So I’ve been trying to get myself a bit more organized in the kitchen lately and although I still have a lot of ground to cover, I thought it would useful to start putting together a few lists of my favorite recipes that we eat all the time. You can never really have too many good recipes, right? And if you do any sort of meal planning, it’s really important to not only add new recipes from time to time, but also to remember the old ones too. So as I was putting together this list, I realized that there are a few recipes in here that we haven’t had in quite a while…and that’s just not right. It’s not that we didn’t like them…I just forgot they existed. But to be honest, most of these are definitely regulars…and we have them at least once a month.
I’m very fond of recipes that have similar ingredients. I don’t always do it on purpose…it just sort of happens. But when you can stock your pantry once a month and have a ton of recipes to choose from that you can make from those ingredients, I find that to be a fabulous thing. The less time I have to spend shopping in stores the better! It equals more time for working and far less impulse buys…and I am really bad about impulse buys, even with a list!
So here you have it…
My top ten ground beef recipes (in no particular order):
- Our favorite beef tacos — Make a double portion of beef and freeze half of it for a quick dinner option. And if you have leftover beef one night, just make yourself a salad the next day. So good!
- Oven-baked chimichangas — Easy, awesome, cheap to make and also convenient to freeze.
- Chili and Tater Casserole — Great for using up mashed potatoes and very simple to make.
- Awesome beef & been chili — L-O-V-E this recipe! People who shy way from chili because it’s too spicy love this recipe too…hot or not! Always have a few pots of this in our freezer!
- The best beef burgers in the world — These are so good and so easy. Love making a huge batch of burger patties and freezing most of them…along with the rolls. Mackenzie demands these at least once a week!
- Southern-style pasta sauce — Easy to make and great for freezing. Pair it with your favorite pasta and a salad and you’ve got a great meal.
- Bolognese — I discovered this in a German magazine and it quickly became a favorite. We enjoy lots of pasta around here…and this is a nice change from our usual meat sauce.
- Torque Master Meatloaf — Lots of meat, a few fun veggies and lots of kick, this is a favorite in our house when the weather turns cooler. I can eat my weight in mashed potatoes.
- Meatball subs — way better than anything you’d buy at Subway…and also super simple and freezer friendly.
- Enchilada casserole — Somehow this recipe either got lost or I never printed it in the first place…but it was fantastic and I can’t believe I haven’t made it again.
Visit oh Amanda’s Top Ten {Tuesday} page to see more fun top ten lists from the blogosphere. And learn how to join in the fun yourself!
What a great list. You have some really tasty meals here.
Tasty sounding recipes indeed, ground beef is so versatile (and inexpensive).
I retired from Sam’s Club a few years ago but went from from full time meat cutter to part time demo cook the last two years I was there. Every Saturday we had what was called, “The Chef Event” with me doing a demonstration of a dish that was usually selected by the home office. I love to talk to people and had a great deal of fun wearing a chefs hat and interacting with customers.
I would do the same thing on week days with the exception I got to select the recipe. The most successful recipe I ever used was one of the simplest, one that my Japanese wife had taken from a women’s magazine in Tokyo years earlier. I call it;
JAPANESE GOULASH
Brown 1 or 2 pounds of ground beef (depending on how many you are feeding) in a skillet then pour off the excess fat, I start with extra lean beef with 10% or less fat.
Add some finely julienned carrots and onions to the skillet and stir briskly until the veggies are slightly softened. Use as little or as many veggies as you desire.
Then add the secret ingredient, tomato ketchup, put in enough to make a little sauce but not so much as to drown the dish.
Continue cooking and stirring until the veggies are soft.
Serve over mashed potatoes or rice, I prefer brown rice, with a green salad on the side for a kid, and adult, friendly meal that is so tasty.
The sauce takes on a complexity when it melds with the meat and veggie juices and no one will guess that there is ketchup in the dish. I still shop at Sam’s and often I am approached by customers who thank me for adding this simple dish to their cooking repertoire.
I am definitely going to try this recipe. If it’s tested and loved by Sam’s Club shoppers, then it has to be good. I’ve rarely eaten anything in there that I didn’t love! 🙂
This is a tasty list… I think the Chimichanga is my favorite! I’ll be making some of those this week for sure! 🙂
Great Blog!
Those chimichangas look wonderful! And we’re moving to Texas so I appreciate the authenticity 🙂
Thanks for the links. I have never tried any of these recipes. The only fall back ground beef recipes I do at our house is shepards pie and cowboy stew. We eat a ton of chicken dishes though.
No worries…I’ll be a doing a list of chicken breast recipes soon too! 🙂
I NEED to add some ground beef to our mostly chicken dish menu…my husband has been asking for something new 😉 This list helps out a lot. Thanks!