How can a young family starting out stretch a single pound of hamburger?

1. 85

   K9keystrokesposted 12 years ago

   How can a young family starting out stretch a single pound of hamburger?
   
   In our sparse economy these days, feeding a young family starting out seems to be getting more and more difficult. What is a great way to make a single pound of hamburger stretch enough to reduce the "grocery financial burden" for these new families?

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2. 84

   Bill Yovinoposted 12 years ago

   Spaghetti and meatballs would fit the bill.  Tacos would be another good choice.  A better choice might be to use pork or turkey, as beef has gotten pretty expensive.

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   1. 85

      K9keystrokesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Bill Yovino~ I really like your idea of using ground turkey or pork instead of beef for greater savings! I have used a combination of turkey and beef, adding frugal aspects as well as that one-of-a-kind taste of beef.  Thanks for your great comment!

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3. 67

   BSloanposted 12 years ago

   I usually buy 1 lb. of ground beef and make 2 meals out of it. 
   
   My first meal is spaghetti, but I ground the beef, add the sauce and finally add the pasta.  I mix it all together and put it in the oven as a casserole.
   
   My second meal are sliders.  I make them thin and then serve them with lettuce, tomato, sometimes mushrooms.
   
   You can also make a meatloaf and stuff it with boiled eggs before baking.  We usually eat the meatloaf on day 1 and then sandwiches day 2.

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   1. 85

      K9keystrokesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      BSloan~ Wow! Some really great options here, thanks. I have never heard of stuffing eggs inside of meatloaf; may have to give that a try. I like the spaghetti casserole idea, too. Thanks for sharing your frugal food ideas for today's young family!

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4. 81

   TripleAMomposted 12 years ago

   Chili is  a great option because you can make a big pot with the ground beef, beans, cans of tomatos and tomato sauce, and even get a couple of vegies like carrots to cut up really small or puree for extra health benefits.  You can make more than one meal out of it, or make a meal out of the chili then have hot dogs with chili another night.

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   1. 85

      K9keystrokesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      TripleAMom~ What a great idea! Getting those veggies in the chili bumps up the nutrition values significantly. Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Cheers~

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   2. 59

      mrsgrayposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Definitly!  Also spaghetti sauce,  add hamburger, sauce, spices, etc etc.  It will double and possibly triple is size then it can be stored in the freezer and used  later on.  American Chop Souy.  Great Ideas!!

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5. 76

   Tonipetposted 12 years ago

   Stir fry by mixing ground beef with vegetables. Use leftovers to make fried rice for your next meal. Make patties with grated vegetables then use leftovers to make soup for another meal. Make beef omelet and use leftovers as sandwich filling stuffed with grated cheese and carrots.  Incorporating vegetables into your ground beef allows you to stretch your beef supply, plus, you are making healthier dishes. Cooking from scratch is key. Your question made me hungry :

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6. 61

   Kari Peteposted 12 years ago

   My mother joked that she had 101 ways to make a hamburger hot dish (the MN equivalent of everyone else's casserole).  Here are a few memorable ones:
   
   Sloppy joes
   Made-rights (basically just the ground beef cooked and salted - I liked mixing mine with mustard) served with buns or not.
   Hamburger & Rice - cook the hamburger, then add cooked rice, some peas, a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup and a can of water.  Cook until everything is uniformly hot.

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7. 74

   moonfairyposted 12 years ago

   american chop suey or a shephard's pie or even a box of macaroni and cheese with scrambled hamburg in it. I love all of these!!

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8. 65

   mkjuettposted 12 years ago

   Adding more veggies on your plate can help reduce the amount of meat per serving in different casseroles.  We like to add more beans to dishes as well because it increases protein and fiber and makes for less need for meat.  So in things like tacos, make homemade refried beans and add some to the taco, then bulk up with lettuce and tomatoes. Mixing hamburger with rice, cooking it in beef broth and adding in veggies is also a good way.  Soups are good, or cutting ground beef out of your diet completely.  We just stopped buying it, then look at lower price things like chicken legs, etc. Good luck!

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9. 95

   nifwlseirffposted 12 years ago

   There are so many ways to stretch a pound of hamburger meat!
   
   One of my favorites when making chili or a meat sauce that will be cooked for a long time, is to use a food processor and chop up cauliflower. The bits of cauliflower resemble the cooked mince, and kids don't know that they are eating something healthy!
   
   I always stretch mince in my dishes with loads of vegetables. If making dumplings, meatloaf or mince patties, then I add egg and breadcrumbs in addition to the extra vegetables.
   
   My favorite three healthy, vegetable-stretched recipes with 1lb of minced meat: http://nifwlseirff.hubpages.com/hub/3-g … round-beef

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10. 85

    krillcoposted 12 years ago

    Here is one of my favorites, but I use a pound of turkey sausage for the flavor, but you can use ground beef.
    
    brown the meat, add 2 T of crushed garlic, 2T basil, 2T of oregano, 1t fennel seed, (fresh herbs if you have it)...one (or two for the 'stretch') large tomato, diced, handfull of mushrooms, sliced, 1/3 c olive oil, one medium summer squash or zuchinni, sliced thin, add a small can of tomato sauce...shake of sea salt...cover and simmer till veggies are tender....boil some mini penne (here is where you 'stretch'...more or less penne)....once the penne is cooked, drain it and add it to the veggie-herb-meat mix...toss well, serve with some parmesean on top....yum

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    1. 85

       K9keystrokesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

       Wow! This sounds fantastically yummy and so economical! You should make a recipe hub for this one! Great answer, thanks!

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11. 79

    Sally's Troveposted 12 years ago

    I'm so glad you asked this question! There's a recipe I like very much but haven't made in years because I don't eat much beef anymore, and when I do, I want a 10-ounce steak! It's called savory Spanish rice*, it's low-fat, and you'll be amazed at the beef flavor you get with so little ground meat.
    
    1 med onion, chopped
    1 green bell pepper, chopped
    1/4 pound lean ground beef
    1/2 cup brown rice
    1 clove garlic, minced
    2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped, or 2 cups canned diced tomatoes (make sure you retain all the liquid)
    1 bay leaf
    1/8 teaspoon red pepper
    
    Saute onion and green pepper in a bit of oil or beef stock until tender.
    Brown beef and drain off the fat.
    Combine all ingredients, bring to boil, stir, reduce heat, simmer on lowest possible heat, covered, for 40-60 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir often to prevent sticking. Add a bit of water if things get dry and the rice hasn't become tender yet.
    
    Serves 4 to 6.
    
    Serve it with a green salad and some crusty garlic bread.
    
    It sounds crazy, but you only need that 1/4 pound of beef to make a very satisfying beef-tasting dish.
    
    *From "Recipes To Lower Your Fat Thermostat" 1985.

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12. 0

    danielabramposted 12 years ago

    Cut it up into pieces and spread it out throughout the day. Don't wait too long or it will get dry, stale, and possible moldy.

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13. 0

    Garifaliaposted 12 years ago

    Cut it in half and cook it as a sauge for spaghetti for two different days.
    Or make it into meat patties and eat half one day and half another ---this you can accompany with lentils, salad or fried potatoes and salad.

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14. 78

    thefedorowsposted 10 years ago

    Great question!  I buy a value pack of ground turkey (we prefer this over ground beef) which has 2 1/2 pounds.  I divide this into thirds and put each into a baggie which I freeze.  So, when a recipe calls for 1 pound, I actually use 3/4 of a pound.  It means a little less meat in the dish, but every dish I has made still works just fine!  I then stretch it a bit more:
    
    1. Tacos: Add a can of black beans with the meat. This adds protein and makes the meat seem more substantial.  If I mix in a cup of cooked rice that stretches it even further!
    
    2. Spaghetti: Instead of meatballs, I mix the ground beef directly into the sauce so the meat is spread out a bit more throughout.
    
    3. Sloppy Joes: Instead of hamburgers, sloppy joes go a little further.  Whereas I make 4 patties out of 3/4 pound of meat, I can make 5-6 sloppy joes out of the same amount.

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