauces and pizza toppings of your choice. Put in 9 x 13 pan and top with cheese. Cover with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes.  This recipe freezes well and can be adapted to fit your favorite pizza flavors.

hamburger Gravy over Mashed Potatoes

This is a farm family staple, a classic crowd pleaser no matter your herd's ages. Make it even quicker to cook, when you have the ground hamburger pre-cooked or leftover from the last meal! It's a recipe that always seems to vary a bit from family to family, but the original always seems to come from grandma and grandpa.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. ground beef, browned & crumbled and cooked with 1 T House Seasoning              
  
• 4 T butter
• 4-5  T flour
• 2 cans beef broth – I prefer Campbell's Soup  
• Mashed Potatoes

directions:

After browning your ground beef you can use the same pan to make your gravy; remove the hamburger and drain the grease.  In the pan over medium high heat make a roux by melting the butter.  Once butter is melted add the flour and stir until toasty brown color.  Add the cans of broth and whisk constantly until the sauce is earthy brown and thick.  Add the hamburger, heat through and serve over the mashed potatoes.

Otte's House Seasoning

Ingredients:

•  ½ cup salt
  
•  ¼ cup pepper
  
• ¼ cup garlic powder
  
• ¼ cup onion powder

Directions:

We'd love to hear which recipe you try and becomes your new favorite! Tag #boldlybeef so we can see what you're up to in the kitchen.