This is a list of 23 ground beef dinners that stretch one pound of meat. This is great for those who are on a budget and have weeknight chaos with kids and just need something simple to get on the dinner table.
Don't lose this article. Enter your email below, and I'll send it to you right now. Plus a little encouragement and inspiration from me, straight to your inbox.
Every recipe in this list is going to stretch that pound of meat, and it also includes pantry staples that we all have in order to feed a family of four without any extra shopping. Let's go.
Dinner is handled every Sunday
Get 5 easy family dinners, printable recipe cards, and one grocery list. Simple meals, normal ingredients, no more starting from zero at 5pm.
1) Weeknight Taco Bowls with Homemade Guac
Recipe and video by Brittney R.
If you need a super simple dinner that doesn't require a whole lot of thought or effort, this taco bowl is the perfect weeknight dish. As a busy mom who values both fitness and feeding my kids meals they will actually eat, I rely heavily on recipes that are quick, balanced, and easily customizable.
2) Healthy Burger Bowl
Recipe and video by Brittney R.
A healthy burger bowl with a protein-filled burger sauce made of Greek yogurt, ketchup, and mustard. This is a dish that is simple, delicious, and sure to shock everyone!
3) Weeknight Ground Beef Pasta with Garlic Toast
Recipe and video by Brittney R.
I like to go with a protein pasta, giving us and the kiddos that extra bit of protein, and switch up the shapes. That makes it fun for the kids too. So I actually went with star-shaped pasta here, and they loved it.
4) Lean Spaghetti Bolognese
Recipe by Fiona MacLean
This is my recipe for lean spaghetti bolognese, a fabulous recipe you can throw together for an easy weekday meal. You can even put it together, cook it, and keep it for the next day. It is a fantastic dish to make as we are coming into the autumn.
5) Spaghetti & Meatballs
Recipe by Chelsea Aye
I've always craved the classic spaghetti and meatballs but with the fewest steps possible, while keeping the same flavor and freshness. After many years as a hospitality student, juggling schoolwork and work, I worked for a restaurant called Da Mamma in Chur, Switzerland, which served some of the best pasta I've had. The recipes were never written down, but working closely with the family made me fall in love with Italian cuisine while helping me develop an easy version of Spaghetti with meatballs.
6) One-Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef and onion in a large pot over medium heat. Drain extra grease.
- Stir in the broth, milk, macaroni, ketchup, mustard, and salt.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat.
- Cover and cook for 10–12 minutes. Stir often so the noodles do not stick.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese until smooth.
First up is a one-pot cheeseburger pasta, and what makes this one appealing is that everything is cooked together in one pot, which makes cleanup easier and cooking time a breeze.
This is going to have ground beef and pasta, which is a classic American comfort food, and adding in that cheese sauce is really going to bring this one together. The kiddos are sure to love this one, which is a bonus.
7) Easy Beef and Bean Chili
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef and onion in a large pot over medium heat. Drain extra grease.
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth.
- Bring the chili to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat.
- Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mash a few beans against the pot to thicken the chili, if you like.
This easy beef and bean chili is the perfect weeknight-friendly version that you are going to want to keep in your back pocket. The really good thing about chili is that it tends to be even better the next day because the flavors deepen. So this makes it great for leftovers or repeating the same dinner twice if you're really short on time and having a super busy week.
Beans are an added protein to this one, and they also add an extra texture to your chili. What speeds this one up is how quickly your ground beef will cook. It is the most common chili base, and throwing everything else in this is going to bring all of those flavors together and be a dish that is a hit every single time.
8) Stuffed Pepper Skillet
Stuffed pepper skillet is the perfect dish for anyone who loves the flavors of classic stuffed peppers but wants a quicker, easy weeknight meal the whole family will love. This recipe is dairy free and gluten free with a meat free option.
Recipe by Lindsey Jenkins, A Nourishing Plate
Get the full recipe at A Nourishing Plate.
9) Cabbage Roll Skillet
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef and onion in a large skillet. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the cabbage, tomatoes, broth, tomato paste, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the cabbage softens.
- Stir in the cooked rice and heat for 3 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
This cabbage roll skillet recipe is simply cabbage filled with your seasoned beef. And you can also add in different veggies with this one, which makes it really fun.
You can do little carrot sticks or edamame beans or corn, or even black beans that would give this some more protein. You can really make the flavor your own with this one, and that's what makes it so much fun.
10) Beef and Bean Enchilada Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Brown the beef and onion in a skillet. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in the beans, enchilada sauce, chili powder, and cumin.
- Layer half the tortilla strips, beef mixture, and cheese in a greased baking dish. Repeat the layers.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes.
This beef and bean enchilada casserole is so simple to make and is a classic Tex-Mex comfort bake layered with tortillas, seasoned ground beef, beans, cheese, and enchilada sauce. What I really like about this recipe is how much you can customize it.
You can use refried beans or black beans. You can use different cheeses. You can use green enchilada sauce instead of red. You can really play around with this one and see which one your family likes the most.
11) Homemade Hamburger Helper
Don't lose this article. Enter your email below, and I'll send it to you right now. Plus a little encouragement and inspiration from me, straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the broth, milk, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Add the macaroni and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Cover and cook for 10–12 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Remove the lid and mix in the cheese until smooth.
- Let the skillet stand for 2 minutes before serving.
Next up is homemade hamburger helper. You do not need that box that is loaded with preservatives and everything that you do not want to feed your family. Hamburger helper is an iconic American pantry staple, but this one you can do on your own in one pan and done in under 30 minutes.
The key is just having your ground beef, elbow pasta, and a creamy, cheesy sauce. I tend to do that with heavy whipping cream and freshly grated cheddar. And then you can add in some butter for some extra depth and thickness to really bring this one together. It is going to taste so good and be a meal that your pickiest of eaters love.
For any of these skillet meals, cooking the pasta directly in the broth instead of boiling it separately in a second pot isn’t just a time-saver — the starch released as the pasta cooks actually thickens the sauce naturally. One less colander to wash is its own reward.
12) Ground Beef Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef and onion in a large pot over medium heat. Drain excess fat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the broth, tomatoes, potatoes, seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat.
- Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the frozen vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes, until the potatoes turn tender.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.
This ground beef vegetable soup is going to be so accessible as an easy weeknight dinner, but it's also a really good comfort food. So it's going to be perfect for those cozy fall nights that are right around the corner. Vegetable soup is generally really forgiving because you can toss in any vegetables you want, and it's going to come together.
What really makes this one a hearty dish is having that ground beef as your quick-cooked protein base. This meal is done quickly, and there is minimal cleanup, making it the perfect weeknight win.
13) Beefy Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef and onion in a large pot over medium heat. Drain excess grease.
- Cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Drain it.
- Add the peas and carrots to the beef. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the macaroni, cheese, milk, salt, and garlic powder.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring until the cheese melts.
A beefy mac and cheese is always a win in my house. The kiddos already love mac and cheese, and then you're just throwing in ground beef as an added protein, which makes it a satisfying and filling meal for both the kids and the adults. This one is simple, and it is one that can be done on a budget with ingredients you probably already have.
14) Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Pierce the sweet potatoes and bake them for 45–50 minutes.
- Brown the beef in a skillet over medium heat. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in taco seasoning and water. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Split the potatoes and fluff the centers with a fork.
- Fill each potato with beef, cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
Next are taco-stuffed sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are already naturally sweet, but they're also fork-tender when they are baked. Being able to cook ground beef with this one and taco seasoning and then throwing in some salsa and cheese really adds a contrast of flavors between that taco filling and the sweetness of the potato. It is going to be a surprising recipe everyone will love.
15) Beef and Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F.
- Warm the oil in a skillet. Cook the beef, onion, and carrots for 7 minutes.
- Stir in the lentils, broth, tomato paste, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer for 8 minutes, until the mixture thickens.
- Spread it in a baking dish and top with mashed potatoes.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the edges bubble.
This one is an easy dish to make that you're going to top with mashed potatoes, making it a hearty, protein-rich comfort dish that stretches your meat, but also stretches your legumes. Doing beef and lentils together is a great way to make meat dishes more substantial, and that's exactly what it's going to do with this dish.
16) Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Pierce the potatoes and bake them for 45–55 minutes.
- Brown the beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat. Drain extra grease.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and garlic powder.
- Simmer the beef mixture for 10 minutes.
- Split the potatoes and fluff the centers with a fork.
- Spoon the beef over each potato and add cheddar cheese.
If you've made Sloppy Joes, you know that they are a hit with kids. But this one is going to have a little spin. Instead of turning these into sandwiches, you're going to do Sloppy Joe baked potatoes. Baked potatoes are very easy to cook in the microwave. And my favorite method to do this is to stab them with a fork in a line where you want to open up that potato, wrap them in a white paper towel, put them in a Ziploc bag, and pop them in the microwave.
There's a potato button on most microwaves. Once you press that button, let them steam to perfection. They are done in under 10 minutes, and you can just open along that line that you stabbed with the fork and fill these up with that sloppy joe mixture, and you have a filling and satisfying meal that your whole family is going to love.
17) Chili Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef and onion in a large pot over medium heat. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in the beans, tomatoes, broth, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add the macaroni. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10–12 minutes. Stir twice.
- Remove the lid and mix in the cheddar until melted.
This one is another comfort-food mashup where chili meets mac and cheese in one dish, and it is so good. You are going to want to make this one again. Let's go. The shortcut with this one, if you're in a hurry, is to use canned chili instead of making it homemade. It will work just as fine, and this meal will come together perfectly.
18) Beef and Rice Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Slice the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the centers.
- Cook the beef and onion in a skillet until no pink remains.
- Stir in the rice, marinara, seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Spoon the filling into the zucchini halves.
- Place them in a baking dish and cover with mozzarella.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until the zucchini softens and the cheese melts.
Next up are beef and rice stuffed zucchini boats. You're going to cut your zucchini in half lengthwise and hollow it out. And then you're filling it with a seasoned ground beef and rice mixture and then baking it. This is a really practical and customizable dish that you are going to love.
19) Ground Beef Fried Rice
Ingredients
Method
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet.
- Cook the beef until browned. Drain extra grease.
- Push the beef aside. Add the remaining oil and crack in the eggs.
- Scramble the eggs, then stir them into the beef.
- Add the vegetables and rice. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in soy sauce and green onions. Serve hot.
This ground beef fried rice is so easy to make and a quick weeknight option that lets you use up pantry staples and leftover rice. I can make it this time. Pantry staples that you may have on hand for this one include soy sauce, garlic, and frozen veggies, but canned veggies work as well.
And then I always like to throw an egg in with my fried rice. It just makes it feel more like Chinese takeout than a half-prepared dish.
20) Beefy Refried Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef in a skillet over medium heat. Drain extra fat.
- Stir in the taco seasoning and refried beans. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Spread the beef mixture over four tortillas. Add cheese and top with the remaining tortillas.
- Heat oil in the skillet. Cook each quesadilla for 2 minutes per side.
- Cut into wedges and serve with salsa or sour cream.
These beefy refried bean quesadillas are filled with protein, which means they are going to fill the whole family up, and it is going to be a dish that even your pickiest eaters will eat up in a hurry.
I like using Rosarita refried beans and shredded mild cheddar rather than pre-shredded cheese. It really does make a difference. You can serve these up with a side of salsa and watch them disappear!
21) One-Pan Beef Burrito Bake
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Brown the beef and onion in a large oven-safe skillet. Drain excess grease.
- Stir in taco seasoning, salsa, beans, and rice.
- Fold in the torn tortillas.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top.
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese melts.
- Serve with extra salsa or plain yogurt.
This one-pan beef burrito bake is going to combine seasoned ground beef, tortillas, cheese, and toppings that are all baked together. This is weeknight-friendly because it requires minimal cleanup and it comes together really fast.
Your cheese layer will melt and bind all the ingredients together during baking on this one, and the tortillas will soften and absorb the flavors, making this a dish everyone loves.
22) Italian Beef and Bean Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the beef and onion in a large pot over medium heat. Drain excess fat.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Stir in tomatoes, broth, beans, seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then add the pasta.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta turns tender.
- Serve hot with grated Parmesan, if desired.
This is a weeknight-friendly comfort food, a rustic one-pot dish combining ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and pasta. It is really simple to throw together, and all of these flavors really complement each other well.
Beans in soup really add body and protein without any extra fuss, which is always a win for us. And that pasta in your broth is going to soften as it cooks, being al dente come dinner time.
23) Ground Beef Pizza Casserole
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain it.
- Brown the beef in a skillet over medium heat. Drain the grease.
- Stir in the pizza sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt.
- Mix the pasta and beef sauce in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- Top with pepperoni and mozzarella.
- Bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese melts and bubbles.
This one is going to be a casserole that your kiddos love, and it's going to feel really special, almost like a weekend-style meal that is done on a quick weeknight.
Pizza casseroles simply layer pasta, sauce, cheese, and meat. Ground beef is the common protein choice for that because it cooks so quickly and it tastes so good.
