75 Ground Beef Recipes That Take the Guesswork Out of Dinner

Ground beef is one of those ingredients that we almost always have on hand. It adds a great meaty flavor to whatever you’re cooking, for a fraction of the price of steak. And, because the meat is ground up, you can easily stretch it (try adding beans, grains or chopped mushrooms) and feed more people. Best of all, ground beef is a key ingredient in so many of our favorite comfort foods and family-friendly dinners—so it’s one ingredient that we’ve always got a use for. Meatballs, stuffed shells, sloppy Joes, hamburger recipes, and more: a delicious meal is always within reach when you’ve got ground beef on hand. Take this pasta, for example. It may sound odd to make a Bolognese sauce without tomatoes, but this white version is deep with flavor from aromatics and herbs, white wine, and a little garam masala, an Indian spice blend that mimics the spices used in Tuscany. Cream adds body and richness.

These are super classic and so simple to make. Use leftover rice or thawed frozen rice. For an easy variation, try shredded fontina or Gruyere cheese.

No tortillas required: this beef-and-bean packed soup has all the flavors of a taco, all in one pot. It's a great quick weeknight dinner for the whole family. If you really miss that taco shell crunch, sprinkle your bowl with some crushed tortilla chips.

Recipe developer Gabi Odebode says, "In Ghana, Nigeria and other West African countries we call these savory crescent-shaped pastries meat pies, though around the world they are also known as hand pies, empanadas and dumplings. Most of the time, we serve them as appetizers or a snack before lunch or dinner. In Nigeria, meat pie is made with ground beef, carrots and potatoes that are sauteed with herbs and spices and stuffed in a buttery dough pocket. My version is similar, but I use mixed vegetables like corn, peas, carrots and string beans (I love how the corn adds sweetness) and I omit potatoes, which can sometimes make a meat pie almost too filling for a snack or appetizer."