Diabetic Ground Beef Recipes

With lots of veggie shortcuts and a cauliflower-mash topping instead of spuds, you can have this comfort-food staple in a fraction of the usual time—and save carbs too! Cook the veggies from frozen; no need to thaw. Swap ground turkey for the beef if you prefer.

Who doesn't love pasta with a quick meat sauce? This crowd-pleasing healthy spaghetti Bolognese recipe is a boon for busy cooks--it's ready and on the table in just 40 minutes.

Nothing goes to waste in this twist on eggplant Parmesan, as the scooped-out zucchini flesh gets mixed into the meat sauce. Use long, straight zucchini for this dish, which are easier to hollow out for stuffing.

This filling black bean chili recipe is loaded with protein and ready in just 45 minutes. We've provided several variations for this recipe to suit your flavor and dietary preferences.

Picadillo, a Latin American-style hash, is usually made with ground beef. This one uses bison or lean beef and plenty of spices including chili powder, cumin, oregano and cinnamon.

This is a version of the famous meat sauce of Emilia Romagna, of which Bologna is the capital. Giuliano Hazan's family is from Emilia Romagna, and he learned to make Bolognese sauce from his mother, Marcella, who learned it from her grandmother, Mary. Its classic pairing is with homemade tagliatelle or pappardelle but it's also very good with rigatoni, shells or any substantial pasta shape, preferably one with ridges, that has nooks and cavities to trap the sauce. Adapted from How to Cook Italian by Giuliano Hazan; Scribner, 2005.

Vegetables and lean meatballs streamline a traditional Italian meatball soup to make it lighter while keeping all the great flavor. Save some of the meatball soup to make a delicious casserole for later.

This version of the favorite ground beef sandwich is livened up with jalapeño peppers and chili powder.

Ground beef cooked with tomatoes and briny olives can be found all over Latin America. This is a favorite Cuban variation served over plantains, starchy vegetables that look like giant bananas. You can also serve the picadillo over rice or potatoes, so this easy dinner recipe is versatile too.

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

Sweet bell peppers are simmered to tenderness with ground beef, corn, and Mexican-style seasonings, stuffed, then topped with goat cheese for a hearty dinner that doesn't need an oven.

Looking for a pasta that's lower in carbohydrates? Look no further than spaghetti squash. Mix it with homemade meatballs and lower-sodium pasta sauce, and you will quickly love this healthy swap.

Zucchini noodles (or "zoodles") are all the rage as they're a healthy, gluten-free alternative to pasta. In this recipe, crisp-tender zoodles and sautéed mushrooms are served with a meaty tomato sauce. You'll be serving up more vegetables and we promise--nobody will miss the pasta!

Delicious and filling, these beef, tomato and pepper filled tortillas are the perfect option for an easy dinner.

In this Tex-Mex-seasoned stuffed delicata squash recipe, half of the ground beef is swapped out for bulgur to reduce saturated fat without cutting back on the amount of stuffing.

Our favorite mix for the meatballs is half beef and half lamb. Plus, the warming spices in these meatballs make this soup recipe perfect for sub-zero nights. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the delicious broth.

You can't go wrong with these classic marinara meatballs filled with applesauce, zucchini, and green onions.

Aromatic savory-and-sweet stuffed peppers are a satisfying supper, thanks to lean beef, brown rice and bell pepper in each bite. And this recipe makes just enough for two. Serve with rainbow chard sautéed with olive oil, garlic and parsley.

In this healthy burger recipe, dried cherries are mixed into ground beef to reduce fat and increase antioxidants. Serve the burgers with your favorite garnishes. And, if you think that ketchup is made only from tomatoes, think again! Tart cherries are simmered in this delicious healthy ketchup recipe to make a fine condiment for just about any poultry or meat. Try the leftover ketchup with grilled chicken or pork, or as a dip with sweet potato fries.

Lamb and eggplant are combined in dishes throughout the Mediterranean. Together they deliver a complex, hearty, earthy flavor that's truly satisfying. In this dish, toasted pine nuts and tangy feta cheese are excellent accents.

The 95-percent-lean ground beef helps lower the fat and calories in this hearty pasta dinner. Using whole wheat ziti boosts the fiber.

It's easy to make your own lower-sodium enchilada sauce to add rich flavor to these fresh and light tostadas.

These meatballs are stuffed with plenty of rice, which, as it cooks, pokes out of the meatballs, making them look like prickly little porcupines. The little meatballs are cooked in a mildly tangy tomato sauce that's a sure crowd-pleaser.

Ready in one hour, this soup will warm you up on a cool fall day.