What to Do with a Pound (or Two) of Ground Beef

There are certain proteins that I always have on hand in my fridge or freezer: chicken breasts, pork chops, and ground beef. My go-to recipes for pork and chicken are usually "marinate it using a packaged mix then grill it or throw it in the oven," and my go-to recipes for ground beef are usually tacos or shepherd's pie (yeah, I know it's really cottage pie when it's made with beef, but I've been calling it shepherd's pie for almost 50 years so I'm not about to change now).

But sometimes I want to try something a little different with that pound or two of beef that I just pulled out of the freezer. It has to be a recipe that calls for crumbled beef, since I'm usually thawing it last minute and it's really difficult to quick-thaw ground beef in the microwave without accidentally cooking the outer parts before the center thaws. And it has to be something that doesn't require unusual ingredients that I don't usually have on hand or that I won't use in any other recipes.

Here are some of the most interesting ground beef recipes I found - some that I've tried, and some that I haven't, so please feel free to add a comment if you've used any of these recipes!

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie

This recipe is similar to my shepherd's pie, but with a Bisquick pastry instead of mashed potatoes holding it all together.

1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (or 1 cup frozen onion)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

Brown beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat; drain. Stir in salt. Spray a 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray and spread meat in plate. Sprinkle with cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients and pour into pie plate. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.


Hamburger Hashbrown Casserole

This is one of the recipes I've tried, and both my kids and my husband really liked it. I don't generally keep frozen hashbrowns on hand, but I don't mind buying a small package for this recipe, since they'd happily eat it often enough to use the package up pretty quickly.

1 small onion, diced (or 1/2 cup frozen)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beef
4 cups frozen hashbrowns (shredded or cubed)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1-1/2 cups shredded cheese
salt and pepper

Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent. Add the ground beef and cook until well browned. Drain fat. Spread into a large baking dish, add the remaining ingredients, and mix together well. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


Taco Salad

This variation of taco salad relies on canned ingredients to make your life easier.

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Dash pepper
Romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3-4 green onions, sliced (optional)
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1 can black olives (whole or sliced)
1 bottle Ranch dressing
Tortilla chips, slightly crushed

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Drain fat, then mix in spices. In a large serving bowl, arrange (or mix together) all remaining ingredients except dressing and chips. Immediately before serving, add dressing and chips and toss together to coat.


Cheesy Pasta and Beef (Crock Pot)

Anything I can toss in the crock pot and forget is good by me.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 lb penne pasta
2 cups shredded cheddar

Brown and drain ground beef, then transfer to crock pot. Stir in all remaining ingredients except pasta and cheese. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Cook pasta per package directions, and stir in cooked pasta just before serving. Top each serving with shredded cheese.

Crock Pot Bolognese

This recipe takes a bit of prep time, but it's so fantastic that it's worth it. And since I nearly always have onions, carrots, and celery on hand, there's no need for an extra grocery store run.

1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
5 garlic cloves, minced (or 5 tsp minced garlic)
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (or diced)
2 celery stalks, chopped (may be omitted)
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
pinch nutmeg
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup red wine (may be omitted, or substitute a splash of red wine vinegar)

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and stir until well mixed. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours (or on high for 3-4 hours), stirring every hour or so. Serve over pasta.


Mexican Lasagna (Crock Pot)

This was another surprising hit with my family. The recipe is pretty huge, however, so feel free to halve it if you don't want a lot of leftovers. I also found the cream cheese to be a bit heavy, so feel free to cut back on that (or even omit it).

2 16 oz jars salsa
2 envelopes taco mix
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
14 oz can refried beans
16 oz uncooked lasagna noodles
1 lb ground beef
1 cup water
2 cups frozen corn
2 small cans sliced olives
2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 cups shredded cheddar

Mix 1 Tbsp taco mix with cream cheese, sour cream, and beans, and set aside. Combine the cheeses and set aside. Brown and drain ground beef, then stir in remaining taco mix and water and simmer for 5 minutes. Add just enough salsa to the crock pot to prevent noodles from sticking, then cover with noodles (breaking as needed to fit). Add layers as follows: 1/3 of the bean mixture, 1/3 of the meat, 1/3 of the corn, 1/4 of the olives, 1/4 of the cheese, 1/4 of the salsa. Cover with another layer of noodles. Repeat twice, ending with noodle layer. Pour remaining salsa on top. Reserve remaining cheese and olives. Cover and cook on high for 3-1/2 to 4 hours. A few minutes before serving, top with reserved cheese and olives.


Sloppy Joe Dogs

I know, it sounds kind of disgusting at first...but the more you think about it, the yummier it gets.

1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 lbs ground beef
1 (6-oz) can tomato paste
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Dr. Pepper (or other cola)
1/2 cup water
salt and red pepper flakes
hot dog buns

Saute onions in oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add ground beef and cook until completely browned. Drain fat. Stir in tomato paste, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, 3-4 minutes, until mixture thickens and darkens. Stir in Dr. Pepper and water and cook, stirring constantly, 6-8 minutes or until bubbly. Remove from heat. Add salt and red pepper to taste. Serve on hotdog buns with a side of coleslaw.


Red Bean Chili

Lighten up on the spices if your family has delicate palates, but a nice bowl of chili is always a delicious fall meal that will warm you to your toes! I like it served with tortilla chips, over rice, or as a baked potato topping!

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (or 1 cup frozen onion)
2 (15-oz) cans kidney beans
1 (12 oz) can tomato juice
1 (10-2/4 oz) can condensed tomato soup
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

In a Dutch oven, cook ground beef and onion until beef is completely browned. Drain fat. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Garnish with chopped onion, if desired.

To make in the crock pot, place browned beef and onion in crock pot and stir in remaining ingredients, then cover and cook on high for 5 hours.


Beef Stroganoff

This is an easy version of the classic dish. And I won't tell if you use canned mushrooms.

2 Tbsp butter
8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 large onion, chopped (or 1 cup frozen onion)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or 2 tsp minced garlic)
1 lb ground beef
1-1/2 cups beef broth
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 cup sour cream
Cooked egg noodles

Cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic in butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove from heat and set aside. Brown and drain the ground beef. Stir in 1 cup of the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper. Heat to boiling. Whisk flour into remaining 1/2 cup broth and stir into beef. Add mushroom mixture and return to boiling. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over egg noodles.


Baked Bean Casserole

This recipe is a good balance of prepared ingredients (canned pork and beans and bottled BBQ sauce) and fresh ingredients (onion, bell pepper, and bacon!).

1-1/2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped (or 1/2 cup frozen onion)
1 bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
2 (16-oz) cans pork and beans
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
4 Tbsp brown sugar
6 to 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (pre-cooked bacon is fine)

In a large saucepan, brown the ground beef with the onion and pepper. Add all remaining ingredients except bacon. Simmer for 5 minutes, then pour into a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with bacon. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.