Frugal Foods: Ground Beef

Jenn at Frugal Upstate is continuing her series on frugal foods.... I've already participated in the egg and tuna segments. The ingredient for part four was ground beef... I'm a little late on this one! :) The next ingredient will be chicken.

Here's what works for me: I buy large packages of ground beef at Sam's, or, wherever else I find them on sale. I unwrap all of the beef and place it into my largest stock pot, then fill it with enough water to cover. I usually add some salt and pepper at this point. I put it on high heat, and while it's heating up, I chop up a few onions and toss them in with the beef. I let the beef and onions come to a boil, then turn it down and simmer it for a while (half an hour or so) until the beef is cooked through and the onions are tender. Next, I let the pot cool a bit, then place the pot in the fridge for a while to chill. When chilled, I drain the liquid and skim off the fat that accumulates at the top. Then I just divide the beef and onions into two-cup portions (approximately a pound, which is what most recipes call for) and put them into labeled ziplock freezer bags. Into the freezer they go, and then I'm all set for quick meals.

What do I do with the bags of precooked beef?

• use it in any casseroles that call for cooked ground beef
• warm it in a saucepan before stirring in spaghetti sauce for use on pasta (For a really fast meal, a store-bought jarred sauce is great. If I have a little more time, I like this stovetop recipe.)
• warm it in a skillet with brown gravy to serve over mashed potatoes
• layer it in a crockpot for Crockpot Pizza

The other variation I make regularly is to use taco seasoning instead of salt & pepper. The ready-to-go taco meat works great for tacos, enchiladas, or Copycat Beef Meximelts in a hurry. We eat a lot of Mexican food at my house, so I regularly do a batch this way.

My other frugal tip for ground beef: stretch it! I regularly add a handful or more of oatmeal to anything that calls for ground beef. This has two benefits: the cholesterol-lowering oatmeal is disguised from the family member who needs that, and, the ground beef is bulked up. You'll never know it's in there, and, your family will get a little added nutrition.

Check out Part 4 of the Frugal Foods series for more great beef recipes & tips!

Menu Plan Monday 10/15

NOTES: Normally I start out with notes from last week, but I don't have any, because last week I was recovering from a minor surgery and I hardly cooked at all, let alone made any sort of menu plan. We ate a lot of fast food and "heat and eat" kinds of things... not good for the waistline or the budget! But, it's a new week, so here's my plan:

SUNDAY: We had turkey-bacon wraps (turkey, bacon, cheese, and ranch dressing in a tortilla) along with this *new recipe*: Hearty Cream of Tomato Basil Soup. The soup was wonderful- I'll definitely be making it again!

MONDAY: Easy Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches (made from chicken patties) and *new recipe* Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Stewed Tomatoes

TUESDAY: Cottage Pie and Biscuits or Cornbread

Cottage Pie
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, diced
1 packet of brown gravy mix
4 cups mashed potatoes, prepared (I use instant or leftovers)
1 can green beans, drained
Optional: 1 small can mushroom pieces- add in with green beans if desired

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet, drain well. Combine gravy mix with amount of water specified on package. Add gravy to beef and onions, and simmer until thickened. Spray a casserole dish (I use a glass pie plate) with non-stick cooking spray, and spread meat mixture in the bottom of the dish. Top with green beans, then mashed potatoes. (Sometimes I sprinkle the top with shredded cheddar cheese.) Bake casserole at 350 for 20-25 minutes until bubbly.

WEDNESDAY: *new recipe*: Slow Cooker Cajun Chicken Pasta and Peas

THURSDAY: Steak Fajitas with all the fixins' and corn

FRIDAY: Lasagna (frozen), Garlic Bread, Steamed Broccoli

SATURDAY: I always leave Saturdays open.

Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie

to share your menu or see what others are eating this week!


P.S. This blog turned PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness month!

My Crockpot Meatballs and Gravy

I'm really off my menu plan this week.... that's the first time in a long time that's happened. DH is home on vacation this week, so our plans keep changing day-to-day. Anyways, I went to dig this recipe out of the archives of my old cooking blog, so I thought I'd post it here for future reference. This is something I made up using a combination of other recipes.

Amy's Crockpot Meatballs and Gravy
1 lb hamburger
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 cup water
1 family-sized can (or two normal sized cans) cream of mushroom soup
approx. 2 TBSP brown gravy mix (guess-timated amount, I use a few shakes out of a large canister- I'm guessing that one envelope would work)
1 onion, sliced
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
Combine ground beef and soup mix, then form into meatballs. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 for about twenty minutes.
After meatballs are browned, dump them into the crockpot. Combine mushroom soup, water, and gravy mix and pour over meatballs. Add in mushrooms and onions. Cover and cook on high for about three hours, or on low all day.

I serve it over mashed potatoes, with a side of green beans. It's an easy recipe for a comfort food dinner!

Tamale Pie

For some crazy reason, my Tamale Pie recipe keeps getting reduced down to a microscopic font in my Menu Plan Monday post. It looks normal in my draft mode, but when I publish the post it's too tiny to see. I'm copying it here so you can read it!

Tamale Pie
1 lb ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (I leave this out sometimes)
1 14 oz can tomatoes (I use Rotel if I have it on hand)
2 tsp chili powder
7oz package cornbread mix
1 can corn
1/3 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar (or a Mexican blend)

Brown beef with onion and peppers, drain well. Add tomatoes and chili powder. Simmer for 10 minutes. Pour into a 2-quart casserole (I use a glass pie plate). In a bowl, stir together the cornbread mix, milk, and corn. Spoon over the meat mixture and sprinkle top with cheese. Bake uncovered in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Makes 4-8 servings.

Hamburgers, my way

It seems to me that everyone has their own way of making hamburgers at home, and everyone thinks that their way is the best. Here's how I make mine- this recipe has developed over the years, but I'm pretty consistant with it now. They have just a little spice to them, but even our four year-old enjoys them.

Amy's Hamburgers

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• a large handful of rolled oats (added in to stretch the meat and to sneak some more oatmeal into the diet of someone in my house)
• an envelope of onion soup mix
• a 4oz can of diced green chili peppers
• an egg (not always used, depends on how the patties hold together)

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and form into patties. (I usually get about six to eight patties, or four if I make them huge!) Grill or pan-fry as desired.

I like to top mine with steak sauce and sharp cheddar cheese, and sometimes some sauted onions.

I've published this recipe over on RecipeZaar, and it's gotten good reviews there. If you'd like an easy-to-print version.... not to mention a version with more specific measurements, LOL.... just click here. Yes, I'm Chef AmyMCGS over on 'Zaar. :)