22 Budget-Friendly Ground Beef Recipes

March 24, 2020

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Ground beef is great for making meals that are easy, nutritious and affordable. These recipes use ground beef along with other affordable foods like pasta and potatoes to make a delicious, filling meal. Recipes like Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet and Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes are healthy, tasty and utilize an affordable protein in the best way.

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Pressure-Cooker Meatloaf & Potatoes

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Meatloaf and potatoes cook together in your multicooker, such as the Instant Pot, in this weeknight-ready recipe. Cooking meatloaf in your pressure cooker keeps it nice and moist and, once assembled, the whole meal is cooked in just 20 minutes! Source: EatingWell.com, August 2018

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Cauliflower Rice-Stuffed Peppers

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Slash the calories and carbs of traditional stuffed peppers by swapping white rice for cauliflower "rice." The riced cauliflower is hearty and won't turn to mush during baking. Use an assortment of red, yellow, orange and green peppers to make an appealing presentation. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2018

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American Goulash

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American goulash, also known as old-fashioned goulash, is the perfect economical family meal. The pasta cooks right in the sauce, so this satisfying dish can cook in just one pot. Source: EatingWell.com, March 2018

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Loaded Twice-Baked Potatoes

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Potatoes are one of the great comfort foods, especially when stuffed with a satisfying mixture of lean ground beef and broccoli florets plus reduced-fat sour cream and Cheddar cheese. Add a tossed salad and you have a healthy and hearty meal that will leave you feeling good. Source: EatingWell Magazine, February/March 2006

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Sweet & Sour Beef-Cabbage Soup

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This wholesome sweet-and-sour soup combines beef, caraway seeds, sweet paprika and cabbage--ingredients that star in a number of German dishes. It is particularly nice served with crusty rye bread. For an even heartier soup, add diced cooked potatoes along with the cabbage. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell. Source: EatingWell Soups Special Issue April 2016

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Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

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Instead of opening a jar of sauce, try this easy spaghetti with meat sauce on a weeknight. Serve with steamed broccoli and garlic bread. The recipe makes enough for 8 servings. If you're serving only four for dinner, cook 8 ounces of spaghetti and freeze the leftover sauce. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2010

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Classic Hamburger

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Slow-cooked onions add moisture and flavor to these lean beef burgers. A quick blend of mayonnaise, ketchup, relish and vinegar makes a perfect tangy, sweet and creamy “special sauce” for this burger. We love the dill relish here, but use sweet relish if you prefer it. Serve with sweet potato fries. Source: EatingWell Magazine, May/June 2011

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Meatballs with Roasted Green Beans & Potatoes

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Meatballs, green beans and potatoes happily coexist while roasting together on a large sheet pan. Seasoned with fresh rosemary and Italian seasoning and served with pasta sauce and Parmesan, this one-dish meal is one you'll want to make again and again. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Southern Beefy Skillet

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Make this entire meal in one skillet! The beef soaks up the flavor from the vegetables and herbs, making it juicy and full of flavor. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Mom's Chili

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This healthy basic beef chili recipe is well worth doubling so you can throw a batch in the freezer. Serve topped with diced red onion, sliced scallions, shredded cheese and your favorite hot sauce. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2016

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Oven-Fried Beef Taquitos

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This healthy beef taquitos recipe calls for baking instead of deep-frying, making the taquitos substantially healthier than what you'd get at a restaurant. One order of these little deep-fried, rolled-up tacos at a restaurant can set you back almost 1,000 calories and 60 grams of fat! Don't worry if some of the taquitos crack open while baking--they're still crispy and delicious. Serve with your favorite salsa, guacamole and reduced-fat sour cream. Source: EatingWell Magazine, November/December 2013

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Ground Beef & Pasta Skillet

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Sneak extra vegetables into your child's day (and yours too!) with this easy one-skillet pasta recipe. Finely chop mushrooms to resemble the texture of ground beef and stir them into a classic meat sauce for an extra-healthy twist on a dinnertime favorite. Source: EatingWell.com, June 2017

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Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes

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This healthy copycat recipe of the comfort food classic trades beans for some of the meat to bump up fiber by 7 grams. We also cut back on the sugar and ketchup in this Sloppy Joe recipe makeover to save you 12 grams of added sugar. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2019

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Marinara Meat Sauce Topped Baked Potato

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Break out of your pasta routine by subbing in a baked potato in this simple and satisfying dinner for one. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Cincinnati Chili

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Cincinnati has a unique spin on chili--they serve it over spaghetti. Typically the chili is just made with meat, no beans, but we couldn't resist adding beans to add fiber and nutrients. Serve with sliced cucumber and red onion with lemon juice and olive oil. Source: EatingWell Magazine, March/April 2012

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Baked Beans with Ground Beef

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Upgrade baked beans from classic side dish to a meaty main meal by adding lean ground beef. The final result, a superfast hearty casserole, is an easy and fast dinner option. Ground turkey or even sausage would work nicely in this dish. Just watch the sodium. Source: EatingWell.com, May 2018

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Chili-Cheese Nachos

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Make nachos a healthy dinner when you top them with an easy 30-minute chili. Serve this healthy recipe with sliced scallions, avocado, fresh tomatoes and sour cream, if desired. Source: EatingWell Magazine, January/February 2017

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Tex-Mex Taco Salad

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This version of the chain-restaurant favorite has fresh flavors and a healthy nutritional profile. Vary the heat by varying the type of salsa you use. Baked corn tortilla chips and lime wedges are natural accompaniments.

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No-Chop Skillet Chili

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This dump-and-simmer recipe is terrific for camping--or for dinner on a busy weeknight. Source: Diabetic Living Magazine

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Cheeseburger Stuffed Baked Potatoes

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Skip the bun and serve all of your favorite cheeseburger ingredients--beef, cheese, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce--with baked potatoes for a hearty and easy dinner recipe that kids and adults will love. Feel free to swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or tofu crumbles. Source: EatingWell Magazine, October 2019

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Broccoli, Beef & Potato Hotdish

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This easy casserole, full of ground beef, roasted broccoli and topped with hash browns, was inspired by the classic Minnesota Tater Tot hotdish. Roasting the broccoli before adding it to the casserole gives the whole dish a much more complex and exciting flavor, but it's by no means necessary. If you want to keep it simple, skip roasting the broccoli (Step 2) and use 6 cups frozen broccoli, thawed, in its place (omit 1 tablespoon oil, as well). Source: EatingWell Magazine, September/October 2010

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Chunky Cheeseburger Soup

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A spoonful of this tomatoey cheeseburger soup delivers the experience of a perfect burger bite--savory beef and onions, sweet and tangy condiments and, of course, Cheddar and American cheese! This kid-friendly and easy soup is sure to appeal to everyone in your household. Source: EatingWell Magazine, September 2019

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