Roast Beef Sandwiches

Do you think that the fact that I started preparing our dinner for last night at 7:00 in the morning, might be an indication that I'm just a little too busy?  I tried to convince myself that I was just well organized but in reality, making dinner before sunrise was a direct result of not being able to find any more time in my day to devote to meal preparation.  So I guess I just answered my own question.  Yes.  I am entirely too busy if I'm prepping dinner while I'm eating my breakfast.  (That should have been my first clue.) 

To say that things have been a little hectic here the last couple of weeks is an understatement.  Doctors appointments, soccer games, catering jobs and car issues are just the tip of the iceberg.  I think I need to "lighten my load" a little and make more time for the things that are really important.

It's not that I think that prepping dinner at 7 AM is a bad idea - I actually like to do dinner prep ahead of time so it's not so hectic at 5:00.  The problem is that I'm trying to squeeze so many things into my day that the only possible time that I could carve out for meal prep was 7 AM yesterday morning!?! 

There are days when I need to make dinner ahead of time, and on those days I like to have meals that can easily be warmed up and ready to put on the table in minutes.  Roast Beef Sandwiches definitely fit that bill.  After I cooked the meat, I wrapped it in foil and put it in the refrigerator for the afternoon.  When it was time for dinner, I pulled it out, popped it in the oven for a few minutes to warm, sliced it and it was ready to go.  Dinner was ready in minutes.

Roast Beef Sandwiches
Horseradish Sauce
1/2 cup horseradish, drained
1 Tablespoon sour cream
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

Beef
2 - 2 1/2 pound boneless eye round roast
5 teaspoons vegetable oil
kosher salt and pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme
1/4 cup horseradish

Jus
1 onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 1/2 cups beef broth
1 sprig fresh thyme

Combine horseradish, sour cream and mayonnaise for sauce.  Set aside.

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Preheat oven to 275.  Cut roast in half.

Rub each half with 1 teaspoon oil and season with salt, pepper and thyme.

Heat remaining oil in skillet.  Add roasts and cook until browned on all sides.

Transfer skillet to oven and cook until roast registers 130 degrees.  (Mine took 40 minutes.)

Transfer roasts to cutting board and wrap in foil.  Let rest 30-60 minutes.

I put this wrapped meat in the refrigerator until I was ready to warm it and slice it.

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For jus, return skillet to stove and heat on medium with onions and oil.  Cook until onion is softened. 

Whisk cornstarch into broth and to pan along with thyme. 

Bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until slightly thickened.  (7 minutes) 

Strain just through a fine mesh strainer.  Cover and keep warm. 

Slice beef as thinly as possible.

Toss with 1/3 cup jus and horseradish.

Pile 1/2 cup of roast beef on top of whole wheat kaiser rolls and serve with additional jus and horseradish.

A perfect meal to end a busy day.  I will definitely make these sandwiches again but this time - I'm going to wait until after lunch before I start making dinner.

Ciao!

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