Italian Seasoned Ground Beef

I started keeping Italian Seasoned Ground Beef precooked and ready to go in my freezer long before I began my Trim Healthy Mama journey. It is such a time saver on busy nights when just getting dinner on the table feels like a chore.

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Getting dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less used to be difficult. My husband was rarely home due to the type of work that he did and I also worked outside the home 40+ hours a week. So quick and easy meal prep became the norm. I began making “quick fix” dinner components that could be tossed together quickly in a skillet or casserole. This recipe for Italian Seasoned Ground Beef has been a staple in my freezer ever since.

Understanding the Lean Content of Ground Beef

I buy ground beef in bulk (about 10 pounds) at a time. Before Trim Healthy Mama, it was the cheapest variety possible. Now after starting my journey I am a bit pickier about the lean content and I do rinse all of my ground meats in very hot water before adding seasonings and spices.

This is a great article that explains what lean content is and how ground beef is labeled for sale. Trim Healthy Mama does recommend the use of Grass Fed beef if your budget allows for it.

Budget Friendly Tweaks

Ground beef used to be one of the most budget friendly proteins. Sadly the price just keeps rising, so stretching smaller amounts of pricier ingredients can help.

Many times I mix ground turkey and ground beef together. By mixing them we get a better texture as well as flavor profile, without breaking the budget.

The addition of shredded vegetables really helps the budget, but can also cause issues with picky eaters. My dad would have been horrified if my mom had added them to anything. And one of my boys is a lot like him. However, I’ve added shredded carrots, zucchini and yellow summer squash to this.

Shredded carrots can be a bit tricky with THM. They tend to creep into E or crossovers quickly so I would keep those to about 1 cup or less per pound.
Zucchini and yellow summer squash you could push up to about 1 1/2 cups per pound.

The nice part about adding them to this and then using this Italian Seasoned Ground Beef in a quick fix meal is that you are not having to cook additional vegetables. And the squash kind of disappears into your sauce.

Adjusting This Recipe for Italian Seasoned Ground Beef

I wrote this recipe for 1 pound, only so that you can try it before making a huge batch. Scale it as necessary in your prep sessions.

I find that many families have tried and true recipes that are used for more than one thing. I’ve made Spaghetti with this, Lasagna, Skillet Lasagna, Cheeseburger Pie, Easy Cheesy Stuffed Peppers and a bunch of of other recipes.

Check out this on plan Homemade Pasta for your skillet meals and casseroles.