SRC – Memorial Day Meal from A Day in the Life on the Farm

May has five Mondays this year, which means – themed Secret Recipe Club post!  Falling on Memorial Day, the theme for this reveal is Picnic/BBQ and my assigned blog was A Day in the Life on the Farm.  Wendy and her husband are former police officers who moved out to the country and became farmers.  They treat their animals humanely, are part of an organic CSA, trade with other farmers, and live sustainably as much as possible – I am so jealous!  I dream of being a radical homemaker, but don’t have the commitment.  I was on a specific mission this month, but I look forward to perusing the blog more thoroughly.

I actually made three recipes from Wendy’s blog this weekend, in order to have a full meal for the holiday.  She had tons of recipes that are appropriate for the challenge, and I chose BBQ Beef Sandwiches, BLT Pasta Salad, and Black Forest Trifle.  Each of these was easy to make with the help of store-bought ingredients, so that I didn’t have to spend a full day in the kitchen.  And each of them was a big hit!

For the beef – all I did was put a pot roast in the slow cooker with spices, onion, and beef broth; then shredded it and tossed with BBQ sauce. Perfect. The pasta salad was made with baby spinach, tomatoes, and bacon in a mayonnaise based dressing; and I am kind of addicted to it.

For the trifle – I layered chocolate cake (from a box), pudding (from a box), cherry pie filling (from a can), and cool whip.  So quick, so easy, no stress on me, and people loved it.  Oh yeah, and I put some sprinkles on top, too.

And that’s it!  Thank you so much, Wendy, for making my weekend easy!

BBQ Beef Sandwiches
adapted from A Day in the Life on the Farm
serves 8-12

1 pot roast (3-4 lbs)
1 small onion
2 cups beef broth (I used a can, which is slightly less)
Montreal Seasoning to taste (I used McCormick’s brown sugar bourbon seasoning)
2 cups BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s hickory and brown sugar)
rolls (I used Martin’s big sesame buns)

Place pot roast in a slow cooker and season generously with seasoning.  (My insert is stove-top safe, so I browned it on all sides in the insert.)

Peel and quarter a small onion and scatter around the roast.  Add the beef broth and cook on low for 10 hrs.

Remove roast from broth and place on a cutting board to cool slightly.  When cool enough to handle, but still warm, shred the meat.  Remove and dispose of any bones, fat, or gristle.

Place the shredded beef into a sauce pan with the BBQ sauce and heat through.  Serve on rolls or buns.

BLT Pasta Salad
adapted from A Day in the Life on the Farm
serves 8-12

1 lb short pasta (I used gemelli)
5 oz baby spinach, washed and dried
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
4 slices thick cut bacon (1/2 lb), cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup Miracle Whip (I used mayonnaise and a pinch of sugar)
1 tsp dried dill
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water, per package directions, and rinse with cold water.

In a small bowl, combine Miracle Whip or mayo, dill, vinegar, milk, salt, and pepper, whisking until combined and smooth.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Place remaining ingredients in a large bowl.  Add the dressing and toss until well combined.  Taste again for seasoning.

Black Forest Trifle
adapted from A Day in the Life on the Farm
serves 16+

1 box Chocolate Cake Mix
– ingredients for cake (eggs, butter or oil)
2 small or 1 large Instant Chocolate Pudding
– ingredients for pudding mix (milk)
1 can Cherry Pie Filling (I think I would have liked 2 cans)
16 oz Cool Whip
chocolate shavings or sprinkles (optional)

Make the cake according to package directions (I use melted butter instead of oil) and cool completely.  (To bake and cool faster, I made it in a standard rimmed sheet pan instead of a cake pan. It cooked in 17 minutes and cooled quickly.)

Make the pudding according to package directions.

Cut the cake into 2-inch squares (there is no need to be precise) and layer 1/3 of them in the bottom of a trifle dish.  (My trifle dish is actually a punch bowl that is wider than it is tall, so I use 2 layers instead of 3.)

Top with 1/3 of the prepared pudding.  Drop 1/3 of the cherry pie filling by spoonfuls over the pudding.  Spread 1/3 of the whipped cream on top.  Repeat 2 more times, garnish with chocolate shavings or sprinkles.

One Year Ago – Vegetable Alfredo Pasta
Two Years Ago – Week of Meals
Three Years Ago – Fresh Homemade Pasta
Four Years Ago – Foccacia with Grapes and Rosemary
Five Years Ago – CSA – Week 1