With little time, plan ahead

Time is a funny thing. It disappears all too quickly and, yet, in the middle of it, can feel like it will never pass. When you don’t have it, you inevitably need it. When you do, you’re waiting for it to hurry up and go by.

I bet most ranchers would agree with me when I say that sometimes it just seems there aren’t enough hours in a day. Calving season – every season for that matter – is filled with long days.

It’s during these times of early mornings and late nights that the last thing on our minds is what to fix for supper. Planning ahead during the week can save you from sifting through your cupboards when you finally make it into the house.

CAB’s very own Chef Tony Biggs has tips and tricks to staying on track during the week.

“Implement a weekly to monthly menu,” Chef Tony says. “Start out with a weekly menu with three items; a salad, an entrée and a dessert.”

There is no better smell to inhale as you walk into the house than a roast that has been slow cooking all day. No matter what season it is around our farm and ranch, we live by our crock-pot. It not only saves you time during meal prep but puts off dish duty until later.

“At 7 or 8 o’clock in the morning, throw everything into a crock-pot,” Chef Tony says. “All your vegetables, your Certified Angus Beef, seasonings, and voila supper’s on the table!”

Another tip Chef Tony recommends is preparing meals at the beginning of the week. He suggests spending some time cooking on Sunday and putting them in the freezer for easy prep meals.

“Put the meals in bags or Tupperware and you’ll have easy portioned out meals to warm up on the stove or in the crockpot,” he says.

Thinking of new recipes can be difficult if you don’t have the time to get creative. That’s where Chef Tony says to turn to the app. Certified Angus Beef’s app Roast Perfect is an easy way to look up recipes for quick and stress-free meals.

“Roast Perfect is a lifesaver for people who struggle with roasts and this app makes it so easy,” he says. “The app explains every cut of beef, what sides to prepare with them and also has a timer that lets you know how long until it is finished.”

A rancher’s lifestyle seems to exist in busy season, but if you remember to plan, you can enjoy hot and homemade meals without the worry.

~Jenny

PS – try some of these easy recipes featured on the Go Rare blog!

Shortcut Oven-Braised Brisket

Five Favorite Slow-Cooked suppers

Easy pot roast

Ground beef chili

Cold Cut Favorites

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Jenny Keyes grew up as the fifth generation on her family’s Springfield, Neb., farm. Her early experiences—which included showing Angus cattle—inspired her to keep on learning about all things agriculture. Our current industry information intern, Jenny is a senior ag communications major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

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