Roast Beef for Beginners

Do you love to eat roast beef, but are not sure exactly how to do it? Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned chef, this blog contains ideas you will want to try!

Let’s Get Started

Roast beef is a dish of beef that is roasted, (not complicated, eh?) generally served as a main dish of a meal. Mashed potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, or roasted potatoes are standard side dishes. Sliced roast beef is also sold as a cold cut, and used as a sandwich filling. Leftover roast beef may also be minced and made into hash. We’re here to help you make some amazing tasting meals and will be providing you with recipes for a wonderful, yet simple, dinner!

Cooking the Roast Beef

We’ve heard many people say that they are comfortable cooking steaks, chops, cubes, and ribs, but are unsure how to cook a full roast beef. It’s not as complicated as it may look – so let’s give it a try. We’re going to go back in time to just the way Grandma used to make a roast. Simply put – we call this recipe “The Forgotten Roast”.

Gather the Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need to have onion soup mix, condensed cream of celery soup, and a fresh 4 lb beef roast. Start by drying off the roast and place it in a piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Sprinkle the packet of onion soup mix all over the top. Open the can of cream of celery soup and spoon blobs of it over the top of the entire roast. Next you wrap the roast up tightly and put it inside of a roaster (or a dutch oven). Then into the oven it goes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 4 – 5 hours.

After the cooking time, simply open the foil, slice using a knife, and then use tongs to arrange the meat on a serving dish. You will be amazed at how tender the roast beef is. And the extra surprise, the gravy is already made as well with the drippings and ingredients you used to coat the beef. You can strain the gravy to get rid of the chunks of celery from the soup if you prefer. Then all you need to do is make sure you have the side dishes ready to serve and call the family to the table.

Mashed Potatoes – the Perfect Side Dish for Roast Beef

We love this recipe and it pairs so well with roast beef. Cream cheese mashed potatoes are a bit fuller and richer than traditional spuds. Perfect to top with the gravy you have made while roasting the beef!

Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Servings: 6

Ingredients: 3 lbs Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, 3 cloves of garlic, 8 oz cream cheese (softened and cut into cubes), 1/3 cup salted butter, 1/2 cup milk or cream, salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

• Peel potatoes and cut into 1″ chunks. Place in a large pot of cold salted water with the garlic cloves.
• Bring potatoes to a boil and cook uncovered 15-20 minutes or until fork-tender.
• Drain well and place potatoes and garlic cloves back into the warmed pot.
• Warm milk in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time until warm.
• Add cream cheese and butter to the potatoes and using a masher, mash potatoes.
• Add warmed milk a little bit at a time while continuing to mash until smooth and creamy.
• Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Yorkshire Puddings – A Favorite Pairing for Roast Beef

Yorkshire pudding is baked pudding made from a batter of eggs, flour, and milk or water. A common English side dish, it is as vertitile food that can be served in numerous ways depending on its size and the accompanying components of the meal. As a first course, it is great served with gravy!

Prep Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Servings: 12

Ingredients: 3 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 T butter

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• In a medium bowl, beat eggs with milk. Stir in flour. Set aside.
• Divide butter evenly into the twelve cups of a muffin tin, about 1/2 teaspoon per cup. Place tin in oven to melt butter, 2 to 5 minutes. Remove tin from oven, and distribute batter evenly among buttery cups.
• Bake in preheated oven 5 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and bake 25 minutes more or until puffed and golden.

Roasted Potatoes

One of the lessons in cooking is to realize that often the simplest of things can bring the most joy. High on our list is the warm crunch and creamy insides of oven roasted potatoes.

Prep Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 55 min

Servings: 4

Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs potatoes, scrubbed with peels on, cut into 1 inch pieces, 6 whole cloves of garlic peeled, 2 T extra virgin olive oil, 3/4 tsp kosher salt (divided), 1/4 tso ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp dried rosemary or 1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions:

• Place a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For easy clean up, line a large, rimmed baking dish with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
• Place the potatoes and garlic cloves in the center of the baking sheet.
• In a small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of the salt, black pepper, and rosemary. Pour over the potatoes and garlic.
• Toss the potatoes and garlic until they are evenly coated. Spread into an even layer, placing the cut sides of the potatoes down against the baking sheet.
• Roast for 45 to 55 minutes, tossing once and rotating the pan 180 degrees halfway through, until the potatoes are dark golden and crisp (the time will vary based upon how crowded your pan is and the type of potatoes you use). Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon kosher salt. Let cool a few minutes, then serve hot.

Leftover Roast Beef – No Problem

If there happens to be left over roast beef – you’re in for another treat! Why not try this recipe for a quick and simple lunch. This Roast Beef, Arugula and Shaved Parmesan Sandwich is sure to please. The recommended time to keep cooked roast beef in the fridge is 3 – 4 days. If you need to, cooked roast beef can also be frozen and will stay tasting fresh for 2 to 3 months.

Breakfast with Roast Beef Hash

Roast beef isn’t just a dinner food, it can be served up in this delicious Roast Beef Hash and Eggs recipe that is sure to be a family favorite. There are many ways to cook hash, so experiment, try your own favorite ingredients and see what you can come up with!

Roast beef is so versitile – enjoy it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We would love to hear how you have incorporated roast beef into your family menu. We hope you have enjoyed this blog and would love you to share it with others who would like to know how to cook roast beef for beginners.