12 Ground Beef Recipes That Aren’t Tacos Or Spaghetti
For when you need something new in rotation.
When I was growing up, ground beef was kind of like a loaf of bread or a dozen eggs — it was just one of those grocery staples my mom was always sure to grab at the store. As an adult, I get it. Ground beef is affordable, easy to cook, and quick, making it the perfect base for a weeknight meal. But for years, I’ve found myself looking at my latest pound of ground beef, thinking, “Well, what’s it going to be: tacos or spaghetti?” If you’re in the same position, let’s agree to try these ground beef recipes that aren’t the same old dishes on repeat.
Listen, you’ll hear no taco slander from me, and spaghetti is one of my favorite things to eat — it makes me a little nostalgic for my grandma, who used to make it for me when I’d sleep over. But like any meal, having them once a week every week can make even your favorite meals lose their shine. Beef potstickers, on the other hand, or enchiladas, or a beefy French Onion orzo situation? Those all sound like new and exciting ways to use up ye olde ground beef. Which of these ground beef recipes will become a fixture in your rotation?
01Lasagna Soup
Lasagna is delicious, but it’s pretty time-consuming to prepare. A lasagna soup, like this one from Averie Cooks, gives you the same satisfying flavors but in a format that’s faster to make. It’s ready in 30 minutes and only dirties one pot to boot.
02Ground Beef Noodle Stir Fry
That’s right — stir fry isn’t just for chicken or steak. Damn Delicious’ recipe can be customized to whatever produce you have in the fridge and need to clear out, along with a pound of ground beef and some udon noodles. This meal only takes about 30 minutes start to finish, making it a perfect nutritious weeknight dinner option.
03Chili Cornbread Casserole
Chili is a good way to use up ground beef, but why not try a chili cornbread casserole next time? Princess Pinky Girl’s recipe makes it easy — you’re just using boxed cornbread mix and spooning the chili into the center of the batter before baking.
04Beef Potstickers
These homemade potstickers from Eating Richly are stuffed with beef, cabbage, carrots, and bell pepper, all finely minced together. The hardest part of the recipe is just nailing that perfect pleating on top of your potstickers, but even the ugly ones taste just as good. Plus, this would be a fun thing to try with your tweens in the kitchen.
05Chopped Cheese Sandwich
Jessica In The Kitchen’s recipe calls for vegan ground beef, but of course you can swap in your standard kind. A chopped cheese is a New York staple, and it’s kind of like the baby Philly cheesesteaks and classic hamburgers never had.
06French Onion Orzo with Meatballs
Foodie Crush really did something special with this recipe, which marries all the best parts of French onion soup with filling homemade meatballs and orzo. It looks like the ultimate comfort food dinner — just throw some crusty bread on the side and dig in.
07Apple Glazed Beef Meatballs
The Curious Plate’s apple-glazed meatballs sound absolutely delicious. They’re rich in flavor thanks to brown sugar, ground ginger, soy sauce, and, yes, a touch of apple juice. Garnish with plenty of green onions and serve them over rice or with a big green salad.
08Stuffed Peppers
The humble stuffed pepper needs to be brought back into our mental recipe files. Princess Pinky Girl’s version is simple, satisfying, and comes together in just 20 minutes. These also travel and reheat well, if you’re someone who takes leftovers to work for lunch.
09Pizza Casserole
If your kids want spaghetti but you’d rather starve than eat it again, Averie Cooks’ pizza casserole might be a good compromise. It’s similar enough to get the whole family to eat, but the slight change in textures and the addition of melty cheese and pepperonis might trick your brain enough to make dinner feel novel.
10Easy Beef Enchiladas
Enchiladas are actually super easy to make, especially when you’re just browning up some ground beef and then assembling them, as this recipe from Family Fresh Meals instructs. You can customize the filling by adding onions or peppers, or save the fun for the toppings — think guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream.
11The Best Homemade Sloppy Joes
Sloppy Joes don’t get the love they deserve. Brown Eyed Baker’s version is super quick and easy to make, and would pair super well with some sliced veggies and ranch, french fries, or whatever sides you can whip up on a hectic evening that’ll please the kids.
12Shepherd’s Pie
This shepherd’s pie recipe, courtesy of Simply LaKita, is so great for cold weather. It’s the kind of dish that warms you from the inside out and gets better every day that it rests in the fridge. It takes about 30 minutes to prep and 30 more to bake, so it may not be a go-to during the week, but it’d be a delicious Sunday dinner.
Excuse me while I add everything I need to make potstickers to my shopping list.
