Beef recipes -
hearty food prepared in a flash!

You can't have too many great beef recipes. Many of us grew up believing that dinner had to include meat, potatoes, and a vegetable. Even though I now enjoy a more adventurous range of foods, I still look forward to an occasional barbecued steak as part of my varied diet, and I enjoy trying out new beef recipes.



If you are trying to eat a healthy diet, you don't have to eliminate red meat. Just eat it less frequently and in smaller portions than our grandparents' generation did. Nutritionists recommend that we eat no more than 3 oz (90 grams) per serving. That's about the size of one cooked hamburger.

I choose organic, free range beef whenever possible.

There are lots of great beef recipes for quick meals that are delicious too! Here are my favorite beef recipes.

Recipes For Ground Beef

Ground meat must be cooked until there is no pink remaining. When making loaves, meatballs or meat patties, use a meat thermometer to be absolutely sure that the meat is safe to eat. It should have an internal temperature of 160F/71C.

• Casseroles

  I just love casseroles! I love cooking them, and I love eating them. I like knowing that I have some frozen casseroles in the freezer. I like enjoying the aroma that fills my house as they bake.

  The only problem with casseroles is that they usually aren't a favorite with picky eaters. Many children are suspicious of casseroles because the ingredients are not readily identifiable. Children (and adults!) who don't like their foods to be touching one another will definitely not enjoy casseroles!

  I don't cook separate meals for picky eaters, but I have found a solution that works for me. It allows me to enjoy casseroles, and ensures that my picky eater will eat something too. Here's what I do: as I am preparing the casserole, I set aside a small portion of each ingredient. If the casserole consists of cooked ground beef, noodles, vegetables and sauce, my non-casserole loving child will get a plate with plain noodles, vegetables and some plain cooked ground beef. He's happy and I'm happy!

  Here are my favorite ground beef casseroles.
  
  

  • Chili Macaroni Casserole is a hearty casserole to serve on a cold winter's day - real comfort food!
    
    
  • Hamburger and Cheesy Rice with Crisp Topping takes more time to make than most of my recipes, but it's worth it! I like to make two pans: one to eat, and one to freeze.
    
    
  • Hamburger Pie with Mashed Potato Crust is a complete meal. It looks nice, too!

  
  
  

• Meatballs

  Everyone in my family loves meatballs. Both of these recipes make lots of tasty sauce that is delicious served over rice or over mashed potatoes.
  
  

  • Barbecue Meatballs are tangy and saucy.
    
    

  • I adapted my Grandma's recipe for Sweet and Sour Meatballs to make it even healthier. It's still just as delicious as the original.

  
  
  

• Meatloaf

  What could be easier than making meatloaf? Just throw some ingredients in a bowl, mush them all together, shove them in a loaf pan, and cook. The resulting meal is always delicious and filling.

  For some reason, meatloaf always takes longer to cook than I think it will. Be sure to allow yourself lots of time.
  
  

  • Cheesy Mini-Meatloaves are what I make when I want meatloaf but am pressed for time. They cook in half the time of a regular meatloaf!

  • Most often, though, we have Our Favorite Meatloaf. This is the best meatloaf ever!
    
    
  • Meatloaf With More uses some unusual ingredients to make a loaf that is out of the ordinary.

  
  
  

• Stovetop Meals

  These quick ground beef meals are cooked either in a skillet or in a saucepan. Most of them are complete meals, and all of them are delicious
  
  

  • Greek Beef and Pasta is one of our favorite meals. Feta cheese, basil pesto and black olives combine in a delectable combination.
    
    
  • Hamburger Noodle Supper is along the same lines as the meals one can make with a package of "Ground Beef Helper" - but tastes so much better!
    
    
  • Mexican Skillet Supper is a complete, quick and colorful meal.
    
    
  • Is there anyone who doesn't like Tacos? Not in my family, there isn't. This is a perennial favorite.
    
    
  • Sloppy Joes are fun to eat, for some reason. Maybe it's the name!

  
  
  

• Other Classic Ground Beef Recipes
  
  
  • Of course, this page wouldn't be complete without a recipe for

    Hamburgers! This recipe makes a simple, classic hamburger that you can customize as you like.
    
    

  • Taco Salad is a great light supper or hearty lunch. It's one of my favorite camping meals.

  
  
  

For the healthiest beef meals, choose lean meats. These include flank, round, rump, sirloin and sirloin tip. Make sure to remove all visible fat.

• Barbecued Steak is a summertime classic. It's especially delicious when it's marinated. Marinating also reduces the potential health risks of eating barbecued meat. Here's a good marinade recipe.
  
  
• Looking for something new to do with beef stew meat? Peachy Beef Bake has a delightfully unique sauce.
  
  
• If you want to cook a roast, but are not sure just how to do it, check out The Meat Source.

Return from beef recipes to healthy quick meals.