Do you ever sit down to place your Vintage Meadows order for the week and you find yourself blanking on what to add to your cart? You see the chicken drumsticks bundle and think, “I bet those would taste good!” but then, “But I don’t know what to make with those.” Or you notice we have smoked beef bacon and want to try it, but you’re not sure what you’re supposed to eat with beef bacon… And how are you supposed to buy food for the week when you don’t know what you’re going to make?!

This blog is for you. Read on to find a week’s’ worth of dinner ideas based around Vintage Meadows products!

Monday:

It’s chuck roast day! After a long weekend, you wake up Monday morning and prepare the thawed chuck roast by pan searing it in a cast iron pan in butter and lard. Place it in the crockpot, and add an inch of water. Allow this to simmer on low all day long. About an hour before dinner, chop up some carrots and potatoes and toss them into the crockpot. Don’t forget to save the leftover broth from the crock pot!

VM Products used: Beef Chuck Roast, lard, raw butter, organic carrots, organic golden potatoes

Tuesday:

Not all the chuck roast got eaten last night, so let’s finish it up on Tuesday with classic Beef ‘n Noodles. Cook desired noodles in water and the leftover bone broth, season with salt and pepper, and throw in the rest of the chuck roast. Mix it all up and serve a salad on the side.

VM Products used: leftover chuck roast and bone broth, organic greens (seasonal)

Wednesday:

On Wednesday you forget to prepare for dinner ahead of time. Suddenly it’s 5:00 and everyone is hungry. What do you do?? Breakfast sausage links to the rescue! Since these packages are thin, they thaw quickly under warm water. 30 minutes later, sausages are sizzling and you’re frying eggs-to-order to go with them. If you have any leftover potatoes from Monday, those can be chopped and become fried hash browns. Breakfast-for-supper must be served with a tall glass of ice cold raw milk, organic chocolate syrup optional.

VM Products used: breakfast sausage links, pastured eggs, leftover organic potatoes, raw milk

Thursday:

You wake up in the middle of a dream about fried chicken and go straight to the freezer to get out chicken leg quarters. This evening, you’ll follow Katrina’s famous fried chicken recipe, passed down from Farmer Ryan’s grandmother! Don’t forget to save the broth to make gravy - gravy is non-negotiable here in the Midwest. To make gravy, simply pour off the excess liquid after your chicken is finished baking into a cast iron pan. While that is simmering, combine ¼ cup milk and 2 Tbsp flour in shaker and shake vigorously until all the flour lumps are gone. While stirring constantly, pour it slowly into the hot broth. The mixture should thicken on its own after a minute or two. While the chicken is baking, you can toss some organic garnet yams in the oven to bake. Serve with raw butter and raw sour cream. What a feast!

VM Products used: Chicken Leg Quarters, Organic Garnet Yams, Raw Butter, Raw Sour Cream

Friday:

The weekend calls for something easy and classic: hamburgers. Thaw your ground beef ahead of time, and fire up the grill or stovetop, whatever floats your boat. Slice some raw Farmstead or cheddar cheese to melt on the burgers as they’re about done. Set out the organic bread (or make these hamburger buns that our family enjoys), mayonnaise (try this brand approved by Farmer Ryan), more cheese, onions, lettuce, and whatever else sounds good. Further burger topping suggestions include our raw cultured vegetables, real dill pickles, and bacon. And if you’re feeling creative, slice organic potatoes into sticks and roast in the oven or airfryer (recipe HERE).

VM Products used: Ground beef, raw cheese, raw cultured vegetables, real dill pickles, bacon, organic russet potatoes, organic onions and greens (seasonal)

Saturday:

One of our favorite meals at home is baked chicken wings! Toss the thawed wings in a mixture of flour and cornmeal. Brown both sides in a frying pan with plenty of lard and line them up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake the wings until they are nice and brown and crispy, about 90 minutes at 350 degrees. If there are enough wings, a side dish will most likely not be needed (speaking from personal experience).

VM Products used: Chicken wings, lard, organic cornmeal, organic einkorn or spelt flour

Sunday:

Sunday morning, prepare a whole chicken in a dutch oven or oven-safe pot. Season the chicken by rubbing it all over with lard and desired seasonings. Then add water, lemon, fennel, carrots, celery, onions, and anything else you want! Bake at 325 degrees for 2.5-3 hours. Adding a tried-and-true side dish of mashed potatoes made with raw butter and raw sour cream would be a delightful accompaniment. Another option is oven-roasted cauliflower. Break up a cauliflower head and toss the bite-size pieces in avocado oil and a combination of seasonings. Spread on a baking sheet and roast until tender. After the meal, debone the leftover chicken and use it to make chicken salad. Enjoy a chicken salad sandwich for lunch on Monday.

VM Products used: Whole chicken, raw butter, raw sour cream, organic potatoes, organic cauliflower (seasonal)

Happy shopping!

A Week's Worth of Vintage Meadows Meals