Spread it!
Last week I bought 8.6 pounds of ground beef for $11.05 after the Kroger Manager’s Special and $3.00 OYNO Old El Paso Catalina! So what do you do with that much meat?
One thing I don’t like to do is cook raw ground beef, so I do it all in one day and get it over with! The 8.6 pound package will last me 11 meals, probably about 5 to 6 weeks. Here’s what I did with it:
Meatballs
My boys love to eat meatballs. I use them in Sweet & Sour Meatballs and my husband likes to make Swedish Meatballs.
I add oatmeal or bread ground up really fine. You can do this in a blender or food chopper. I really don’t have a recipe I just know the texture that I like; however, my guess is about 1/2 cup of crumbs/oatmeal per pound hamburger. You’ll also need to add one egg and seasonings. I use a no salt seasoning, some garlic pepper, and onion powder. Mix this stuff together really well then roll into ball shapes.
You can freeze them raw on a cookie sheet until they are frozen then transfer to a ziploc bag. I like to brown them and then stick them in the freezer. That way they are ready to go.
Meatloaf
I make this the same way as the meatballs but not as much bread crumbs/oatmeal. I still add one egg and seasonings per pound hamburger. Mix really well and stick in the pan. I cover well with tin foil and stick it in the freezer. When I’m ready to use it I pull it out and add a topping.
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
2/3 cup Ketchup
1/2 Tablespoon Mustard
Mix the above ingredients well, spread on top of meat, and bake about 65 minutes. When it has baked for 50 mintues I like to drain any excess fat.
Brown and Freeze
To help make dinner faster and not so messy I brown ground beef, drain and rinse well, and then put it in individual freezer bags.
This took me about an hour to complete but now my dinners will be easier and I don’t have to mess with ground beef for about 6 weeks.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I do this too! What a timesaver!
I brown and freeze ground beef and turkey all the time. It's such a huge time saver and enables me to get dinner on the table very quickly, and with minimal last-minute prep.
ButterYum
I do this too! I started back when I worked full time. It was not just a time saver, it was a sanity saver! I've never tried oatmeal in my recipes, though. I will have to try that. It's so very good for you! Grateful for that tip!