This story was first published as “Community Cookbook: Make a beef and broccoli bowl With Kristi Meyr from New Wells” in the January 2025 issue of The Best Years.
Kristi Meyr, born and raised in Jackson, moved to New Wells after marrying Brad Meyr in 2000. The couple, along with their four children, live on the family cattle farm in a home built by Brad’s great-grandfather, August Meyr, in 1908. Throughout the past 25 years, the Meyrs have updated the home to fit their family’s lifestyle, including the need for openness and space. They remodeled the kitchen, where Kristi spends much of her time, in 2020.
“A lot happens in the kitchen,” Kristi says. “Cleaning up, cooking, unloading the dishwasher, eating breakfast. We tore down the wall and opened up the space, so we can congregate more together.”
Kristi, who says she doesn’t have many food memories from her childhood, thinks it’s important to sit down as a family and have a meal together as much as they can. With two kids out of the house and two active in sports, they stay busy. But when they do share a meal, it’s at the kitchen table, and no phones are allowed. They pray together, talk and catch up on their day. It’s how they stay connected.
With living on a cattle farm, Kristi says much of their food is centered around beef.
“I like easy recipes and try to use what we have,” Kristi says. “We have a lot of beef. A few years ago, I needed to find a recipe to use up some of our round steak, and I found this beef and broccoli bowl from Natasha’s Kitchen. I had never made that kind of thing before.”
Natasha’s Kitchen is an online food blog that provides step-by-step photos and videos for recipes. Kristi says she often looks at the site when she gets in a cooking rut, needs some variety or wants to try something new. She also gets recipe ideas from her coworkers at Saint Francis Healthcare System where she works full-time as a nurse.
But even with a full-time work schedule, Kristi cooks at home at least three meals per week. Living out of town, she makes a point to plan the menu in advance, so she can grab her groceries all at once, avoiding last-minute trips to the store. Kristi says the beef and broccoli bowl is on her family’s regular rotation and is often requested by her kids.
“They love the sauce, so I usually quadruple that part of the recipe,” Kristi says. “And I like it, because I can make the sauce ahead of time or prep it early and let it sit. You can also use the meat you have. It calls for flank steak, but I used round.”
Throughout the years, the volume of food Kristi prepares for each meal has gone fluctuated. As a newlywed learning to cook for two, Kristi says she often called her mom, Nancy Monier, for help in the kitchen. As Kristi’s kids grew, so did their appetites. When all four of them were living at home, she always made extra amounts of food. But now, with just two children at home, the volume has gone down once again. Being raised to not waste food, Kristi says she is glad her husband is great at eating leftovers.
The beef and broccoli bowl takes less than 30 minutes to make, and because the kids give it a great rating, Kristi says she will keep it around. But what she really wants to learn is how to make a traditional German coffee cake, a family recipe that she remembers eating at aunt’s houses and church gatherings. Her godmother, Glenda Nation, has given her one lesson, but she’s hoping to have more. Kristi says, “I love coffee cakes and want to keep the tradition alive.”
Get the beef and broccoli bowl recipe here.
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