Most of us who cook regularly at some point or another have asked ourselves the question “What Can I Make With Hamburger Meat?” If you’re looking for some creative dinner ideas for hamburger meat, maybe some of the things I regularly make will give you some inspiration! Many of these can be made with lean ground beef or ground turkey for healthier versions.
Recipes Best With Fresh Hamburger
When I buy large bulk packages of hamburger meat, I usually split it up into what I will be using for dinner and then the rest into freezer safe bags for defrosting and using later. Some things are better (and easier to make!) when the meat is fresh, so I typically reserve these recipes for the day I buy the meat from the store.
Meatloaf: Meatloaf may seem intimidating at first, but generally is easy to make once you get the hang of it. There are many meatloaf recipes available – the most simple one being mixing a package of onion soup mix with the ground beef, shaping it into a loaf, and then covering it with foil and baking for about 45 minutes for a one pound meatloaf and for about an hour and a half for a two pound meatloaf. Another recipe my family enjoys is mixing one egg, about a half cup of breadcrumbs, two big tablespoons of BBQ sauce, a little ketchup, and Hamburger or Meatloaf seasoning.
Hamburgers: So while hamburgers may seem like an obvious thing to make with hamburger meat, there are many things you can do to make homemade hamburgers different than the usual. You can make spicy hamburgers by adding hot sauce or hot peppers to the meat, or you can even make sweet hamburgers using pineapple. Make sure you have all the toppings too – pickles, cheese, ketchup, mustard, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes are common ones many people enjoy.
Stuffed Peppers: Stuffed Peppers are delicious, especially when peppers are in season and fresh from your garden! Stuffed peppers are made by cutting the tops and cleaning out large bell peppers and then stuffing with cooked ground beef, rice, and tomato sauce and baking. You can alternatively cut down on cooking time by slicing the peppers and cooking it all in one skillet on the stove.
Dinner Ideas That Work With Fresh or Frozen Hamburger Meat:
If you’re like me and often store ground beef in the freezer to use at another time, you’ll enjoy many of these ground beef dinner ideas that are quick and easy to make. Simply defrost and brown the ground beef.
Chili: Chili is a great dinner that can be made easily. Once the meat has cooked through, simply add in chili seasoning, chili beans (you can use kidney or black, or even both!), corn, rice, canned tomatoes, and anything else you like. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream and serve over cooked macaroni or with tortilla chips.
Tacos and Taco Salad: Tacos are another delicious meal you can make with hamburger meat. I typically brown the meat and add in a taco seasoning packet and then serve with soft or hard taco shells, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and whole grain rice. If you’d prefer a taco salad, you can either layer the ingredients in a 9 x 13 pan, starting with the meat on the bottom and finishing with the cheese on top. Adding refried beans or black beans can add a little variety to your tacos as well.
Spaghetti With Meat Sauce: Making spaghetti with meat sauce can be another easy to make dinner using hamburger meat. Simply brown the meat and then add in tomato sauce, tomato paste, or even diced tomatoes. Season with garlic, onion powder, or even stir in your favorite frozen veggies. (We like to add spinach and squash to ours!) Serve over your favorite pasta noodles and with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh Italian bread, garlic bread, or bread sticks. If you’re tired of spaghetti, you could also try making lasagna instead.
Sloppy Joes: Sloppy Joes are relatively easy to make. You can opt for simply browning the meat with onions and then mixing it with your favorite BBQ sauce and serving on hamburger buns, or can make your own Sloppy Joe sauce by mixing the cooked meat with ketchup and brown sugar.
Mac & Cheese Dinner: This is a dinner that kids seem to love. Simply prepare Mac & Cheese according to box directions and mix in the ground beef. You can jazz this up by adding salsa, veggies, or other favorite foods as well – so don’t be afraid to be creative!
Shepherd’s Pie: Shepherd’s pie is another easy to make dinner. You simply layer seasoned ground beef (typically garlic/onion) with mashed potatoes and then top with shredded Cheddar cheese and bake. You can add in your own variations to this one as well, such as diced tomatoes or other favorite veggies. Other variations include substituting the mashed potatoes with tater tots or scalloped potatoes.
S.O.S. aka Creamed Beef: This is an old army recipe, which consists of making a white sauce (milk, butter, and flour) to add to the cooked hamburger meat and then serving it on top of toast. You can also serve the creamed beef over egg noodles or other favorite pasta as a ground beef stroganoff.
Ground Beef Muffins: This is a simple recipe made by flattening refrigerated biscuit or crescent roll dough into muffin pans and then adding in cooked ground beef (often mixed with BBQ sauce but others are possible also!) and topping with shredded cheese. Simply bake until dough is cooked and cheese is melted (about 10 -12 minutes in a 350 degree oven)
There are so many things that you can make with hamburger meat – and many times you can be creative with fantastic results. For more detailed recipe instructions, you can find many of these on recipe sites such as AllRecipes.com, RecipeZaar.com, and Cooks.com. I hope you and those you are cooking for enjoy these great ideas for things you can make with hamburger meat!
