I'm always up for getting more time back in my day. How about you? One way to do that is to spend less time in the kitchen by making simple meals. Here are four meal ideas that will simplify your day so you can get some of it back. Oh, and by the way, they taste good too, which is a big plus. The one thing these dishes have in common is that they're all made with ground beef.
It's these kinds of meals that motivate me to keep small Ziploc bags of cooked ground beef in the freezer. Then all I have to do is give the meat a quick thaw and make one of these dishes for a simple dinner in minutes.
This easy layered meal in a bowl, with white or brown rice, black beans and ground beef, topped with pico de gallo or your favorite salsa, can be on the table in just 30 minutes.
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
Salt-crusted baked potatoes make the house smell great while they're baking. They're filled to the brim with ground beef and melted cheese, then topped with a dollop of sour cream and some green onions. If you're a salt lover like me, it's really hard to resist yanking off the skin and eating it as it comes out of the oven.
A salt-crusted baked potato topped with ground beef, melted cheese, sour cream and green onions makes a perfectly hearty one-dish dinner.
Serves 2
Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 45 minutes | Total time: 1 hour
Bow tie pasta is so pretty that no matter how many different pastas I have in my pantry, I always seem to reach for it when making a pasta dish. This is one of my fave go-to dinners that I've made over the years. I'm partial to using small, baby canned peas, but feel free to add your favorite peas to this dish. This pasta is made with just a few main ingredients and is seasoned with thyme.
This one-skillet comfort food meal, made with a white sauce, pasta, peas and ground beef, is the best kind of dish for weeknight cooking.
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
Soft tacos are so good and easy to make. Just have some soft corn tortillas on hand along with ground beef, cheese and lettuce, and dinner will be ready in no time flat. I like to warm my corn tortillas with the meat in them in the microwave between 2 large glass plates so they get slightly steamed. This recipe uses shredded lettuce, but feel free to use shredded cabbage instead if you have it on hand. It's certainly healthy and tastes delish in the taco too.
Soft tacos are my go-to dinner when I'm drawing a blank on what to cook. All that is needed are fresh corn tortillas, meat, cheese and lettuce, and you're practically done. Top with your favorite salsa, and you have yourself a no-fuss and delicious meal.
Serves 2
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 20 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
For tons of great recipes, like our I page on Facebook.
And you'll see personalized content just for you whenever you click the My Feed .
SheKnows is making some changes!
b e h e a r d !
Welcome to the new SheKnows Community,
where you can share your stories, ideas
and CONNECT with millions of women.
Get Started