Ground Beef - the other red meat

Everyone recognizes the burger as one of the most all-American meals. Who can argue? There are days when the ONLY THING that will satisfy my hunger is a nice juicy cheeseburger. That is all well and good, mind you.  Unfortunately though, I have realized that aside from burgers, I take ground beef for granted. Even more upsetting is that there is sooooo much more that ground beef can be.

I think it all started in the 1950s with cream of mushroom soup and the hotdish or casserole.  Almost everything began with hamburger, cream of mushroom soup or tomato sauce and then some two or three other ingredients. But I have been challenging myself these past few months, and I never realized how much fun I could have and how much yumminess I could create with good old ground beef. 

Ok there are the basics – spaghetti with meatballs, tacos, lasagna, chili, meatloaf… you get the picture.  But then, things get exciting.  English pasties, Moo Shu Beef Lettuce Cups, Lebanese Meat Loaf, Beef Stuffed Mushrooms, Kheema with Kale and Peas… hungry yet?  

Ask most people and they will point to rib-eye steak, prime rib or a good filet as their favorite cut. However, I challenge you to check out the wonders and the sheer diversity of ground beef. Next time you have the ho-hum blahs with what to make for dinner, head to Pinterest (I’ve started a section with some of my favs) or just go to Google and do your own searching. I bet you will be surprised at the many ground beef recipes you find that tempt your taste buds. Added bonus: most are quick and easy. Even bigger bonus: you will be doing yourself a treat because ground beef is high in protein, iron and those wonderful B-vitamins.

So happy exploring and experimenting.  Once you find your own new favorites, share your results here or on my FB page.  Let’s discover yumminess together!