5 Things to cook with Ground Beef

Sometimes the busy week gets the best of us, and we just don't have time to pull a meal together in only 20 minutes. Rather than drive through the nearest fast food chain, I've come up with a quick solution for your weeknight chaos - ground beef! All it takes is the investment of cooking a larger batch of ground beef ONE NIGHT, and you'll have dinners for FIVE NIGHTS!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Saute a few pounds of ground beef (adjust to the size of your family) with garlic, onions, salt, and pepper until browned. Separate into 3-5 batches and you have the makings of 3-5 meals in a cinch! I use one small onion and 5 cloves of minced garlic per pound of meat, because I like it to be VERY flavorful. Adjust to your liking. (You can even place the cooked ground meat into freezer baggies and freeze for later use.)

Here are the TOP FIVE ways I use my pre-cooked ground beef:

1.) SLOPPY GIUSEPPE'S

(Open-faced Sloppy Joe sandwiches)

Mix the ground beef with your favorite bbq sauce. Top sliced ciabatta bread with the mixture. Sprinkle with a mix grated mozarella, cheddar, and provolone cheese. Cook under the broiler until warmed & melted.

2.) PSEUDO-GREEK EMPENADAS

Mix the ground beef with feta cheese. Fill croissant dough and fold over to make empanada pockets. Serve with zucchini or cucumber 'chips' & Sour Cream Dipping Sauce (below).

Dipping Sauce:

1 3/4 cups sour cream

1/4 cup mayonaisse (you may substitute sour cream if you are not a mayo fan)

1/2 tsp dill

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp lemon juice

3.) Baked Ziti

Mix the cooked ground beef with a can of your fav. crushed tomatoes, simmer 20 minutes. Toss with ziti pasta & ricotta cheese. Pour into a casserole dish, top with shredded mozarella and bake it off!

Here's mine right before it goes into the oven! I use a mixture of fresh and shredded mozarella! (I usually bake it at 375 degrees)

4.) Tacos

Reheat the ground beef in a skillet on med-low heat, tossing in some cumin, garlic & onion powder, chili powder, and shredded mexican cheese. Fill up some taco shells & mangia!

5.) Asian Lettuce Wraps

These are one of my favorites! Reheat the ground beef in a skillet on med-low, adding your favorite terriyaki or hoisin sauce (I prefer hoisin). Pour spoonfuls of the meat mixture into lettuce cups and top with fresh chives, cashews, and whatever other asian veggies you might like.