Ground Beef seems to be something that is always on the shopping list. Most likely because of its versatility. It is always a good go-to for meals. Another thing that is great about recipes using ground beef is, if you prefer you can substitute ground turkey or ground chicken or ground pork.
I know there are those boxes of ground beef dinner mixes in the grocery store, but from scratch is so much better. You control the ingredients, the amount of fat and amount of sodium. And you can change up the seasonings if you wish.
Here are some of my favorites recipes for one or two.
Stuffed Peppers
Start by cutting around the core 2 bell peppers (any color) to form a “cup“. Remove the seeds and membranes, rinse peppers. Fill a 2-quart pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Immerse both peppers in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Carefully remove the peppers from the water and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle the insides with ⅛ tsp. salt (opt.) and invert on the towel to drain.
Cook ½ to ⅓ lb. of ground beef with 1 Tbsp. chopped onion in a medium skillet for 8-10 mins over medium heat. Until the meat is no longer pink. Stirring occasionally. Drain well. Stir in ¼ cup cooked rice, pinch garlic salt and ½ to ⅓ cup tomato sauce. Simmer until hot.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Stuff each pepper with ½ of the beef mixture. Stand up right in a small casserole dish, big enough to fit both peppers. Pour ½ cup of tomato sauce over the peppers.
Cover and bake for 45 mins. Uncover and bake about 15 mins longer or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle of cheese, if desired.
Hamburger Stroganoff
Cook ½ lb. ground beef, ¼ cup chopped onion, and 1 small clove minced garlic over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Drain well.
Stir in ½ of a 10oz can of cream of mushroom soup. Simmer uncovered 10 mins.
Stir in ½ cup sour cream; cook until hot and serve over hot cooked egg noodles.
Lazy Cabbage Casserole
One of the best dinners my Gramma (a.k.a Buscia) made was Gołąbki – also known as stuffed cabbage. But who has the time for all that? So, I found this one and it tastes great and is much easier to make.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large skillet, brown ½ lb. ground beef with ¼ cup each chopped onion and chopped green pepper. Drain well. Add 1½ Tbsp. uncooked instant rice, ½ can tomato soup and ½ can water. Mix well. Simmer for 10 mins. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add 1½ cups coarsely chopped cabbage to a 1-qt casserole (sprayed with non-stick cooking spray). Pour meat mixture over cabbage; cover and bake for 1 hour or until cabbage is tender.
Crunchy Onion Burgers
Mix ½ lb. ground beef, ½ cup French fried onions, 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, and pinch garlic powder. Shape into 2 burgers. Grill burgers about 5 minutes per side. Top with cheese, cook until cheese melts. Serve burgers on rolls w/lettuce, tomato and additional French fried onions, if desired.
Eggroll in a Bowl
I really love eggrolls, and I have tried to make them at home but they just don’t turn out the same. When I heard of this idea, I knew I could make these more often than the traditional egg rolls.
I start by browning 6-8oz. ground beef (can also use ground pork or ground turkey) in a skillet with ½ Tbsp. sesame oil, 1 sm. clove minced garlic, grated ginger and ½ a thinly sliced onion. Drain if needed. Add 1-2 cups shredded coleslaw mix*, Season with soy sauce and garnish with sliced green onions and serve.
*Feel free to add sliced mushrooms, sliced peppers, sliced water chestnuts, bamboo shoot or what you like in your eggrolls
Picante Noodle Casserole
Brown ½ lb. ground beef with ¼ cup each chopped onion and chopped green pepper. Drain. Add 1-1½ cups cooked rotini pasta, 10oz. picante sauce, 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder. Mix well; simmer until heated thoroughly. Serve with a tossed salad.
See Cooking for One or Two for additional recipes.
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