Ground beef is the foundation of many meals

 

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

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

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 amp up the seasonings a bit since they tend to be less flavorful.

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 www.foodnetwork.com.

 

 

Taco Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 bunch scallions, white and green parts separated, chopped

1 pound ground beef chuck

1-ounce packet taco seasoning

1-ounce packet ranch dressing seasoning

2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chiles

3 15-ounce cans mixed pinto, black and kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 10-ounce can whole corn kernels, drained

Kosher salt

Shredded cheddar, for serving

Sour cream, for serving

Pico de gallo, for serving

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites and cook two minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and soft. Add beef and cook eight to 10 minutes, stirring to break it into small crumbles, until cooked through. Stir in taco and ranch seasonings until well combined.

Add tomatoes, beans, corn and one teaspoon salt. Fill one of the bean cans with water and add it to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are warmed through.

Serve in bowls with scallion greens, cheddar, sour cream and pico de gallo.

 

 

 

Moroccan Meatball Soup

1-1/2 cups fresh cilantro

1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped

1 pound lean ground beef

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons harissa

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, plus more for topping

Kosher salt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup whole-wheat couscous

Pulse one cup cilantro with scallions in a mini-food processor to make a coarse puree. Transfer half of the mixture to a large bowl and add the ground beef, egg, one tablespoon harissa, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix with your hands until just combined. Form into 20 one-inch meatballs.

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots and cook four to five minutes, stirring, until they start to brown. Stir in remaining cilantro puree, one tablespoon harissa and one teaspoon cumin and cook one minute, until sizzling. Stir in chicken broth and two cups water, then bring to a simmer and cook two minutes. Gently drop in meatballs and simmer seven to eight minutes, until almost cooked through.

Add spinach and couscous and cook five minutes, until couscous is tender. Stir in remaining cilantro and season with salt. Sprinkle with more cumin before serving.

 

 

Gnocchi Nicoise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces bacon, diced

4 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 pound coarsely ground beef

2 tablespoons brandy or red wine

3 shallots, chopped

1 cup diced carrots

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 15-ounce can plum tomatoes

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 bay leaf

2 1-inch strips orange peel

2/3 cup nicoise olives, pitted and chopped

1 pound vacuum-packed gnocchi

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and garlic and cook four minutes, until bacon starts to brown. Add ground beef and cook three minutes, stirring. Add brandy, shallots, carrots, celery and tomato paste and cook four minutes, until vegetables soften. Season with salt and pepper.

Crush tomatoes into the pan with your hands and add juices from the can. Stir in broth, bay leaf, orange peel and olives. Bring to a simmer and lower heat, cover and cook 20 minutes. Uncover, increase heat and bring to a boil to thicken the sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook gnocchi one minute, until one floats to the top. Drain immediately. Remove orange peel and bay leaf from the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Toss the gnocchi with sauce and serve.

 

 

 

Mega Meatball Pizza

1 round pizza dough

All-purpose flour or cornmeal

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves

Coarse salt

1-1/2 pounds ground sirloin

1 medium onion, finely chopped

4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Black pepper

6 ounces tomato paste

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 pound fresh mozzarella or brick mozzarella, sliced or grated

On a round pizza stone or pan or on a rectangular baking sheet, using flour or cornmeal to dust the dough, spread the dough to form a crust. If using a baking sheet, drizzle pan with extra-virgin olive oil, then set crust in place. Poke pizza dough in several areas with the tines of a fork. Drizzle dough with extra-virgin olive oil, then season with finely chopped rosemary and a little salt. Bake in a 425-degree  oven 10 minutes.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add two tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, then the meat. Brown and crumble meat a couple of minutes, then add onions and garlic. Season meat with salt and pepper, then work in the tomato paste using the back of a wooden spoon. Stir in cheese, parsley and oregano.

Remove pizza crust from oven and top with meat. Arrange cheese over the pizza, working to edges. Return pizza to the oven and bake 10 to 12 minutes, until cheese is golden.

 

 

 

Italian Meat Bowls

1/3 cup whole milk

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup grated Parmesan

Kosher salt

1 pound 80% ground beef

6 ounces part-skim mozzarella, cut in to 24 cubes

1/2 cup marinara sauce

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Combine milk and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs in a large bowl. Let sit five minutes. Add garlic, egg, 1/2 cup Parmesan and one teaspoon salt. Use your hands to mix until well combined. Add ground beef and mix until just combined.

Drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture into a 24-cup miniature muffin tin, use your fingers to push the meat into the bottom and up the sides of each cup to form a small bowl. Press one cube mozzarella into each bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze two hours, until solid. This can be done a day in advance.

Use a small offset spatula or butter knife to help remove frozen meat bowls from the muffin tin. Roll the outside of each bowl in remaining breadcrumbs, until coated completely, and place on a cooling rack that’s coated with cooking spray and placed on a rimmed backing sheet. Spoon one teaspoon marinara sauce into each bowl. Combine oregano, crushed red pepper and remaining Parmesan in a small bowl and sprinkle some on each meat bowl.

Bake in the upper third of a 450-degree oven 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet once halfway through, until meat is just cooked through and breadcrumbs are crisp.

 

 

Basil Beef Stir-Fry

1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

5 teaspoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/4 pounds ground beef

2 scallions, chopped

2 Fresno chile peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced

1 cup snow peas, halved

2 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

2 cups fresh basil leaves

Cook rice as the label directs. Set aside off the heat about five minutes, then fluff with a fork.

Combine soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk to dissolve sugar.

Heat vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. When hot, crumble beef into the skillet and cook two to three minutes undisturbed, until slightly crisp on the bottom. Cook one to two minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until cooked through. Place meat on a paper towel–lined plate and discard the fat in the skillet. Wipe skillet clean.

Return skillet to medium-high heat and add soy sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer, then add beef, scallions, chiles, snow peas and garlic. Cook one to two minutes, stirring, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from heat and add basil. Stir 30 to 60 seconds, until just wilted.

Divide rice among shallow bowls. Spoon stir-fry on top. Serve with lime wedges.

 

 

Skillet Hamburger Stroganoff

1 pound 90% lean ground beef

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

10 ounces white mushrooms, halved or quartered if large

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup peeled carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon tomato paste

15 ounces low-sodium beef broth

1-1/2 cups water

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups calcium and fiber enriched penne pasta

1/4 cup 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef, season with salt and pepper and cook five minutes, breaking into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until well browned. Transfer meat to a bowl, leaving behind any drippings

Reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms to skillet, season with salt and cook eight to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Add cooked mushrooms to the bowl with the beef. Add oil, onion, carrot, garlic and paprika to skillet and cook 10 minutes, until carrots are soft and onion is lightly browned.

Stir in tomato paste and cook two to three minutes, until it’s toasted and evenly coats the vegetables. Add broth, water and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a simmer and stir in pasta. Cover and cook according to package directions until noodles are just al dente. Uncover and stir in reserved beef and mushrooms until heated through.

Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese, sour cream, chopped parsley, chopped chives, salt and pepper, until cream cheese melts and sauce is creamy. Divide among six bowls and serve.

 

 

 

Nebraska Handheld Meat Pies

For dough:

1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees)

1/4-ounces active dry yeast

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4-1/4 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For filling:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound ground beef

2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

3 cups chopped green cabbage

2 cups chopped onion

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Ketchup, for serving

For dough, whisk together warm water, yeast and one teaspoon sugar in a small bowl. Set aside about 10 minutes, until it becomes foamy on top.

Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan until the butter melts. Allow to cool to less than 115 degrees.

Whisk flour, salt and remaining sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add foamy yeast mixture and cooled milk mixture. Let mixer knead the dough five minutes, until dough is a smooth, uniform ball that doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in a warm area 1-1/2 hours, until doubled in size.

Heat one tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add beef and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Brown beef five minutes, stirring and breaking it into small pieces. Once browned, transfer to a bowl. Add remaining oil to the skillet, reduce heat to medium, add cabbage, onions and one teaspoon salt and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add browned beef back to the skillet and stir with the cabbage and onions five minutes. Add white pepper and additional salt, if needed. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

When the dough is doubled in size, punch it down and divide into 10 equal-size balls, about 3-1/2 ounces each. Roll each ball into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle. Spread 1/2 cup cooled filling in the center. Bring the two long sides of dough together so the seam is facing up, then pinch them together. Pinch the short ends shut. Place filled dough, seam-side down, on one of two parchment-lined baking sheets. There should be five pies per baking sheet.

Cover meat pies with a dish towel and set aside 20 minutes. Bake in a 350-degree oven 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.

Melt butter. As soon as the pies come out of the oven, brush the tops with melted butter and serve with ketchup.

 

 

 

Beef Shepherd’s Pie

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

1 rib celery, sliced

1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound ground beef

1/4 cup canned low sodium beef broth

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, optional

For mashed potatoes:

1-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning

3/4 cup whole milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

Put potatoes in a saucepan with enough cold water to cover by one inch and add salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook 15 minutes, uncovered, until potatoes are tender but not mushy.

Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan and warm over low heat until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Drain potatoes and return to saucepan. Toss potatoes over medium heat until dry. Add heated milk mixture, then mash potatoes until just slightly chunky. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil and two tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, mushrooms, garlic, half the salt and oregano. Cook 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomato paste and cook eight minutes, until mushrooms are soft and tomato paste has turned brick red. Stir in the beef, broth, remaining salt, Worcestershire nd some pepper, breaking up any large clumps of meat. Cook three minutes, until meat is no longer pink.

Transfer meat and vegetables to a two-quart oval casserole dish and spread four cups mashed potatoes over the top, leaving a 1/4-inch boarder around the edge. Make a decorative pattern on the top of the potatoes, if desired. Sprinkle with cheese, if using, and dot with the remaining butter. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes, until potatoes brown and the juices bubble around the edge. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.