Cozy Meals that Use Ground Beef

This week, one of our local stores had a good sale on ground beef, so I got bought about 8 pounds. Since we can't (nor should we) eat that much beef in one week, I decided to do some serious cooking and freeze some extra meals!

This evening we enjoyed what would be considered a very cozy meal -- Meatballs with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy. I have been making this meatball recipe since Brett and I started dating. I made dinner for him once a week back then, and it was one of his first requests! We usually have it with spaghetti and a red sauce (like this Homemade Pasta Sauce), but lately we've been having it with mashed potatoes. It's great that way too. I tried out Fishmama's Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Recipe that was quite good (and freezeable!). When I make meatballs, I usually make a double batch and freeze some. They reheat wonderfully.

Meatballs
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg
1 pound ground beef

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large mixing bowl until moist. (I heard Joy on The View said that mixing the breadcrumbs with the milk helps make meatballs moist...so now I do it this way.) Add the remaining ingredients, and mix well. Form into 24 meatballs and place in an ungreaded 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through.

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Of course, I still had 6 pounds of beef to use. So, I also made Chili Stacks. It is a meal that my mom used to make for us often when we were kids. I loved it then, and my kids love it now. Ella dubbed it "Cheesy Creation" a few years ago. It's great with a dollop of sour cream and some avocado on top. I've never frozen this one, but I imagine that it might work.

I also made some Taco Kits. I browned up some beef and then added some of Fishmama's Taco Seasoning Mix. My hubby loves it! To make a kit, I just add a bag of shredded cheese and a bag of seasoned black beans. On those nights when time is tight, we can throw together some quick burritos or taco salads with a few fresh ingredients.

Of course, I had to make some yummy lasagna too. I love the Beat This Lasagna Recipe. So good! I usually make it with my Homemade Pasta Sauce and use either cooked spinach or zucchini as the vegetable.

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