Ranch Cooking: Recipes From Some of the Best Ranch Wives Around (2024)

In many industries, women compete with one another to be the best. Intheranching industry, I have found the most loving, hardworking, supporting women, mothers and friends. One of my favorite thingsto dois gettingto help a neighboror friendcook for their cattle worksand,evenbetter, they return the favor. Not only do you getfellowship with a likeminded woman, you get lots of new–and might I say amazingly delicious–recipes.

I asked some of my favorite fellow ranch wives to share theirbestrecipes withyou!These womenare photographers, dental hygienists,X-raytechnicians,teachers and ranch hands–but the thing that brings us all togetheris that these women are wonderfulranchwives.TheyrepresentNew Mexico cookingatit*finest, minus Marianne.(Welost her to Arizona, butshe isstillconsideredone of the best.)

A good day of cooking starts with early morning breakfast, a hardy lunch,and you can never forget the dessert.Pinterest is full of breakfast casseroles and most arepretty danggood, but Kendra’s Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins are a favorite around her house.Make a little sausage or bacon and you can probably get away with calling it a meal!

Kendra’s Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 cups mashed bananas (brown bananas are best, 5to 6 bananas)

11/2 cups chocolatechips

2 cupsflour

2 tsp.salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp.cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheatoven to350 degrees.

2. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl, thendividebatterinto a sprayed muffin pan.

3. Bake20 minutes.

I am thankful to have Kendra, ourCanadianNew Mexican (if that is a thing),around not only as a friendbut family.She doesn’t haveSouthernroots, but man,would her cooking fool you!You can find her wrangling kids, cleaning teeth and taking care of her cowboy,Lee.

Next comes Ginny Jo’s Cowboy Steak Bake! Being a cowgirl is in her blood. She would rather be on the back of a horse, but she can make a hand in the kitchen,too.I am blessed to call Ginny a friend and fellow ranch wife!

Ginny’s CowboySteakBake

Ingredients

2lbs. tenderizedroundsteak

1 packagebacon

6 to 7slicedpotatoes

Greenchile(add as much asyourpreference)

Cheese

Salt andpepper

Steakseasoning

Directions

1. Preheatoven to425 degrees.

2. First layer cooked bacon on the bottom ofapan.

3. For thesecond layer,addtenderized round steak, season with your favoritesteak seasoning.

4. For thethird layer,addsliced potatoes, season with salt and pepper.

5. Top with green chile and shredded cheese.

6. Cover with foil, bake for an hour or until potatoes are soft.

Note: You could also substitute the round steak for ground beef.

Cheryl has been a ranch wife the longestin this group. She is my aunt and someone Ilook up to. You can findher up earlymaking sure all the food is prepped so she can enjoy gathering the pasture,alongsidefriends and family.

Cheryl’sFix-AheadMashed Potatoes

Ingredients

5lbs. russetpotatoes

3 /4 tsp.salt

4tbsp.butter

8 oz.creamcheese(softened)

1 cupsourcream

1/3 to a1/2cupmilk

13/4 cups cheddarcheese

2/3 tsp.paprika

Directions

1. Peel and place potatoes in a largesaucepan, cover with water and 2/3 tsp salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to medium, cover pan and simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

2. Once tender, drain water. Mash potatoes by hand, then add in butter, cream cheese, sour cream and milk.

3. Mix all with a mixer until smooth and creamy.

4. Spoon into lightly greased 9x13 pan.

5. Brush the top with melted butter, cheese and paprika.

6. You canrefrigerateor freeze.

7. Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for 30 minutes or until hot.

Branding-Day Note:Place potatoes incrockpot,cover with toppingsand turn on warm setting if you are going working in the pens for fourto sixhours. It’s perfect to serve when the work is done!

Liz is an X-ray tech by night and a ranch wife by day. I’m thankful to have Liz as a fellow Dinwiddie Cattle gal, as her husband, Adam, works for my husband’sfamily ranch. Somehow Liz can work all night and still make sure the cowboys get fed.

Liz’s Squash Casserole

Ingredients

2-3lbs.summersquashor zucchini

2tbsp.oliveoil

1/4cupparmesancheese

1/3 cupbreadcrumbs

1/2tsp.salt

1/2tsp.pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Slice squash and/orzucchini,mix in bowl with oil.

3. Mixparmesan,breadcrumbsand salt and pepper.

4. Place squash and zucchini in 9x13 casserole dish.

5. Sprinkle withbread crumbsmix.

6. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.

7. Remove foil and bake 5 to 10minutes.

Then we have Texas-born and -raised Marianne.We thought we were going to keep to her in New Mexico, butsheand husbandBradymoved for a job in Arizona. She gets toworkalongsideher partner in crimeevery dayandthey’reliving their best life together.

Marianne’sEasy BeerBread

Ingredients

3 cupsself-risingflour

3tbsp.sugar

12 oz.canlitebeer

Directions

1. Preheat ovento 350 degrees.

2. Stiringredients togetherin a mixing bowl.

3. Pour intoagreased loaf pan.

4. Bakefor 1 hour.

Last by not least, is my neighbor pal Taylor. She finds herself behind a camera lens, snapping the most beautiful photos on most days, but she can hang with the best of them when it comes to cooking. We have apretty greatsystem going. Our husbands neighbor for each other and so do we. That simply means, our husbands help each other work cows and we help each other cook for cowboys.

Taylor’s Banana Pudding

Ingredients

3 small packages of instant Frenchvanillapudding

3 cupsmilk

8oz.CoolWhip

8 oz.sourcream

1 tsp.vanilla

2-3bananas

Vanilla Wafers

Directions

1. Whisk pudding mix and milk together.

2. Addsour cream and vanilla.

3. Fold inCoolWhip.

4. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

5. Top with sliced bananas and Vanilla Wafers.

The best thing about the ranching communityis that it’s made up with great cowboys and even better ranch wives. I hope you enjoy some of my favoriteranch wiferecipes,brought to you by some of the best gals around.

More Ranch Cooking Recipes

RecipesFroma Ranch Wife:A few favorite New Mexico-inspired recipes from a New Mexico ranch wife.

Recipes Passed Down from Generation to Generation:A ranch wife shares her meal plan from spring branding.

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