Quick! Need a last minute birthday meat/entree that goes with mashed potatoes.

We invested in a deep freezer a few months ago. It's awesome, but too much so. A lot of times when I take things out the night before, they are not thawed (sometimes not even close) the next day. It's Patrick's birthday today, so I have a roast that was in the freezer. Knowing that it takes a long time to thaw, I put it in the fridge 2 days ago. 

It's not thawed. The outside is barely thawed but it's still hard as a rock. Most roasts need to come to room temperature before you cook them. I'm doing the sink thaw, but then I still need time to allow to come to room temperature, plus 2+ hours for roasting. 

Birthday FAIL.  

I need to very quickly run out to the store and get ingredients for something else. I'm not good at steak (we like ours rare and as a beginner cook that seems to be past my expertise) so would prefer some other kind of entree/meat. I am making garlic/cheese mashed potatoes as the side. Any suggestions??? 

pork chops? or marinated then grilled chicken?

Have a microwave? You can defrost it; I do this all the time. However, you still have to allow for cooking time afterwards.

Chicken breasts, baked? Pork chops? Something with hamburger?  You can make microwave meatloaf: about 20 mins. in a glass/microwave-safe pan; then finish cooking it for about another 20-30 mins. in the regular oven. Turns out very well; this is how I always do it. The nuker makes it tender, and the fat falls away into the pan.

How about meatballs in gravy? You can also buy good frozen ones.

Next time, put salt all over the roast and rub it in. It helps with the flavor and also helps it defrost faster. 

Pretty much any meat goes with mashed potatoes - good luck! It's so nice of you to make a special dinner.

I agree with pork chops. Or grilled chicken. Or just buy a rotisserie chicken at the market. It's an emergency.

I know that when defrosting a turkey or whole chicken in the fridge, the standard rule of thumb is 1 full day for every 5 pounds. I use that for roasts, too. So if you have an 8-pound roast, I'd keep it in the fridge for at least two days. A 2-3 pound beef roast....well, I'd get it out of the freezer Friday morning and throw it into the fridge for serving Saturday night. Keep in mind that if you keep your fridge colder, it will take longer to thaw.

To do a cold water thaw, put the roast--in a plastic bag--in cold water, changing the water regularly. A 2-3 pound roast might take 3-4 hours, I'd think. 

Or as MargeCat suggested, thaw it in the microwave, shielding areas that are thawing quicker with (very) small pieces of foil.

Anna, when I take meat out of the freezer to serve the next day, I'll go down and get it and then I'll put it in the microwave to start thawing in there. Put it on a plate and then throw it into the microwave until you're ready to go to bed. Drape a brightly colored towel or material down over the microwave; that way, you'll see the towel and hopefully remember to take it out of the microwave and put it in the fridge. I usually get my meat out of the freezer around 5-6 o'clock and put it in the microwave at that point. Then when Rick comes out to start the dishwasher before he comes to bed, he'll take the meat out of the microwave and put it in the fridge at that point. The reason I say microwave instead of just the kitchen counter is because we have bad kitties. Your cats may leave the meat alone; if so, just put the meat out on the counter til you go to bed.

And a very Happy Birthday to Patrick!   

Salisbury steak?

What did you end up with?