Recipe Train

    “The most helpful feature of this meal is the flexibility,” said Brooke Dirks of her beef and noodle recipe. Use your own freezer roast or buy prepared shredded beef from the meat cooler for a quick prep version of the recipe. “It can be catered to your family’s preferences and also jazzed up for a fancy potluck meal at church, all while tasting delicious, any time of year,” said Dirks.

Flexible Family Beef and Noodles

    BEEF — QUICK PREP VERSION
    2-3 containers of fully cooked roast beef
    2 cartons of sliced fresh baby portabella or button mushrooms (optional)
    2 teaspoons OR 3 cubes beef bouillon
    1 1/2 cups water or beef broth
    In a large sauce pan or kettle, add meat and all juices to water or broth. Add bouillon and, if desired, mushrooms. Boil rapidly until mushrooms are tender.
    
    BEEF — SLOW-ROAST VERSION
    2-5 pound rump roast
    2-4 bay leaves
    1 medium-sized bottle Clamato juice
    All-purpose Cavender’s Greek seasoning OR stout season salt
    Prepare in a crockpot or in a large pan in a 275-300 degree oven.
    Place roast in pan/crockpot, add bay leaves and Clamato, and season well with either the Greek seasoning or the season salt.
    Cook for 6-8 hours or until completely tender.
    Remove meat from pan, discard bay leaves and reserve 1 1/2 cups juice from pan. Trim fat from meat and fork-shred. Add reserved juice back to shredded meat.
    
    NOODLES (for either version)
    1 large bag egg noodles
    5 tablespoons butter
    Salt and pepper to taste
    Boil noodles until al dente. Drain. Add butter and stir into noodles until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
    Combine prepared beef (either version) with seasoned, buttered noodles and serve.

Next stop on the recipe train: Michelle Vieselmeyer’s BBQ Meatballs
Chugga chugga chew chew!