On weeknights, ground beef reigns supreme when you're looking for the tastiest cheap & easy dinners. It’s versatile, quick-cooking, and great for when you’ve got a crowd to feed. If you’re not careful though, it can become a little one-note. Have some on hand and not sure what to make with it? Look no further! From classics like meatloaf to creative meals like miso bolognese, we’ve got you covered. There’s something here to please any and every appetite.
Let’s start with the classics. Though we’re all for trying new things or putting spins on our favorites, you’ve gotta walk before you can run. We’ve tested our recipes for things like stuffed peppers, goulash, sloppy Joes, Salisbury steak, meatballs, chili, and more over and over again to guarantee they’re the best and the most reliable they can be. Trust us, you’re going to want to bookmark these.
Once you’ve got some of those recipes down, it’s time to have a little fun. We’ve also included twists on all your favorite flavor combinations here—you could turn them into a casserole, like we did in our our stuffed pepper casserole, our unstuffed cabbage casserole, or our sloppy Joe casserole; into a sandwich, like our French onion meatball sub or our Big Mac crunchwrap; or into a soup, like our meatball sub soup or our taco soup. Feel free to get creative too, if there’s any mash-ups you’re craving, let us know in the comments below and we’ll see what we can do to make them.
Goulash
A classic nostalgic comfort dish, goulash is the hearty weeknight dinner we'll always crave. The best thing about it? Everything cooks together in one pot—even the pasta!
Get the Goulash recipe.
Tater Tot Casserole
Sure, this Midwestern classic is ideal for the kiddos, but trust—your inner child will be scooping seconds too. If you love a dinner shortcut (hello, canned cream of mushroom soup!) spiked with a little semi-homemade love, then this crispy-potato topped beauty is a must.
Get the Tater Tot Casserole recipe.
Taco Gnocchi Bake
In this recipe, gnocchi gets the taco treatment for a simple weeknight meal. Along with some ground beef, black beans, and plenty of cheddar cheese, it’s a fun twist on the potato-based pasta.
Get the Taco Gnocchi Bake recipe.
Classic Stuffed Peppers
Bell peppers are strong enough to hold their shape in the oven, and the flavor is subtle enough to go well with just about anything. This is our favorite recipe, but the customization options are endless—check out all our stuffed pepper recipes here too.
Get the Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe.
Ground Beef Stir-Fry Teriyaki Bowls
We love stir-frying for countless cheap and easy dinners, but especially in this recipe that combines ground beef with broccoli, carrots, and teriyaki sauce. Best part? Ground beef means no slicing or dicing the meat; just go from the package directly to the pan and get cooking.
Pineapple BBQ Meatballs
These meatballs are juicy, tender, and glazed to perfection in a sauce made with sweet pineapple chunks. You can serve this as a quick and easy dinner, or stick a toothpick in each meatball for a crowd-pleasing make-ahead appetizer.
Get the Pineapple BBQ Meatballs recipe.
Hamburger Casserole
It can be hard to replicate the perfection of a restaurant-quality burger, but this casserole captures the same magic in the form of an easy weeknight dinner. Bonus: no flipping patties over a hot grill!
Get the Hamburger Casserole recipe.
Classic Chili
While many chili recipes call for simmering for at least an hour (sometimes even more), our best-ever beef chili can be made in just 40 minutes. If you’re looking for the most classic version to come home to after a long day, then this is the recipe for you.
Get the Classic Chili recipe.
Beef & Rice Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Classic stuffed peppers are one of our readers’ all-time favorites, and we thought we'd done them every possible way...until now. Here, we swap the bell peppers for poblanos and update the typical stuffing by using fire-roasted tomatoes, chipotle chiles, and spices.
Copycat Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
We're so obsessed with Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap Supreme that we have not one, but 9!! copycat recipes. And while we love our twists (mmm, especially our Big Mac crunchwrap), we'll always have a special place in our hearts for the original.
Shepherd's Pie
This just might be the ultimate comfort dish. Filled with plenty of veggies, creamy mashed potatoes and an irresistible beef filling, this warming meal combines your sides + main all into one bowl of cozy goodness.
Get the Shepherd's Pie recipe.
Mexican Beef 'N' Rice Skillet
Is there anything better than a one-skillet meal? We don’t think so, particularly if it’s as family-friendly and quick as this one, featuring spiced ground beef, flavorful rice, hearty beans, and lots of cheese. It all comes together in just 40 minutes with minimal prep too!
Get the Mexican Beef 'N' Rice Skillet recipe.
Sloppy Joes
If you're craving a reliable, nostalgic, easy (and cheap) weeknight dinner, then there’s no debate: A sloppy Joes’ night is in order. Our tried-and-tested recipe uses the unstoppable trio—ground beef, tomato flavors, and onion—to create a flavor-packed meal that’s for way more than just sandwiches.
Get the Sloppy Joes recipe.
Taco Salad
When it comes to healthy salads, none are more hearty than a taco salad. Load it up with veggies, cheese, and ground beef for the perfect satisfying summer meal. We love this classic version, but if you want to get fancy, feel free to swap in and out your fave toppings.
Get the Taco Salad recipe.
Cabbage Roll Skillet
Cabbage rolls just became a viable weeknight dinner with this quicker to make skillet dinner, which skips the rolling and gets dinner directly on the table. It’s less work, yet the payoff of a comforting home-cooked meal all the same.
Get the Cabbage Roll Skillet recipe.
Taco Spaghetti
One-pot taco spaghetti is a fast-as-can-be weeknight dinner that pairs all your favorite taco fixin’s with spaghetti rather than taco shells. Everything comes together in one pot—from browning the beef to simmering the sauce, even boiling the spaghetti!
Get the Taco Spaghetti recipe.
Thai-Inspired Basil Beef Bowls
Our take on the super-simple Thai dish pad krapow is the perfect protein-packed meal prep that’ll keep you excited to eat all week. Accompany it with a runny fried egg for even more protein!
Smash Burgers
If you're unfamiliar, the draw of a smash burger is its SUPER thin patties. Because they are so slim, it's impossible for the ground beef to dry out, but you still get those deliciously crispy, lacy edges. Win win!
Get the Smash Burgers recipe.
Caramelized Beef With Rice
This flavorful, weeknight-friendly dinner cooks in under 10 minutes! Top tip: Brown the ground beef and then caramelize it with agave syrup (or any sweetener you prefer)—the sugars melt, darken, and get nutty delicious.
Get the Caramelized Beef With Rice recipe.
Freezer Burritos
To make these after-school/work snacks, ground beef gets simmered in hearty spiced tomato sauce, then layered into a flour tortilla with refried beans, rice, and a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese. Though we made these for freezing, we won't judge if you eat one right away. 😉
Get the Freezer Burritos recipe.
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