Browning and freezing ground beef is a great time-saver when preparing meals like chili, spaghetti and other pasta dishes, or sloppy joes and tacos.
Think of how often you could use already-browned and ready-to-go ground beef “crumbles” in recipes such as soups casseroles and sauces.
I know having ground beef already browned and ready is a lifesaver for me on busy weeknights. Here are a few tips on how to make your own and keep them frozen for ready access!
— Brown lean ground beef in large nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes or until beef is not pink reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F on food thermometer, breaking beef up into 3/4-inch crumbles. Remove beef with slotted spoon.
— Brown crumbles with onions or unroasted bell peppers which have antioxidant properties and slow flavor changes. or brown the meat, seasoned lightly, with one or more of these herbs and spices that have antioxidant properties: rosemary, sage, marjoram, thyme, mace, allspice and cloves.
— Use the seasoning and amount that will be most suitable for the recipes you make. Add more seasoning when you prepare the food, if needed, as freezing may affect the intensity of the flavor of spices and herbs.
— Do not use salt; add salt later when the meat is used in your recipe. Salt may hasten undesirable flavor changes in beef crumbles.
— Cool and refrigerate beef crumbles promptly in shallow containers. Loosely cover refrigerated container until beef has cooled.
— Promptly transfer the cooled beef crumbles to plastic “freezer,” NOT “storage” bags. Eliminate air pockets. Freezer bags are thicker than storage bags and will keep the food fresh longer. Label and date packages.
— Speed freezing and hasten thawing by freezing crumbles in a thinner, flattened shape in freezer bags. Do not stack packages — the quality will be better if the beef freezes faster. A rounded shape takes longer to thaw through to the middle. Flattened packages also will stack better in your freezer.
Place on a flat surface, such as a metal pan or cookie sheet until frozen. Then, remove and stack. Use frozen beef crumbles within 2 to 3 months for best flavor and quality.
Cheesy Beef Pasta
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef (no less than 90%)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small zucchini, chopped
- 1 (24 ounce) jar or can tomato-based pasta sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 12 ounces whole wheat rotini pasta
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Mozzarella cheese
Wash hands with soap and water. Scrub vegetables with a brush under running water.
In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is browned and reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F on food thermometer. Drain fat.
Add the pasta sauce, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes, if desired. Bring to a simmer and cook on medium-low for 15 minutes.
While the beef mixture is simmering, cook the pasta in boiling water according to package directions. Drain the water.
Add cooked pasta to the sauce in the skillet. Stir in the cheese and cover until the cheese is melted.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Makes 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 340 calories, 11g fat, 520mg sodium, 43g carbohydrates, 4g fiber, 20g protein.
Recipe adapted from: Foodhero.org (Oregon State Extension)
Cami Wells is an Extension Educator for Nebraska Extension in Hall County. Contact her at 308-385-5088 or at cwells2@unl.edu. Visit the Hall County website at www.hall.unl.edu
January 27, 2021 at 09:15PM
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Easy ground beef dishes from your freezer - Grand Island Independent
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