Tag Archives: ground beef

Ground Beef and Potato Pie

30 Jun

One of our old favorites, is Sausage & Potato Pie, but I don’t always think to get Italian sausage for it. I do always have ground beef in the freezer, so I decided to try this out with ground beef instead. The trick is seasoning the ground beef so it’s not too bland. This blend turned out really well, and I’m glad to have a back up for the sausage.

One other variation that we’ve really liked is to substitute chevre (soft goat cheese) in for the mozzarella. It really goes well with the sausage or ground beef and potatoes. We would buy it at our local farmer’s market so it was nice and fresh.

Ground Beef & Potato Pie

Ground Beef and Potato Pie 

What you need:

2.5 lbs potatoes, I prefer Yukon gold
1 large egg, beaten
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 ground black pepper
1/4 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes OR 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley OR 1 Tbsp dried parsley

How to make it:

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 inch deep dish glass pie pan.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, and cook at a gentle boil until potatoes are soft. Drain, and return to pot. Blend egg into potatoes until smooth.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, break up the ground beef and cook until browned. Add onion to the pan and cook until onions are translucent. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix in to the potatoes.

Add in mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley, and mix well. Spoon the mixture into the pie pan, forming a smooth, flat surface on top. Sprinkle the 1 Tbsp Parmesan over the top.  Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

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Sophia’s Ground Beef and Rice Soup

28 Jun

I have been making different combinations with ground beef lately, but my youngest really wanted a soup with ground beef and rice. I will admit, I was a little stumped at first with how to proceed, so I asked some friends and got some great ideas. In the end, what she really wanted was a soup similar to Chicken & Rice Soup, so that’s the route I went. It turned out really good, and she was happy to eat it!

Sophia's Ground Beef and Rice Soup

Sophia’s Ground Beef and Rice Soup

What you need:

1 pound 93/7 lean ground beef
1 small red onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
6 cups beef broth
2 cups cooked rice

How to make it:

In a large pot, brown ground beef over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and cook for a few minutes until vegetables have softened. Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, thyme, and marjoram; mix in well. Cook for a few more minutes.

Pour in the beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in cooked rice. Cook for another 5-10 minutes, making sure the vegetables have softened.

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Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese

25 Apr

Lori at My Kinda Rain posted this recipe a little over a week ago, and when I saw it, I knew we had to try it. I love a lot of the meals she shares, quick and easy for families on the go. Since I stopped buying boxed meals a few years ago, I love when I can find something similar that I can make.

I did make a few adjustments to Lori’s recipe. You can find her recipe here.

– 1 teaspoon cumin instead of 1 Tablespoon
– Added 1/2 teaspoon oregano
– Used 2 cups of beef broth instead of 2 cups water
– Didn’t have a 15 oz can of tomato sauce, so used 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and 1 6 oz can of tomato paste
– Only used 1 cup of shredded cheese instead of 2 cups

We all LOVED it, and will be having it again soon!

Skillet Chili Mac and Cheese

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Ground Beef Gravy

3 Mar

I know, this doesn’t look very appetizing, but honestly, we really like it! It’s very simple to put together, and takes about 30 minutes to prep and cook to have a meal. Can’t beat that! I’ve served it over rice or mashed potatoes, and either way it’s great. Tonight, we added asparagus, thanks to a recent sale.

Ground Beef Gravy

Hamburger Gravy

What you need:

1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 8 oz package mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 tablespoon beef flavored instant bouillon
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 1/2 cups milk

How to make it:

Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms, and cook until onions are translucent. Stir in the flour, bouillon, and Worcestershire sauce. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly, to prevent lumps. Cook, while continuing to stir, until it boils and thickens, about 5 minutes.

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Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

12 Oct

I recently acquired a zucchini and a yellow squash at a Kiwanis Club meeting. I have made plenty of different meals with zucchini and yellow squash, but wanted to try something new. So, I used what I had on hand, and came up with this combination. Even my little one liked it, and she’s been rather picky lately! It also took little time to put all together, which was nice with the busy nights we tend to have lately.

Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

Ground Beef, Summer Squash, and Rice Skillet

What you need:

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 cup beef broth
1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash, sliced
1 cup cooked rice (I made it in my rice steamer)

How to make it:

In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent. Next, stir in Worcestershire sauce, seasoned salt, tomato paste and beef broth. Add sliced zucchini and yellow squash. Cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until squash has softened. Stir in cooked rice and serve.

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Katie’s Chili

4 Oct

Katie has been asking me to make chili for the longest time, but I kept putting it off. It’s still warm here in AZ, and hot meals just don’t always sound appealing. But, I have never made it before, so it was time. I know there are a ton of different ways to make it, all based on personal preference. So, we found 5 different versions in the cookbooks that we have, and came up with a combination of our own. It was really, really good! Now, I won’t wait so long the next time she asks.

Katie's Chili

Katie’s Chili

What you need:

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional)
1 15-oz can dark red kidney beans
1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
1 10-oz can tomatoes and green chiles (Ro-Tel)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Juice of one lime
Salt and ground black pepper

How to make it:

In a large pot, brown the ground beef. Add garlic, onion, green pepper, celery, carrot, and jalapeno, and continue to cook until vegetables have softened. Next, add kidney beans (undrained), diced tomatoes (undrained), tomatoes and green chiles (undrained), tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir well, adding more beef broth or water if it seems too thick. Next, stir in chili powder, cumin, oregano, lime juice, and salt and ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 20-25 minutes.

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Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils

10 Aug

I have been wanting to make sloppy joes for a while, and really wanted to try using lentils instead of ground beef. Of course, my family was a little hesitant to try it with lentils, so when I found this recipe that uses lentils along with ground beef, I figured it would be a good start to try with them. We all thought it turned out really well, and next time I may try it with all lentils just to save on some cost. If I do, I will update this recipe with the all lentil version.

Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils

Sloppy Joes with Ground Beef and Lentils
Original recipe here

What you need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 small carrot, finely chopped
1 bell pepper (red or green), finely chopped
1 cup ketchup, divided
1 cup dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups chicken, beef, or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and ground black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

How to make it:

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, bell pepper and 1/4 cup ketchup and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the lentils, oregano and broth. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until the lentils are tender and most of the water is absorbed, about 35 to 40 minutes (add up to 1 cup water or broth if necessary). Season with salt and pepper.

Add the beef to a large non-stick skillet, break it up, and cook, until it begins to brown. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the remaining 3/4 cup ketchup and stir until combined. Add the lentil mixture and, if needed, up to 1 cup water or broth. Cook until the lentils are soft and the mixture thickens, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

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Loose Meat Gyros Pitas

13 Jul

So, I have wanted gyros for a while, and just never make it to the place in town that has them on the menu. I really liked the Gyros Meafloaf I made a while back, but I didn’t want all the cooking time. So, instead, mixed the ground beef, onion, and seasoning the same, but then just browned the beef in a skillet. I found some pocket pitas, added some feta cheese, lettuce, and ranch dressing (didn’t have ingredients for tzatziki, unfortunately), and we had a meal we all enjoyed. I didn’t make any other sides to specifically go with this, but Lemon Roasted Potatoes would be a great addition.

Loose Meat Gyros PItas

 

Loose Meat Gyros Pitas

What you need:

1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground lamb or 2 pounds ground beef
1 small onion
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 teaspoons fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Dash of ground cumin
1/2 cup water

How to make it:

Place the meat into a large mixing bowl, and then grate the onion and garlic into the bowl. Next, add remaining ingredients. Mix everything together well, cover, and, refrigerate for 45 minutes to an hour.

Brown meat mixture in a large skillet, in batches if necessary. Add 1/2 cup water, stir, and turn heat to low to simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Serve on pita with toppings of your choice, such as feta cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, olives, cucumbers, tzatziki, hummus, tabbouleh, etc.

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Italian Wedding Soup

22 Jun

This is a soup that I have wanted to make for a long time, and finally did! It was a big hit in our house, too, so this will be made again soon. Not many ingredients, cooks fairly quickly, and a filling meal.

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian Wedding Soup

What you need:

1/3 cup Italian Style bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
1 cup Acini di Pepe pasta (or orzo pasta)
1/2 pound fresh spinach, washed and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

Mix bread crumbs and milk in a medium bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes. Add meat and grated cheese. Form into approximately 40 1″ balls.

Meanwhile, bring chicken and beef broth to a boil. Add meatballs, pasta, salt, and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes,or until meatballs have all floated to the top. Add spinach and cook until wilted, about 3-5 minutes.

Serve soup garnished with extra grated cheese, if desired.

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Meatballs in Creamy Dill Sauce

25 Jan

This dish was inspired by the other part of Jamie Oliver’s 15 Minute Meals.  His dish was Swedish Meatballs with Celeriac and Spinach Rice.  I liked that he used dill, since I had some fresh dill on hand.  I looked at some other recipes online, and created a blend of a few different meatball recipes.  This was really, really good.  Everyone liked it, and there really wasn’t much leftover.

Below, I have the recipe for the meatballs and sauce.  I served it over rice with spinach, but mashed potatoes or egg noodles would work well with this too.  For the rice, I cooked the rice in my steamer, then put in a large bowl when it was done.  I quickly added chopped spinach to it while still very hot, mixing well.  That way, I got a vegetable in!

Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce

 

Meatballs with Creamy Dill Sauce

What you need:

2/3 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 cup milk
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup grated onion
2 tablespoon fresh dill
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
1 quart beef stock
1/2 cup cream, half and half, or milk
1/4 cup fresh dill

How to make it:

In a large bowl, soak breadcrumbs in the milk for a few minutes.  Mix in onion, 2 tablespoons dill, ground beef, eggs, and salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Roll ground beef into 1″ balls.  Add to the heated skillet and brown each meatball on every side, in batches if necessary.  When browned, remove to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium low and melt butter in the skillet.  Mix in flour.  Cook, stirring often, until you have a brown roux.  Whisk in beef stock, then cream and 1/4 cup fresh dill.  Add meatballs into the sauce.  Cover and turn heat down to low.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs have cooked through to an internal temperature of 160 F.

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