By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 17, 2023
Wondering what to make with ground beef for dinner tonight? Then these quick and easy ground beef recipes will really come in handy! Make something simple and flavorful with hamburger meat that the whole family will love. So many ideas, including casseroles, Mexican food, burgers, sloppy joes, beef chili, and more!
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What to Make with Ground Beef for Dinner
Ground beef is one of my go-to ingredients for easy weeknight dinners because it’s quick, affordable, delicious, and there are so many things you can make with it. Plus it keeps well in the fridge or freezer, so you can stock up and always have some on hand.
These simple ground beef recipes and ideas are sure to please the whole family. Choose from casseroles, soups, pastas, Mexican dishes, and more, all filled with ground beef. Dinner will be on the table in no time!
American Goulash
Best Ground Beef Dinner Ideas
The whole family will devour these delicious ground beef recipes! These are the biggest crowd-pleasers at dinnertime.
- Goulash : This American-style goulash is filled with hearty beef, macaroni noodles, and tomato sauce, and it’s all made in one pot!
- BBQ Bacon Meatloaf : Jazz up traditional meatloaf with an infusion of bacon and BBQ sauce.
- Baked Spaghetti : Spaghetti with lots of cheese and a delicious meat sauce is baked until hot and bubbly. This is a classic family favorite, and so easy for weeknight dinners.
- Swedish Meatballs : Flavor-packed meatballs are cooked in a rich and creamy sauce that can’t be beat. Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes for a cozy dinner.
- Hamburger Helper : This ground beef stuffed comfort food meal is quick and easy to make from scratch, and the kids love it!
- Salisbury Steak : Deliciously-seasoned ground beef patties are served with a rich mushroom sauce for a cozy dinner idea that feels gourmet.
- Lasagna with Meat Sauce : This lasagna recipe has the best meat sauce–a mix of ground chuck and Italian sausage. This is also a good make ahead meal.
- Cottage Pie : A saucy beef and veggie filling is topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and cheese. It’s all made in one pan, so it’s really easy to make.
- Stuffed Shells with Meat Sauce : Beefy marinara and lots of cheese is stuffed into jumbo pasta shells and baked into one tasty dinner!
Sloppy Joes
Quick and Easy Ground Beef Recipes
You only need about 30 minutes and some basic ingredients to make these easy dinners filled with hearty ground beef. Perfect for weeknight meals!
- Homemade Sloppy Joes : This is such an easy ground beef dinner idea. The homemade seasoning and sauce is better than those store-bought packets.
- Stovetop Burgers : This is my go-to burger recipe for weeknights because you can cook them on the stove and have dinner ready in just 20 minutes!
- Easiest Chili : Around my house, this is known as my “lazy day chili” because it only requires 6 ingredients and 30 minutes.
- Air Fryer Stuffed Peppers : My family loves stuffed peppers , and when I want to make them super fast and easy, I use this Air Fryer recipe.
- Instant Pot Spaghetti : Everyone loves spaghetti with meat sauce, and this is such a quick and easy way to make it.
- Air Fryer Meatballs : Speaking of spaghetti, this recipe is a great way to get some hearty meatballs to add on top. You only need a few ingredients!
- One Pot Chili Mac : This one pot dish is the best combo of two favorite comfort foods: cheesy macaroni and beefy chili!
Mexican Zucchini Boats
Mexican Dinner Ideas with Ground Beef
Mexican is one of my family’s favorite dinners, so I always turn to recipes like ground beef tacos and other Tex-mex ideas when I’m in a pinch.
- Mexican Zucchini Boats : Seasoned beef, beans, and veggies are loaded up into zucchini for a healthy but hearty meal idea.
- Ground Beef Tacos : Fill up taco shells with perfectly-seasoned ground beef and cheese, then bake a batch in the oven. It’s the easiest way to celebrate Taco Tuesday !
- Mexican Tater Tot Casserole : Ground beef, refried beans, Rotel, cheese, tater tots, and more are layered together into a delicious and easy casserole dinner!
- Taco Pie : Everything you love about tacos is piled on top of a crispy crescent roll crust. Simple, delicious, and sure to please!
- Mexican Stuffed Peppers : Get the flavor of enchiladas stuffed inside of juicy peppers. This is one of my favorite ground beef dinner ideas when I don’t want to deal with a long ingredients list.
- Taco Soup : It’s easy to throw together a bunch of pantry ingredients, along with ground beef, to make this tasty soup recipe.
- Taco Mac and Cheese : If you’re a fan of tacos and mac and cheese, then this beefy, cheesy recipe is for you. It only takes 30 minutes to make this dinner!
- Beef Taquitos : Just a few simple ingredients (like beef, cheese, and tortillas) make an easy dinner when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
Hamburger Casserole
Ground Beef Casserole Recipes
When in doubt about tonight’s dinner, just make a casserole! Throw ground beef, cheese, and other tasty ingredients into a dish, bake, and you’ll have a hot casserole ready in no time.
- Hamburger Casserole : Hamburger meat, cheese, pasta, and lots of other tasty ingredients combine to make an amazing casserole that tastes like a juicy cheeseburger.
- Dorito Casserole : Crunchy, cheesy Doritos top off a flavorful Mexican-inspired casserole that will be ready in just 30 minutes!
- Taco Casserole : Refried beans, tater tots, cheese, and taco seasoning create a casserole you’ll want to serve week after week!
- Sour Cream Noodle Bake : The mix of egg noodles, sour cream, cottage cheese, meat sauce , and more makes a super comforting dinner, ready in 35 minutes.
- Sloppy Joe Casserole : Add the flavor of a good sloppy joe into a casserole filled with Velveeta, pasta, and more, and you’ll have a family dinner that’s sure to please.
- Pizza Casserole : This easy casseroles is filled with pizza sauce, pepperoni, cheese, pasta, ground beef, and veggies–all of the best ingredients!
- Frito Pie Casserole : This casserole idea is a great way to use up that ground beef! Corn chips, cheese, beans, tomatoes, and more bake up together in about half an hour.
- Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole : Beef, green beans, cream of chicken, tater tots, and plenty of cheese make a cozy dinner idea.
- Beef Stroganoff Casserole : Ground chuck, mushrooms, egg noodles, and breadcrumbs recreate classic beef stroganoff in an easy casserole dish.
Stuffed Pepper Soup
Beefy Chili & Cozy Soups
No matter the time of year, hearty chili and comfort soups filled with ground beef are sure to satiate. Plus they’re easy to make, freeze , and reheat for quick dinners.
- Stuffed Pepper Soup : Bell peppers, ground chuck, rice, and more cook together into a soup easy enough to make for weeknight dinners.
- Hamburger Soup : You only need a few ingredients to make this hearty soup filled with ground beef, veggies, and potatoes. Easy, cozy, and delicious!
- Cincinnati Chili : A flavorful chili is served with spaghetti noodles and cheese for a true comfort meal.
- Beef Tortilla Soup : This is one of my favorite soups, filled with beans, corn, Rotel, and lots of Mexican-inspired ingredients.
- Bacon Cheeseburger Soup : Bacon, hamburger meat, potatoes, Velveeta, croutons, and more make the most amazing soup that the whole family will love.
- Shepherd’s Pie Soup : If you’re a fan of shepherd’s pie, you’ll love this creamy soup version!
- Crockpot Cabbage Roll Soup : This healthy ground beef recipe is filled with veggies, rice, and other good stuff, and it’s easy to make in a slow cooker.
Any of these easy ground beef recipes will make a tasty weeknight dinner idea for you and the whole family. Enjoy!
More Family Dinner Ideas
Looking for more weeknight dinner recipes? Make chicken, casseroles, burgers, tacos, and more!
40 Comfort Food Recipes
28 Chicken Thigh Recipes
37 Easy Dinner Ideas for Kids
35 Shredded Chicken Recipes
20 Chicken Casserole Recipes
40+ Taco Night Ideas (Guide to Taco Tuesday)
30 Burger Recipes
92+ Easy Freezer Meals to Make Ahead of Time
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
