Beef Pot Roast: An Easy Dinner Idea for Busy Dads
Summer’s coming to a close, the kids are heading back to school again, and that relaxing vacation lifestyle is giving way to your busy, normal routine. With summer comes plenty of delicious cookouts and barbecue dinners, but you don’t have to say goodbye to any of that just yet.
Any home chef can get that mouthwatering barbecue taste without all the hassle of getting the grill going. Our Cooked Beef Pot Roast is just what you’re looking for – and comes ready to heat in the microwave.
So welcome to Back-to-School Dinner Ideas 101 — a quick lesson in how to get the most out of your midweek meals, even when your calendar is looking pretty jammed.
Try a Little Tenderness
There’s nothing like the down-home comfort of a delicious pot roast – and there’s nothing like the convenience of one that’s fully cooked. We found a way to bring you that tenderness, juiciness and flavor without sacrificing the quickness and convenience you’re after on a busy weeknight.
While a typical pot roast takes hours to prep and cook, our Cooked Beef Pot Roast is ready in 10 minutes. We’ll say it again so it sinks in. 10 minutes!
Finally, pot roast is so much easier than it sounds. No pots. No roasting. Just a microwave. Check out these simple heating instructions.
- Remove the outer sleeve and the tray seal.
- Leave the reheat bag with the beef pot roast in the tray.
- Cut four small holes in the top of the reheat bag for ventilation.
- Place the tray with the reheat bag into the microwave. Microwave on high for 8-10 minutes.
- Cut the end of the bag with scissors and empty into the tray for serving.
- If the product is frozen, double reheating time. Appliances vary. Heating times are approximate.
And just like that, you’ve got a real-deal dinner in no time flat.
Now Add the Sides
Side dishes can be just as fun as the main course. Here are our three favorite summer sides that pair beautifully with a beef pot roast.
Fig & Arugula Salad: Arugula is peppery by nature, so it plays well with the barbecue seasoning. But the figs give it a nice summery sweetness.
Ingredients
- 4 cups arugula
- 8 fresh figs, quartered
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
- Mix arugula, figs, Parmesan cheese and pine nuts in a large mixing bowl.
- Top with honey and balsamic vinegar, then serve.
Roasted Garlic-Parmesan Fingerling Potatoes: The kids will think they’re eating french fries. You’ll feel like you’re eating a steakhouse-level potato dish. Everyone’s happy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF
- Toss potatoes, garlic, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, salt and black pepper together in a bowl. Combine with olive oil.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and then add butter. Once the butter is melted, add potatoes. Cook and flip until each piece is evenly coated with butter. Move skillet to the preheated oven.
- Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft. Flip the potatoes halfway through. Remove from oven and top with parsley.
Roasted Cauliflower: A great alternative to potatoes. You still get the buttery crunch but save on calories.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 large head cauliflower, separated into florets
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Put the olive oil and garlic in a resealable bag. Add cauliflower, and shake until the olive oil and garlic are evenly distributed. Pour the contents of the bag into a prepared casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Top with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Make Time for Family Fun
Does your family tend to disperse to their own spaces once dinner’s over? How about hanging onto that feeling of summer fun with an after-dinner game? It’s a fun reward for when homework’s done and it’s time to unwind.
Check out our favorite family games:
- The Famous Person Game: You can play this one right at the dinner table. Just create a list of famous people and write each name on a sticky note. Players take turns putting one of the names on their forehead, but they aren’t allowed to see who it is. They guess who they are by asking questions about their identity.
- Telephone: It’s a classic family game because it’s guaranteed to end in laughs. The first person starts by whispering a short phrase that only their neighbor can hear. The message then gets passed around the table from person to person. The last person in the line then has to reveal the phrase to the group to see if it matches the original. (Spoiler alert: It doesn’t.)
- Guess Who: During dinner, players must describe themselves in only three words. They write these words on a note card and then give the card to the host. The cards will get mixed up and then read aloud over dessert, and family members then have to match the clues to the person.
See? Back-to-school dinners can be just as fun as those backyard cookouts. It starts with a delicious meal and ends with family fun.
With our Cooked Beef Pot Roast, we hope you can spend more time on the fun part and less on the meal prep.
For more fun facts and cooking methods, see our Cooked Beef Pot Roast page.
