Ground beef can be a cook’s best friend

Ground beef is one of the most versatile ingredients a cook can have on hand.

You can make a variety of foods, from hamburgers and casseroles to tacos and chili, and much, much more.

And you can cook this budget friendly meat in a variety of ways, from grilling it to baking it. You can add it to a soup, combine it with breadcrumbs for meatballs or add it to a stew.

Ground beef is flavorful on its own but it also takes on the nuances of the herbs and spices it’s cooked with.

Often recipes call for ground beef to be browned, sometimes with an added tablespoon or so of oil. Don’t forget to drain the fat from the meat after you’re done browning it, or you can end up with an excessively greasy meal.

It’s flavorful, thanks to the fat that’s ground in with the meat. And today you can choose your meat-to-fat ratio.

An 80/20 ratio is a pretty standard and is commonly used to make burgers and a lot of other ground beef dishes. The level of fat means that while the meat is relatively lean, it’s still juicy.

To enhance the browning and tenderize the meat, add one-third teaspoon of baking soda to each pound of ground beef and stir well. Let it sit for 15 minutes before browning.

Another way to add flavor to ground beef is to add a small amount of heavy cream — one to two tablespoons for each pound of meat — and let the meat marinate overnight.

Ground beef is full of protein and nutrients such as vitamins B6 and B12, iron and phosphorus.

It can be frozen for as long as four months, and while it’s best to defrost it before using it, you can take the meat directly from the freezer to the skillet.

If you’re worried about the fat content, ground beef can often be replaced with ground chicken or turkey. Just make sure to up the seasonings a bit since they tend to be less flavorful.

And even if you’re a novice in the kitchen, it’s hard to get ground beef wrong.  Just make sure it’s cooked through and enjoy.

Following are some recipes for ground beef from allrecipes.com.

 

Ranch Taco Soup

1 pound lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2-1/2 cups water

2 15-ounce cans crushed tomatoes

2 15-ounce cans pinto beans, drained

1 15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 3.8-ounce can sliced black olives, drained

2 tablespoons ranch dressing mix

1 ounce taco seasoning mix

Combine ground beef, onion and jalapeño in a four-quart soup pot. Cook over medium-high heat about five minutes, until beef is cooked through and no longer pink.

Add water, crushed tomatoes, pinto beans, corn, black beans, tomatoes with chilies, black olives, ranch dressing and taco seasoning. Mix to combine. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.

 

 

Asian Ground Beef Noodle Bowls

1 pound ground beef

2 teaspoons green onion, white part only, thinly sliced

2-1/2 cups water

2 3-ounce packages ramen noodles

1 12-ounce package frozen Asian vegetable medley

For sauce:

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sriracha sauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons green onions, green parts only, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Cook ground beef and white part of green onions in a large skillet over medium-high heat about five minutes, until meat is no longer pink and onions are soft and translucent. Remove from pan, drain and set aside.

Add water, ramen noodles and frozen vegetables to the skillet. Bring to a boil and cook three to five minutes, until noodles are tender.

Combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, Chinese five-spice and ginger in a small bowl. Stir until sauce is well combined.

Return meat to the skillet, add sauce and and stir two minutes, until heated through. Serve topped with green onions and sesame seeds.

 

 

 

No-Noodle Zucchini Lasagna

2 large zucchini

1 tablespoon salt

1 pound ground beef

1-1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 small green bell pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 16-ounce can tomato sauce

1 cup tomato paste

1/4 cup red wine

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

3 tablespoons hot water

1 15-ounce container low-fat ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 16-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese

8 ounces grated Parmesan cheese

Slice zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt and set aside to drain in a colander.

Cook ground beef and black pepper in a large skillet over medium-high heat five minutes, stirring Add green pepper and onion and cook, stirring, until meat is no longer pink.

Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, wine, basil and oregano. Add a small amount of hot water if sauce is too thick. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer sauce about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir ricotta, egg and parsley together in a bowl until well combined.

Spread half the meat sauce over the bottom of a greased, deep 9-by-13-inch pan. Layer with half the zucchini slices, half the ricotta mixture and all the spinach. Followed with all the mushrooms and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices, ricotta mixture and mozzarella.

Spread Parmesan evenly over the top; cover with foil.

Bake in a 325-degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove foil, raise temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Let lasagna stand five minutes before serving.

 

 

 

Easy Korean Beef Bowl

1 pound lean ground beef

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

6 green onions, chopped, divided

4 cups hot cooked brown rice

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook five to seven minutes, stirring and crumbling into small pieces, until browned. Drain excess grease.

Stir in garlic, ginger and sesame oil and cook two minutes, until fragrant. Stir in soy sauce, brown sugar and red pepper and cook seven minutes, until beef absorbs some sauce. Add half the chopped green onions.

Serve over hot cooked rice garnished with sesame seeds and remaining green onions.

 

 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves

1 pound lean ground beef

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, chopped

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger

1 dash Asian chile pepper sauce, optional

1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons dark Asian sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook five to seven minutes, stirring, until browned and crumbly. Drain and discard grease. Transfer beef to a bowl. Add onion to the skillet and cook five to seven minutes, stirring, until just tender.

Stir in hoisin sauce, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger and chile pepper sauce until well combined. Add water chestnuts, green onions, sesame oil and cooked beef and cook two minutes, stirring, until the onions just begin to wilt.

Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter and spoon beef mixture in the center of each leaf.

 

 

Weeknight Sauerbraten Meatballs

For meatballs:

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup minced onion

1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For gravy:

2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs

2 tablespoons gingersnap cookie crumbs, plus more as needed

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons raisins

Combine ground beef, onion, gingersnap crumbs, water, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Shape into 24 meatballs using a tablespoon-sized cookie scoop. Place meatballs on a baking rack that’s been coated with cooking spray and is on a baking sheet lined with foil.

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 18 to 20  minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball reads 160 degrees.

Whisk beef broth, 1/2 cup plus two tablespoons gingersnap crumbs, vinegar and sugar together in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat five to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until gravy thickens. Add more gingersnap crumbs for a thicker gravy or some water for a thinner consistency.

Stir cooked meatballs and raisins into the gravy. Cover and simmer 10 minutes, until flavors combine.

 

 

Easy One-Skillet Ground Beef Burrito

1 pound ground beef

1 15-ounce can black beans, partially drained

1 cup salsa

2/3 cup water

1 ounce taco seasoning

4 8-inch flour tortillas, cut into strips

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 8-ounce carton sour cream

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef in the hot skillet five to seven minutes, stirring, until browned and crumbly. Place ground beef on a paper towel-lined plate and discard grease in the skillet.

Return ground beef to the skillet and add black beans, salsa, water and taco seasoning. Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and add cheddar cheese and tortilla strips. Cover and simmer five minutes, until cheese is melted. Top with sour cream.

 

 

Simple Beef Stroganoff

1 8-ounce package egg noodles

1 pound ground beef

1 10.5-ounce can fat-free condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 cup sour cream

Salt

Ground black pepper

Sauté ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat five to 10 minutes, until browned and crumbly.

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rapid boil. Cook egg noodles at a boil seven to nine minutes, until tender but firm to the bite. Drain and set aside.

Drain and discard fat from the cooked beef. Stir condensed soup and garlic powder into the beef. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove beef from the heat. Add egg noodles and stir to combine. Stir in sour cream and season with salt and pepper.