By Edith Wearmouth, owner of WineGlass Ranch

On days that we are working cattle I have always found it very difficult to be out of the house by 8:00 a.m., work in the corrals until lunch and then have a big hot meal on the table when we break at 12 o’clock (or 1 p.m. or whenever a break presents itself. How do you gauge something like that?) And perhaps your crew isn’t keen on “casseroles”! Here is what we came up with.

Take a 3 to 5 lbs “lesser cut” (Blade roast, etc.) thawed roast and set on foil.

Sprinkle 1 package of onion soup mix over the roast. Wrap roast VERY well in foil so no juice escapes. (I use several layers of foil) Place in oven.

If you are going to leave the house at 8:00 a.m. and want the roast done by noon(ish) cook at 325°F, or if you’d rather have the roast ready for supper use a frozen roast and put it in a 300°F oven.

When you come back into the house — mix drippings with 2 (10 oz) cans of mushroom soup (don’t add water) for a gravy. Delicious!

Have some buns on hand, and maybe a salad or veggies. Have your dessert ready the night before.

You can also do the whole thing in a crock pot — just tent with foil if the lid doesn’t fit tightly.

And if something goes sideways (that DOES happen occasionally!) and your crew doesn’t get in on time, it doesn’t matter. It can just stay in the oven and simmer away.

by Jason and Carrie Resch

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, diced (optional)
• 16 to 20 frozen perogies
• 2 cups cooked ham, diced
• ½ cup milk
• 1 (10 oz) can mushroom soup
• cheddar cheese, shredded (desired amount)

In a skillet, melt butter; sauté the onions and green pepper. In a medium casserole dish, combine frozen perogies, onions, green peppers and ham. Combine milk and mushroom soup and pour over casserole. If you are using a large bag of frozen perogies increase your milk and mushroom soup mixture so that the perogies are covered in a sauce. Top with desired amount of shredded cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Click here to order the Recipes from the Range cookbook.

By Mark and Kathy McMillan

Makes 4 shrimp quesadillas

2 tsp    olive oil
4     8″ whole wheat or regular tortillas
6 oz    raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 cup    kale, stem removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1?½ cups    monterey jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a medium (10″) non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add shrimp and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. Remove to a cutting board. Chop into ¼” pieces.

Place kale in the same skillet and cook until wilted, about 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. If you have sea salt use that, it will really enhance the kale’s flavour.

Remove the kale from the skillet. Heat the remaining tsp of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Place one tortilla in the bottom of the skillet. Top half of the tortilla with ¼ of the kale, ¼ of the shrimp pieces and ¼ cup of the shredded cheese. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the filling and cook for 1 minute. Using tongs, gently flip the quesadilla over and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until lightly browned.

Repeat with remaining three tortillas and fillings.

Cut each quesadilla into three triangles. Serve immediately with guacamole, salsa and non-fat sour cream, if desired. (Recipe found on page 30)

By Ralph and Doris Bircham

The cheeseburger casserole is quick to make, everyone seems to like it and it is the perfect dish to bake and take to your family or friends who are stressed out at calving or harvest or haying time. It goes over well with our family.

1 lb    lean ground beef
1 (10 oz) can    cream of mushroom soup, tomato, vegetable or
cream of celery soup
1?3 cup    onion, chopped
1 tsp    Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp    salt
1?8 tsp    pepper
garlic if desired

Combine ground beef and onion in greased casserole and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. (If I’m in a hurry I do this in the microwave?—?high for 6 minutes). Drain and add Worcestershire sauce, soup, salt and pepper. Place biscuits (see directions below) on top of casserole, seam side down and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown on top.

Biscuits for top of Casserole

1 cup    flour
¼ cup + 2 tbsp    milk
2 tbsp    cooking oil

Combine dry ingredients. Combine oil and milk and add to dry ingredients. Stir until doughy. Knead 8 times on floured surface. Divide into 8 parts and mold each portion around a cheese cube, pinching edges to seal.