Harvest Field Meals
October 20, 2026
Harvest Field Meals
We know harvest season means long days, early mornings, and plenty of hard work. With so much going on in the fields and at home, figuring out what's for dinner can be one more thing on an already full plate. At Blackhawk Bank & Trust, agriculture is more than just a part of our business. It's something many of our employees know firsthand! That's why we've gathered some of their favorite, tried-and-true recipes to help make mealtime a little easier and keep your family and harvest crew fueled throughout the season.
Crockpot Loaded potato soup
Prep: 10 min
Total Cook Time: 6 hours
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 32 oz hashbrowns, frozen, bagged
- 1 can cream of chicken soup, 10.5 oz, or cream of mushroom
- 32 oz chicken broth, more or less depending on how thick you want it
- 6-8 slices bacon, precooked and crumbled, or use diced leftover ham
- 2 c cheese, cheddar, shredded
- 1 c heavy cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preperation:
- Pour bag of frozen hashbrowns into slow cooker with cream of chicken soup and broth. Stir in cooked bacon bits and stir together.
- Close lid and cook for 5-6 hours on low (recommended), or 3-4 hours on high.
- Stir in heavy cream and shredded 1.5 c. of cheese 30 minutes before serving to thicken and warm. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 c. of cheese (or more), dollop of sour cream, bacon and/or chives.
crockpot beef & noodles
Prep: 10 min
Total Cook Time: 9 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1–2 lb chuck roast
- 2–3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp steak seasoning
- 1 diced onion
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 4 cups water
- 4 tsp Better Than Bouillon (beef)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 16 oz dried homestyle egg noodles
- ½ cup heavy cream (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Preperation:
- Season roast with steak seasoning, salt, and pepper. Sear in an oiled skillet for 2 minutes per side.
- Transfer to crockpot with onion and garlic. Cook on low for 6–8 hours, then remove and shred beef.
- Return beef to crockpot and add water mixed with bouillon and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in egg noodles and cook on low for another 30–60 minutes until tender.
- Add heavy cream during the last 15 minutes for extra creaminess. Serve warm!
Tip: Use dried homestyle egg noodles instead of frozen to prevent mushy noodles.
Philly Cheesesteak sloppy joes
Prep: 10 min
Total Cook Time: 20 min
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup beef broth
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced or in chunks
- 8 hamburger buns
- 1 tbsp butter, optional
Preperation:
- Place a large nonstick pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Coat the pan with oil, and add the ground beef.
- Stir for 3-5 minutes until the beef is mostly browned. Strain out most of the fat that accumulates.
- Add in the onions and bell peppers, and stir for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add in the beef broth followed by the ketchup, Worchester sauce, salt and pepper.
- Mix cornstarch with a tablespoon of water in a cup, and add to the pan, stirring constantly as it will start thickening quickly.
- Within a few minutes, the mixture should be thick enough to start forming mounds.
- Remove from heat, add cheese and slowly stir it in. Meanwhile, start toasting the buns.
- Once cheese is fully melted, spoon onto buns. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Hawaiian ham and cheese sliders
Prep: 10 min
Total Cook Time: 35 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 16 oz. package Hawaiian dinner rolls, sides attached
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcesteshire sauce
- 8 oz. thinly sliced Swiss or white American cheese
- 8 oz. thinly sliced ham
- 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
- 1 tsp. onion salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley
Preperation:
- Preheat the broiler on high. Remove the rolls from the packaging in 1 piece. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise through the center of the rolls at once to divide the top half from the bottom half (keeping the sides of the rolls intact). Place both halves, cut-side up, on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, and Worcesteshire sauce.
- On the same sheet tray, spread the cut sides of the rolls with the mayonnaise mixture. On the bottom sides of the rolls, lay the cheese slices in a single layer, slightly overlapping if needed. Then, lay the ham slices in an even layer over top. Cover with the top half of the rolls.
- Brush the tops of the rolls all over with the melted butter, onion salt, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the sheet tray and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover the tray and bake until the cheese is melted and the tops of the rolls are golden and toasted, 10 to 15 minutes more. Sprinkle all over with the parsley. Cut along the lines of the rolls into individual sliders and serve immediately.
instant pot salsa chicken taco bowls
Prep: 5 min
Total Cook Time: 30 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts frozen, boneless, skinless
- 16 ounce jar chunky salsa
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 taco seasoning packet
- For serving: rice, shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, chopped tomato and avocado.
Preperation:
- Place frozen chicken breasts in the bowl of the instant pot.
- Whisk the chunky salsa, chicken broth, and taco seasoning together.
- Pour the salsa mixture over the chicken breasts.
- Set Instant pot electric pressure cooker to poultry – 25 minutes.
- Natural pressure release for 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken and shred.
- Serve instant pot salsa chicken in a bowl with rice, topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and avocado.
www.aileencooks.com
instant pot creamy chicken
Prep: 5 min
Total Cook Time: 14 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 to 2 lbs chicken breasts
- 1 cup water
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 1-2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 8 burger buns
- Salt & pepper
- Bacon bits
Preperation:
- Place chicken breasts into Instant Pot and add 1 cup water. Close the lid of the instant pot, close the pressure release valve and set the instant pot on Manual, High Pressure, for 9 minutes.
- Once cooking is complete, let set for 3 minutes and quickly release pressure.
- Remove chicken from pan with tongs and discard the juices. Return chicken back to pan, one at a time, and shred with two forks.
- Place cream cheese, shredded cheese and hot sauce into the pan and mix well. If you want the traditional ranch flavor, you can add a packet of powder ranch dressing as well.
- Shred the chicken using a couple of forks and add remaining ingredients. This will keep the pan warm and help melt the cheese.
- If the pan cools and you are having a hard time mixing the cheeses, turn your instant pot on warm and let it heat up, but be careful not to burn the cheeses.
- Season with salt and pepper and add bacon bits.
- Serve chicken on toasted buns.
Grands!™ Unsloppy Joes
Prep: 30 min
Total Cook Time: 45 min
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef, cooked, drained
- 1 can (15 oz) sloppy joe sauce
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can (16.3 oz) refrigerated Pillsbury™ Grands!™ Southern Homestyle Original Biscuits (8 Count)
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (2 oz)
Preperation:
- Heat oven to 375° F. In large skillet, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until beef is thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently; drain. Stir in sauce and chili powder; simmer 5 minutes.
- Press each biscuit into 6-inch round. Spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture and about 1 tablespoon cheese onto center of each round. Fold dough in half over filling; press to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.
www.pillsbury.com
breakfast potato & sausage skillet
Prep: 10 min
Total Cook Time: 35 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 1 bag frozen Potatoes O'Brien
- 1 package maple sausage links (or ground sausage)
- 1 dozen eggs
- Cooking oil, as needed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Biscuits or toast, for serving
Preperation:
- Heat a little oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the frozen Potatoes O'Brien and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fully cooked, golden brown, and slightly crispy.
- While the potatoes are cooking, cook the maple sausage links in a separate small skillet until fully cooked. Remove from the pan and cut into bite-sized pieces. If using ground sausage, brown and crumble it until fully cooked.
- Once the potatoes are cooked and crispy, add the sausage pieces to the large skillet. Stir everything together and keep warm over low heat.
- In a separate skillet, cook the eggs over easy, leaving the yolks slightly runny.
- Scoop the potato and sausage mixture onto plates and top with over-easy eggs. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
- Sprinkle with shredded cheese, add fresh avocado or cherry tomatoes, and finish with a drizzle of hot sauce for an extra kick!
A Little something sweet
paula dean's pumpkin bars
Prep: 15 min
Total Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 16
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1⅔ cups sugar,
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
- 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
Cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz softened cream cheese
- ½ cup softened butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Preperation:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking pan.
- Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients, then spread into the pan. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool completely. Beat frosting ingredients until smooth, spread over cooled bars, slice, and enjoy!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Prep: 20 min
Total Cook Time: 1 hour 17 min
Serves: 16 cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled for at least 10 minutes
- ½ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups all purpose (plain) flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping:
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preperation:
- Combine butter, sugar, and brown sugar and stir until well-combined. Add pumpkin and stir well.
- Stir in egg yolk and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin spice, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt until well-combined.
- Gradually add dry ingredients to wet until ingredients are well-combined.
- Cover cookie dough with clear wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 45 minutes.
- One dough is nearly finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F and prepare a cookie sheet by lining with parchment paper. Prepare your cinnamon sugar mixture by whisking together ¼ cup sugar and 2 tsp ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and scoop into 1 ½ Tablespoon-sized balls. Roll briefly between your palms until smooth and then roll through cinnamon sugar and transfer to prepared cookie sheet, spacing at least 2" apart.
- Bake cookies in a 350F oven for 10-12 minutes. Keep your remaining dough refrigerated while cookies are baking and do not place cookie dough on a hot baking sheet.
- Allow baked cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before enjoying.
www.sugarspunrun.com
Chocolate No Bake Cookies Recipe
Prep: 5 min
Total Time: 10 min
Serves: 36 cookies
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups (346.5 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (15.75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup (113.5 g) milk
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter, cut into large pieces
- 1 teaspoon (4.7 g) vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon (0.65 g) kosher salt
- ½ cup (135 g) peanut butter
- 3 cups (267 g) quick cooking oats
Preperation:
- Add sugar and cocoa powder to a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
- Add milk and butter and cook over medium-high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
- Drop cookies by tablespoons onto parchment paper.
- Allow to dry for about 10-15 minutes until the no bake cookies have become firm.
www.addapinch.com
Wishing you a safe and successful harvest!
We know how much hard work and dedication goes into a successful harvest, and we're grateful to be part of the agricultural communities we serve. We hope these recipes make your busy days a little easier and bring some good food to the table along the way. From all of us at Blackhawk Bank & Trust, we wish you and your family a safe and successful harvest season!