Dressing up ground beef

[Megaroo]

Since my husband and I are students, we tend to eat a fair amount of ground beef (since it's cheap!). After the usual burgers, meatballs, meatloaf... that sort of thing, we're looking for something new.

How do you use ground beef? Do you have any yummy recipes to share?

[winesonoma]

Since my husband and I are students, we tend to eat a fair amount of ground beef (since it's cheap!).  After the usual burgers, meatballs, meatloaf... that sort of thing, we're looking for something new. 

How do you use ground beef?  Do you have any yummy recipes to share?

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One of my all time favorites. http://www.recipesource.com/ethnic/europe/.../pasticio1.html

[NulloModo]

You can do almost anything with ground beef, tacos, red sauce with meat, lasagna, casseroles, goulash, soups, chili, really, it is an ultra versatile meat, just use it anywhere...

[fiftydollars]

Have you tried Hamburger Helper?

I kid, of course...

I really like a ragu Bolognese. You can throw in some ground veal if you want to splurge, but just plain beef and ground pork (which is also pretty cheap) works really well.

I start off making a lasagna and freeze the left-over sauce in small portions, which I later use on pasta or as a filling for ravioli.

Edited December 21, 2004 by fiftydollars (log)

[Marlene]

Shepherd's Pie, but with a rice/cheese topping instead of potatoes.

Tacos

sloppy joes

spaggetti sauce (use the leftover sauce for lasagna)

[bloviatrix]

Beef-a-roni. (I know, it's an awful name)

Boil up a pot of wide egg noodles. Brown the ground beef. Sautee some diced vegetables -- mushrooms, peppers, and onion is nice. Combine all the ingredients with your favorite tomato-based sauce and place in a casserole. Bake in a 350F oven for about 45 minutes.

[FL Heat]

I made a baked version of empanadas tonight. . .basically ground beef, diced onion, minced garlic, tomato paste, diced black olives, raisins, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes (I'm sure there are more authentic versions, that's just what we like). To make the baked, not as bad-for-you-as-the-fried ones, I put the cooked filling in egg roll wrappers (poke holes for steam), brush some olive oil on the top, and bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until they're crispy. Otherwise there's an involved process with frying them, and I'm just not on that level yet :)

Diana

[jbonne]

ragu, seconded.

i've got about 15 pounds of ground in my freezer right now (long story) and every time i look at a package, i start thinking fondly of ragu.

my bigger concern is the SOURCE of the ground beef, but that's another story.

[NulloModo]

ragu, seconded.

i've got about 15 pounds of ground in my freezer right now (long story) and every time i look at a package, i start thinking fondly of ragu.

my bigger concern is the SOURCE of the ground beef, but that's another story.

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Hell, if I had 15 lbs of ground beef I certainly wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth... or as it were, a gift-cow in somewhat more unsavory areas...

[polack]

A good ground chuck makes an outstanding hamburger vegetable soup. Just brown the meat and ad your favorite vegetables, i.e. corn, green beans, onions, quart of tomatoes, and whatever spices and veggies you want. Believe me it's good with a good homemade bread.

Polack

Edited December 21, 2004 by polack (log)

[Mabelline]

mini-runzas with bisquit dough. Brown you up some meat with onions, garlic and finely shredded cabbage. Open up the cylinder of bisquits, spread some flour and roll each one out to about 1/4" by 6-8 inches. Stick some meat mixture on each. Fold over and crimp edges with a fork. Bake at 350* for 20 minutes or so. Eat.

Edited December 21, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[HKDave]

Do it old skool style: Salisbury Steak, w/ mushroom sauce and mashed potatoes. Eat in front of the TV.

[TongoRad]

A Cuban style picadillo (with olives, raisins, cinnamon, etc.) is always nice. In the manner of a Cuban place near my house I serve mine on top of a cooked plaintain, sliced lengthwise- sort of like a savory banana split.

Here's a recipe

[NulloModo]

Oh, there is also aways hamburger pies:

Take the meat, beat in an egg, flatten it out, spread around some sort of filling (I like horseradish, mayo, cream cheese, and spinach, but anything works) wrap the meat up around it to seal it, cover it in cheese, and bake until done.

[MarketStEl]

Have you tried Hamburger Helper?

I kid, of course...

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Hey, you can always make your own Cheeseburger Macaroni. Take any mac and cheese recipe you like and add ground beef, browned and drained, seasoned as you like, before baking or serving.

Want Chili Cheese Mac? Add kidney or pinto beans, cumin, chopped onion, chili powder, crushed garlic, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes (don't drain the juice) and whatever combination of peppers (bell, ancho, habanero, jalapeno...) you like to the beef. Then, instead of adding it to the mac and cheese and baking it, add the grated cheeses directly to the chili, stir in the macaroni, and simmer the whole affair on the stovetop for a half hour or so.

Or try doing it Cincinnati style: Brown the ground beef with the chili powder, crushed garlic and other spices, but do not add the onion. Add the tomato sauce and simmer. Serve atop cooked pasta, usually spaghetti. This is a "2-way." For a "3-way," add the beans. For a "4-way," add chopped raw onion. For a "5-way," top it all with grated cheese.

[iamthestretch]

We had ragu this very (very cold) night. It was goo-oo-ood. Chop an onion, a couple carrots, stick of celery if you have it, soften in oil or butter or both over medium heat. Add ground meat, a pound does us two with some leftovers, stir and cook until browned. Add salt, pepper. Add a cup of milk. Simmer a few minutes. Add a cup of white wine. Simmer a few minutes. Add half a can of diced tomatoes with juice. Bring to lightest simmer your stove can manage. Cook uncovered for several hours, preferably at least three. Add to pasta. Grate excessive amounts of fresh parmesan on top. Enjoy with red wine; plonk is fine.

[winesonoma]

So I hope you have now figured out that Ground Beef + anything = Good

Edited December 21, 2004 by winesonoma (log)

[jbonne]

Hell, if I had 15 lbs of ground beef I certainly wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth... or as it were, a gift-cow in somewhat more unsavory areas...

oh, i'm not worried about MY ground beef. (part of a one-eighth cow order.) but ground beef is one of those things for which it's worth spending a bit extra to get the good stuff. (thus endeth my food-scold moment. )

[Suzanne F]

How about making LARB with beef?

And I grew up on a horrible version of "Hamburger Pie" which even on a student budget could be made much better than my mother did:

Brown ground beef. Mix in a can of mixed vegetables and a can of tomato soup. Put into baking dish. Top with mashed potatoes, sprinkle with paprika, bake until potatoes are brown. (Horrible, but I loved it then!)

[patti]

Cajun Dirty Rice!

[Really Nice!]

Steak tartare: Raw finely chopped or ground beef served with onion, seasonings, and raw egg.

Yum!

[irodguy]

Of course another option is not to use ground beef at all. Use ground tube turkey from Walmat $1.06 per LB. It's about the least expensive protein you can get.

This being said I would suggest

* Pastitsio

* Tacos - Yep cheap and very tasty

* Lasagna Bolognese

* Shepherds pie

* Thai style with Lemon grass wrapped in Lettuce

* Vietnamese Meatballs

* Italian Meatballs

* Meatballs in a curry sauce Indian style

[Syrah]

I make what I call Koftas. I am pretty sure I am not using the word in its traditional sense. They are essentially meatballs stuffed with a pinenut mixture and baked. We have them with flat bread, salad and tzatsiki type sauce. They are delicious. If you would like the recipe please let me know.

[deltadoc]

Sometimes the simpler things are better. Today at work we're having our Pot Luck, and I made macaroni and beef.

1 1/2 lbs ground chuck

~1/2 C chopped onion

~2 stalks of celery fine dice

2 Garlic cloves fine dice

2 TBSP Brown Sugar

2 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

~2 tsp sea salt

1 quart Tomato Sauce

1 can diced tomato

1 C water

2 TBSP tomato paste

2 C dry macaroni

Bring to a boil, add macaroni. Cover and Simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occassionally.

doc

[akur23]

If you like plantains, try piononos (plantain 'hats' stuffed with beef):

http://www.dollarman.com/puertorico/piononos.html

or piñon (like lasagna, but with plantains instead of noodles:

http://www.ricanrecipes.com/recipes/detail...egory_id=1&id=8