Beef Roast Marsala…

Beefy Black Bean & Roasted Corn Quesadilla…

BBQ Beef Sandwiches with Apple Slaw…

I’ll let you in on a secret…I hate leftovers!  I hate the monotony of leftovers.  My mother, seriously one of the best cooks/bakers/beauties:) ever, would cook a big meal on Sunday that was intended to last through Wednesday.  A well cooked beef roast is absolutely delicious, but four days of it is just too much!  I’m not taking shots at my mom…she worked full-time and cared for a family of 9(the laundry was a full-time job, not to mention hair care for herself and 4 daughters!).  No only was her cooking method time saving, she also had to be budget conscience.

Fast forward to my life as a wife and mother…Wow, do I appreciate my mom?!  Although I’m fortunate to be home, caring for the three of us is a full-time task.  Being budget conscience myself, I’ve learned to reinvent that delicious beef roast into several different favorite meals…Roast Beef Marsala, Beefy Black Bean & Roasted Corn Quesadilla, and BBQ Beef Sandwiches with Apple Slaw.

The key to making this work is starting with a beef roast that’s cooked “simply” so that it can be paired well with other ingredients.  My roast is started with seasoned salt, pepper, garlic, onion, and bay leaves.  After it’s cooked, I divide it into portions to create all of my dishes.  In this post, half is used for the Beef Marsala.  The remaining half is divided to create the Quesadillas and the BBQ Beef Sandwiches.

Simply Cooked Beef Roast
About 3 pounds cooked meat

1 large chuck roast, about 4 1/2  pounds
1 large onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rings
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon hot paprika
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups low sodium vegetable or beef stock
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Rinse chuck roast and pat dry with paper towel.  Sprinkle with seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, and hot paprika, rubbing to completely cover.  In a large heavy lidded pot, heat olive oil and butter on medium-high heat until butter is melted and begins to sizzle.  Add onion slices and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes, transfer onion to a small plate/bowl to reserve for later use.  Add seasoned beef to the pot and brown on all sides, 3 minutes per side.  Add stock, bay leaves, garlic, and reserved sauteed onions.  Allow stock to come to a boil before covering with a lid and transferring to the oven.  Bake for 3 hours, turning once until tender and falling apart.  Once cooled, discard visible fat and divide meat for different dishes.  Reserve 2 cups of stock.

Beef Marsala
Serves 4-6

Saute the onions and mushrooms to start the marsala sauce

1 1/2 pounds simply cooked beef
1 medium onion, sliced
2 cups mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/2 cup marsala wine
2 cups beef stock
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon herbs de provence, or dried thyme & rosemary mixed

Mashed Potatoes or Cooked Rice for serving

In a large skillet, heat oil and butter on medium heat until butter begins to sizzle.  Add onion and mushrooms, sauteing until both have softened and slightly browned, about 7 minutes.  Stir in corn starch to coat vegetables, before adding garlic and marsala wine. Immediately stir in beef stock and herbs de provence, as mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low.  Add cooked beef, cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.

Beefy Black Bean & Roasted Corn Quesadillas

Add cheese, filling, and more cheese before folding and toasting.

1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup simply cooked beef, chopped
1/2 cup black beans, drained
1/2 cup roasted corn kernels, thawed*
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
2 tablespoons water
2 cups shredded cheese, divided 1/2 cup per quesadilla
4 flour tortillas(8-inch)

*My roasted corn kernels were from Trader Joes

In a skillet, saute chopped onion and oil on medium heat until onions begin to soften, about 4 minutes.  Add beef, black beans, corn, taco seasoning, and water, stirring to combine.  When mixture begins to simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, before removing from heat.

Work with one tortilla at a time.  Add a few drops of oil to a heavy skillet and heat on medium high until oil expands.  Add tortilla and cover half with cheese, top with 1/4 of the beef mixture and top with remaining cheese, fold over and allow to brown.  Flip to allow browning on other side.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.  Cut quesadillas into wedges.  Serve with sour cream and guacamole if desired.

BBQ Beef Sandwiches
Serves 4

Simply saute onion and add bbq sauce & shredded beef, add bun.

2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup bbq sauce
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups simply cooked beef, shredded(pulled apart instead of chopped)
4 burger buns
Apple Slaw*

In a heavy skillet, heat cooking oil and saute onion until caramelized, about 10 minutes.  Add bbq sauce, water, and shredded beef.  Turn heat to low and allow to simmer until thickened, about 7 minutes.  Serve on buns.

*This apple slaw was such a cheat!  I used 1 cup of prepared coleslaw mixed with 1/4 cup each thinly sliced Gala & Granny Smith apples, and 1 tablespoon mayonnaise.