Tri-Tip Triumph

One of my challenges as a wife (and mother) is to make delicious, nutritious, affordable food for our little family.  Right now, I'm working full-time, so I don't always have an hour + to marinate, roast, carve, etc.  My other struggle is I really really dislike having the same flavors (or repeat foods) too often in a row--it's a weird kind if picky-ness.

Fortunately, I love new cooking challenges.  Here was my creative solution for last week (I only had one day with enough time to make something lengthy.)
Day 1: Tri-tip roast [1 hr.]
Oven-cooked in a cast iron pan with carrots and potatoes; smothered & seasoned in beer, Lawry's seasoning salt (no MSG!), and a splash of Worcestershire sauce; the root veggies picked up the flavor of the meat beautifully!
Day 2: Roast beef sandwiches [lunch] [5 min.]
Trader Joe's [mu favorite grocery store!] sells sliced Gouda cheese (or Munster) & hearth breads for the same price as (typically cheaper) normal ingredients; the sandwiches were filling & easy to pack
Day 2: Stuffed baked potatoes [15-20 min.]
Admission--I microwaved the potatoes; then, I shaved off some of the leftover roast & mixed it with a local BBQ sauce; finally I layered the huge potatoes with raw cheddar cheese, lightly steamed (frozen) broccoli, and meat; delicious!
Day 3: Beef Quesadillas [15-20 min.]
I tossed more shaved roast with homemade taco seasoning (easy) and pan-warmed it; put it with Mex. cheese mix on tortillas (I always keep some of both frozen); melted & crisped them a bit in a buttered pan; topped the finished slices with re-fried pinto beans (w/ cilantro & lime; from a can, but this could be a frozen leftover) & sour cream.

$12 roast --> 4 meals = not bad at all!  This could all be done with a cooked whole-chicken (or two) as well (not as hard as it looks), and the last two dinners work just fine with leftover, browned ground beef.

*not my picture :)