How to prepare dinners to make with ground beef? Ground beef is an inexpensive, versatile, and easy-to-prepare ingredient that can help you save time during a busy work week or save money when food prices are rising. You, on the other hand, buy your own ground meat, which you can prepare by combining it with other ingredients, such as breadcrumbs, vegetables, and herbs, to make meatballs or burgers. So, add ground beef to your shopping list and use it to make one of these simple dinners to make with the ground beef recipes below!
1. Ricotta Meatballs
Source: NYT cooking
Meatballs are probably one of the first foods that come to mind when you think of ground beef, right? This recipe calls for ground beef and ground turkey or pork, which results in a slightly leaner but equally delicious meatball. The meatballs give the final dish an incredibly tender texture. These can be frozen for up to a month, ensuring that you always have delicious meatballs on hand.
Ingredients:
- ¾ pound ground beef
- ¾ pound ground pork or turkey
- ½ cup ricotta
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Directions:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, pork, ricotta, panko, onion, parsley, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 12 teaspoon pepper.
- Form into 30 meatballs by hand (about 2 tablespoons each). Refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days in an airtight container (separating the layers with parchment paper) (or freeze for up to 1 month). Refrigerate cooked and cooled meatballs in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
2. Spicy Ground Beef
Source: My home recettes
This delicious concoction of chili powder, cumin, paprika, and garlic seasoning may be the best seasoning for ground beef and makes for great December tacos.
Ingredients:
- 4 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 pounds ground beef chuck
- ¼ cup tomato sauce
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar, onion powder, red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 14 teaspoons black pepper; set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Cook for 30 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Cook, stirring with a spoon until the beef and chili mixture is brown, 4 to 6 minutes.
- Cook, stirring constantly until the tomato sauce is heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.
3. Baked Spaghetti and Meatballs
Source: Gousto
There is no separate saute pan for the meatballs, sauce pot, or pasta pot for the spaghetti in this dish. Everything is cooked in the oven, and you’ll have a family dinner favorite ready to serve in less than an hour (enough time to make 1 more fresh green salad).
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds of ground beef
- 1 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 cups marinara sauce (32 ounces)
- 12 ounces spaghetti, broken in half
- 3 sprigs basil, plus leaves for garnishing
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
- Green salad, for serving
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400° F. Combine beef, panko, milk, eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and 12 teaspoon pepper in a large mixing bowl. Form the mixture into 18 meatballs.
- In a 212-quart baking dish, whisk together marinara sauce and 1 cup water until well combined. Stir in the spaghetti to evenly coat it in the sauce, then arrange it in an even layer and top with meatballs and basil sprigs.
- Cover and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the pasta and meatballs are cooked through.
- Top with the cheese and broil, uncovered, 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes, or until the cheese melts and some of the meatballs are lightly browned. Serve with salad and garnished with basil leaves.
Apply the recipes shared above if you have ground beef in the refrigerator. Hopefully, these ideas will help you no longer wonder what delicious dinners to make with ground beef taste like! Let’s show off your talents to entertain the whole family!
