Put the pack of ground beef in your fridge to delicious use with these weeknight-friendly dinners. With just 30 minutes of active time in the kitchen, you can whip up a cheesy, veggie-filled casserole or a batch of savory stuffed peppers. Or, keep it classic with a burger and fries or a batch of spicy taco soup. Whatever you choose, you’re in for something healthy and tasty. Recipes like our Stuffed Cabbage with Beef and One-Pot Cheesy Tex-Mex Pasta are simple ways to end a busy day.
Cheeseburger Casserole
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
If you love a classic cheeseburger with all the fixings, you’ll love this family-friendly cheeseburger casserole. We love the crunch shredded fresh lettuce offers, but feel free to mix it up with another green like spinach or kale, or top your casserole with Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms for a different spin.
Beef & Bulgur Sloppy Joes
This twist on the classic sandwich has all the sweet-and-savory flavors you crave in a sloppy Joe, but by swapping in some bulgur for half of the ground beef you cut some saturated fat and get an extra gram of fiber in each serving (the whole-wheat bun and veggies add 6g more). Serve these healthy sloppy Joes with a side of napkins—you’ll need ’em!
Cheesy Ground Beef & Cauliflower Casserole
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman, Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
Ground beef and cauliflower combine to create a hearty weeknight casserole that both kids and adults will love. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.
Bibimbap-Inspired Rice Bowls
Photographer: Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Jennifer Wendorf
While not traditional, these protein-rich brown rice bowls take inspiration from Korean bibimbap, with a mix of sweet and spicy ground beef and sliced veggies topped with a fried egg. Gochujang, a fermented paste made from chiles, soybeans and rice, adds subtle spice and tons of complexity. Toasted sesame oil finishes the dish with a nutty flavor.
Sloppy Joe-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Take sloppy Joes to a new level with tender sweet potatoes standing in for the bun. Sweet potatoes pair perfectly with the tangy, flavorful filling of ground beef, black beans and spices. Chopped dill pickle sprinkled on top adds crunch to this quick weeknight dinner the whole family will love.
Linguine with Ricotta Meatballs
Ricotta cheese makes the meatballs light and tender and not too dense and fresh pasta takes only 2 to 3 minutes to cook in this delicious dinner recipe that’s full of flavor.
Garlic Green Beans with Crispy Ground Beef
This green bean and ground beef stir-fry is seasoned with fragrant white pepper, sesame oil, ginger and garlic. Serve over rice or rice noodles.
Pizza Sliders
Mini burgers make a fun, kid-friendly meal. Italian herbs, marinara and melty mozz give them the appeal of pizza.
Cheeseburger Stuffed Baked Potatoes
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.
Ground Beef & Snap Pea Rice-Noodle Stir-Fry
We’ve bulked up the serving size of beef pad thai by adding in lots of healthy veggies like matchstick carrots, snap peas and scallions. Look for whole-grain brown-rice pad thai noodles to add an additional 3 grams fiber to each serving.
Chickpea & Beef Burgers with Whipped Feta
Chickpeas add fiber to this blended burger, but the real joy here is the light and fluffy feta sauce that tops the whole shebang.
American Goulash
Photographer: Brie Goldman Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman Prop Stylist: Gabriel Greco
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.
Philly Cheese Steak Sloppy Joes
Two of our favorite comfort-food sandwiches join forces in these family-friendly dinner sandwiches. We found that softer buns make this easier to eat, and it’s all the better when wrapped takeout-style in a sheet of foil.
Bean & Beef Taco Soup
This taco soup is filled with quintessential taco ingredients and flavors—from two types of hearty beans, to corn and ground beef—but it’s the toppings that really make this soup stand out. Better yet, this healthy soup is easy to make and leftovers freeze beautifully for later.
Classic Beef Burgers with Cauliflower Buns
These juicy burgers skip the traditional bread bun in favor of a savory grain-free cauliflower bun that contains a bit of Cheddar cheese. A mixture of onions, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce gives the burger patties tons of flavor, and the addition of a tangy special sauce makes for a burger with serious personality.
Skillet Ravioli Lasagna
This easy inside-out ravioli lasagna is the ultimate weeknight comfort food–no layering or mixing bowls required. Feel free to swap in ground turkey for the beef. Look for fresh mozzarella balls (also called “pearls”) in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store.
Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Take taco night to a new level with sweet potato taco “shells.” Tender sweet potatoes pair perfectly with spicy taco meat, creamy cheese and crisp lettuce. Let everyone customize their taco potato with their favorite toppings.
Beef & Bean Sloppy Joes
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.
Beef and Black Bean Wraps
Whole-wheat tortillas and black beans make this sandwich recipe a filling, high-fiber meal.
Chili-Topped Sweet Potatoes
Transform ordinary baked potatoes into a full dinner with these chili-topped spuds. In this healthy recipe, we use sweet potatoes for an added nutrient kick. Sprinkle on extra toppings as you see fit–sliced scallions, chopped fresh cilantro, diced avocado and sliced jalapeños are all tasty choices.
Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce
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.
Chili-Cheese Nachos
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.
Taco Lettuce Wraps
Don’t limit yourself to lettuce for this low-carb, gluten-free taco lettuce wrap recipe—any fresh green sturdy enough to wrap around 1/2 cup of filling works.
