Sometimes, it’s just nice to look in the freezer and pull out a meal for that day instead of putting something together. Because let’s be real. We’d all rather spend more time with our kids or our families or doing something fun than figuring out a meal for tonight!
I don’t think the farmer ever thinks like this though. The cows aren’t standing there looking at him thinking, “what are you going to feed us tonight?” much like our kids might. Cows are pretty much spoiled. And they should be. If they aren’t on grass getting to eat to their heart’s content, they probably have a routine where they get fed with a bale or with grain.
Farmers and ranchers have an obligation to feed their livestock who can’t go to the pantry to feed themselves. It’s a priority that we have and we take raising our livestock very seriously. It’s our livelihood and we know that by taking care of our cattle, they are going to take care of us.
This is a great spin on a veggie beef soup that has noodles. It was in one of my favorite cookbooks and I converted it to be freezer-friendly. Enjoy!
{Chuckwagon Soup}
Ingredients
- 1 lb hamburger
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 4 potatoes, peeled and cubed (or use rice, barley or noodles)
- 1 – 10 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables (or add corn, peas and beans)
- 1 – 16 oz can tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
- Water to cover
- 4 beef bouillon cubes
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Cheddar cheese, grated
How to Make!
- In a large saucepan, brown the hamburger with onion. Drain fat and let sit to cool.
- Put a gallon-size Ziploc bag in a large bowl (a batter bowl works great), add celery, carrots, potatoes (or rice, barley or noodles – whatever you choose. I chose noodles for this time), and frozen mixed veggies.
- Pour in tomatoes/tomato sauce.
- Add bouillon or bouillon base (which I prefer).
- After hamburger/onions has cooled, add to bag and seal with no air. Make bag as flat as possible to freeze.
- Label bag with the following:
- Add 6 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil and cook until noodles/rice/potatoes/barley are al dente or cooked.
- Serve with cheddar cheese on top.
CommonGround is a farmer-driven, volunteer program created to clear up misconceptions and enhance the trust and awareness among urban consumers for today’s agriculture. CommonGround serves as a partnership between the nation’s soybean and corn checkoffs. To learn more about CommonGround, visit www.findourcommonground.com, and learn more about the farm women involved in CommonGround Nebraska at www.CommonGroundNebraska.com.