by Sam Vangsness
As the weather warms up, I am spending more time outside and less in the kitchen. A supper routine that has really helped me spend less time in the kitchen is bulk prepping ground beef at the beginning of the week. Bulk-prepped ground beef can be easily incorporated into many different recipes throughout the week.
Each Sunday, I take out 3 to 4 pounds of ground beef and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. On Monday, I will cook them up and store in the fridge for meals throughout the week. Some of our favorite beef bowls are very simple and can be thrown together with whatever you have in the fridge.
Below are a few ideas for you to use with ground beef, and whatever you have on hand. That’s what makes these bowls great; they’re customizable! What really makes each bowl different is the toppings and the sauces that you incorporate. I usually start with the same kind of base for each of these bowls: beef with roasted, diced sweet potatoes; roasted, diced potatoes; rice; or salad. These bowls can be a nourishing addition to your lunch or dinner lineup!
- Taco bowls are one of our tried and true beef bowls that we go back to at least once a week. These bowls usually have a base of diced sweet potatoes or rice and are topped with some of the ground beef prepped earlier in the week. From there, you can go crazy with toppings. I love some shredded lettuce, salsa, guacamole, sweet peppers, and a drizzle of queso, but you can use a base of chips or lettuce and make it more of a taco salad. It is really easy to customize to whatever you like.
- Another bowl that we have at least once a week is burger bowls. These are just as customizable as taco bowls, and you can put all of your favorite burger toppings on them. We often use a base of diced sweet potatoes or roasted potatoes to kind of give that French fry feel, topped with ground beef. The toppings are really fun to add. We usually do shredded lettuce, pickles, cherry tomatoes, pickled onions, and sauerkraut. We top that all with some burger sauc,e which is a mix of ketchup and mayonnaise. Top the bowl with shredded cheese, and you have supper.
- The egg roll in a bowl is a great way to pack vegetables into supper. Start by sautéing a bag of coleslaw salad mix and add ground beef to the pan and warm. Once warmed, drizzle with some soy sauce or Japanese BBQ sauce. Serve as is or over rice.
- The street corn bowl is really fun because it has a street corn topping. It’s kind of like the taco bowl, but puts a little bit more of a spin on it with the Mexican street corn topping. Serve the beef over a bed of rice, chips, or lettuce and top with your favorite taco toppings and the street corn dip.
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- Street corn dip:
- 1 can corn or 1 bag thawed frozen corn
- 1-2 cups cottage cheese
- 1-2 tbsp mayo
- 1-2 tbsp chopped jalapeños
- A handful cilantro (I enjoy cilantro so I do more)
- Chili and cumin powder to taste
There are so many easy and delicious ways to use ground beef throughout the week. This is a great way to free up some time in the kitchen throughout the week and helps eliminate leftover fatigue. Being able to be creative with your dinners really offers flexibility for the whole family, and you can maybe find a new recipe that you love and will implement into your weekly rotation.
Sam lives in rural Morton County with her husband. She enjoys being outside working alongside her husband, but equally enjoys being in the kitchen cooking nutritious, delicious, simple meals, and sharing tips, tricks, and recipes along the way.