We are in a busy season of life. We are rarely home between working full time, running a farm, and school-aged children. While we love these busy weeknights, they can often make dinnertime challenging. During the week, I need to be able to put dinner on the table fast. Easy ground beef recipes make for a perfect weeknight meal the whole family will love!
I really admire those who meal prep. To spend a few hours in the kitchen to have everything made out for the week, but the reality is, I just can’t seem to get it together enough to make it happen. I really have to think on the fly and the fact is, 30-minute ground beef recipes save my life during a busy week!
Ground beef is so versatile. You can easily enter it into the rotation of family favorite meals. And the best part is if you have littles who like to help, it’s something they can get involved in too. My daughter loves helping me brown ground beef when getting a recipe put together. We love to work together to get an easy dinner on the table!
What are my family’s favorite ground beef recipes?
- Homemade Hamburger Helper– this is probably one of my kid’s most requested meals. We have adapted it over the years to make it a bit healthier and double in size for leftover lunch the next day. A classic recipe, this is a guaranteed family favorite
- Easy Beef Tacos– picky eaters unite! Brown some ground beef in a large skillet, add homemade taco seasoning, and add whatever toppings your family likes. Burrito bowls are one of our favorite healthy ground beef recipes.
- Ground Beef Stroganoff– my daughter says the combination of sour cream, noodles, and cheese is the best part of this dish. I would be willing to bet we eat this 4 times a month. Add some green beans on the side and it’s the perfect weeknight meal.
Honorable mentions include quick sloppy joes seasoned with Heartland Beef Co. Ranch Rub, a juicy burger made with Heartland Beef Co. House rub, and slow cooker beef chili. Getting a healthy dinner on the table doesn’t have to be complicated on busy weeknights. I used to overthink dinner time but have updated family favorites to our preference! A simple meal made with real ingredients is often the most delicious meal.
What ingredients do I keep on hand for 30-minute ground beef recipes?
- Heartland Beef Co. ground beef (obviously!)
- Egg noodles
- Mozzarella cheese (shred your own in bulk!)
- Cheddar cheese (shred your own in bulk!)
- Pasta noodles, regular, whole wheat, or veggie
- Tortillas or tortilla chips
- Sour cream or greek yogurt
- Milk
- Tomato sauce
- Brown rice or white rice
- Black beans, chili beans, or red beans
- A well-stocked spice cabinet
Many of these are simple skillet meals, which makes getting dinner on the table so much easier and even easier to clean up. I always use my Lodge Cast Iron skillets to brown my ground beef. Most meals get served with a simple salad, roasted green beans, zucchini, potatoes, or broccoli. Again, think simple but season vegetables well!
Homemade Hamburger Helper
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Heartland Beef Co. Prime Angus Ground Beef
- 1 Cup Dry Pasta
- 1 Cup Water
- 1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
- 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Brown, season, and drain (if necessary) ground beef over medium heat.
- Add water, milk, and pasta. Cook until pasta is tender and allow to simmer.
- Top with cheese. Seriously that's it, the world's easiset, kid-friendly dinner.
Easy Beef Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Heartland Beef Co. Prime Angus Ground Beef
- 1/4 Cup Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1 Can Black Beans
- 1 Bag Tortilla Chips
- 1/4 Cup Brown Rice or White Rice
- 1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- Brown, season, and drain (if necessary) ground beef over medium heat.
- Build tacos, burrito bowls, or a taco salad. I keep guacamole, bell peppers, onions, salsa, and sour cream on hand. Each member of my family eats beef taco meat in a different way so this is a great wat to use up some extra veggies laying around. Put beef taco meat in an airtight container and you have an easy leftover lunch the next day!
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Heartland Beef Co. Prime Angus Ground Beef
- 1/2 Bag Egg Noddles
- 1 Cup Water
- 1 Cup Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt
- 2 Cups Mozzarella Cheese
- 2 Tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 Tsp Oregano
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
- Brown, season, and drain (if necessary) ground beef over medium heat.
- Add water and egg noddles. Cook egg noodles until tender and allow to simmer. Slowly stir in sour cream until well combined.
- Top with cheese. Feel free to add mushrooms, if desired, my family does not like them. Serve with green beans cooked with garlic, butter, and a little bit of soy sauce and brown sugar to complete an easy meal.
Shop Lodge Cast iron cookware here;
Friends who cook together, stay together!
Hi, Everyone! I’m Sarah, and I am very flattered to be the first guest blogger here at Heartland Beef Co. Like Tim and Allie, I come from a long line of cattle farmers, and we raise our own beef for consumption. Raising your own beef leads to one of the biggest blessings-a freezer full of hamburger, steaks, roasts, and more. Allie and I regularly try out and exchange our favorite recipes, so I thought I would share one of our family favorites.
There is one BIG caveat when cooking at my house. My husband is probably one of the pickiest eaters on the planet. The man cannot even think about a vegetable without gagging and starting to sweat. When I look for something new to make (usually with hamburger because we have approximately 6,438 lbs.), I immediately read recipes and start figuring out what I have to omit to get him to eat it. It typically leads to me combining several versions of the same recipe and inventing my own.
One recipe that is always sure to please is Sloppy Joe Casserole. Of course, he does not like Sloppy Joe in its basic version, so I was pretty shocked when he liked this elevated twist on classic comfort food. My two sons, who have a better palette than their father, cannot get enough. Serving up a steaming casserole dish of this will excite even the pickiest of eaters, and you can even add in your own veggies (I’ll show you where below) to add a nutritious kick. This is a simple, quick, hearty meal that you can come back to over and over.
Sloppy Joe Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Pounds Heartland Beef Co. Prime Angus Ground Beef
- 8 Ounces Elbow Macaroni
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Tsp Finely Chopped Garlic (lets be honest, I buy pre-minced- aint' nobody for time for that. Unless you have time for that, then chop it up)
- 2 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Frozen Corn (this is optional, but this is what I use to make it have at least something "healthy")
- 15 Ounce Can of Tomato Sauce
- 4 Tbsp Brown Sugar (can do less, but we like it sweet)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/4 Cup Ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Prepared Mustard (DO NOT TELL MY HUSBAND I USE THIS)
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheese (I prefer cheddar, but use what you have on hand)
- Finely chopped bread, hamburger buns, bread crumbs- whatever you have around for a crispy topping
- Optional: 1 medium onion, approximatley 1 cup of chopped bell pepper (any color), 3/4 cup chopped carrots
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degress.
- Cook macaroni until it's about halfway done according to package instructions. This will probably be about 5-6 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Brown beef until cooked through over medium heat, breaking it as you go. I prefer to add my seasonings directly to my beef as it cooks, so drop your salt, pepper, and garlic in as well as after you've cooked the meat for 3-4 minutes. Drain beef and return to pan.
- If you're into vegetables, unlike this crew, then this is where you would melt 1 Tbsp. of butter and saute those until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, ketchup, and corn. Bring to a simmer and reduce to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Let simmer for 5-6 minutes to meld the flavors together and the sauce to thicken.
- Add pasta to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish and top evenly with cheese.
- Melt the remaining butter and mix with your bun/bread/bread crumb mixture to moisten. Top the meat and cheese with the bread.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread topping is golden brown.
- Serve alongside a salad, or serve it on its own. Either way, you will enjoy wathching your family devour the goodness that is Sloppy Joe Casserole.
*Recipe and paragraph were written by Sarah Luetkemeyer
I hope you are able to add these easy recipes to your family’s rotation. I know someday we will miss busy nights full of ball practices and homework and will have all the time in the world to get dinner on the table. But for now, we will continue to cook these quick weeknight meals the entire family enjoys.
Know where your next meal comes from, it’s okay to have beef with us!