Kid-Friendly Ways to Use Ground Beef

Having a pack of ground beef in the freezer is a great way to ensure you have something healthy to prepare for your family even at a moment’s notice. Before I get to some great, quick recipes, let’s talk about what kind of beef to buy since it can be quite confusing. The healthiest beef is organic, grass-fed beef. Organic beef simply means that the cattle are eating organic feed, not that they are eating grass and being allowed to roam freely. Grass-fed beef is not only better for you (think more antioxidants, more omega-3s and other healthy fats), but it’s better for the environment. Most grass-fed beef is also organic, but not always. Make sure to read the labels carefully so you know what you are getting.

Below are some sure fire beef recipes that your whole family can enjoy.

GreenGrown Meals Meatballs (from us obviously) @greengrownmeals. Packed with flavor and veggies, this is a great way to get your kids eating a high quality protein meal.

Makes 16 - 20 meatballs

Ingredients:

1 onion, grated

1 medium carrot, grated

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 pound organic grass-fed beef

1/2 cup bread crumbs (can substitute with gluten-free bread crumbs)

1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

1/8 c water

2 tbsp organic ketchup

1 tsp kosher salt

ground pepper

(unless you want to make your own, jarred tomato sauce works well for a quick dinner. Try Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods 365 marinara sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line sheet pan with parchment paper (trim excess parchment paper). In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix with your hands until all ingredients are well-combined. Roll into balls slightly larger than a golf ball. Bake for about 30 minutes. While meatballs are baking, heat tomato sauce in large sauce pan over medium high heat and reduce to simmer. (Cover with lid to prevent tomato sauce from spitting around your stove) When meatballs are done baking, remove from oven and add to tomato sauce. Cook over low heat about 20 minutes. Serve with pasta, zoodles, a bean pasta for gluten-free (like Banza or Tolerant Foods), on a bun or just alone on a plate.

-Tasty Tacos from @kidspot are perfect for Taco Tuesday or any other night of the week. Let your kids select which toppings to put on: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sautéed onion….Try with hard or soft tacos to mix it up.

-Cheeseburger Cups from @delish are so simple and fun, they are sure to be a hit with the kids and adults. Made in a muffin tin, these are perfect for days when it’s too cold to use the barbeque.

-Hamburger slider bar. I love mini burgers (try Trader Joe’s mini buns or Martin’s Potato buns). Let your kids choose the toppings. Kids love having choices with food. Whether it’s sliced tomato, bibb lettuce, pickle chips, american cheese, swiss cheese, turkey bacon or avocado, let your kids assemble their burgers.

-Healthy Turkey Meatloaf from @superhealthykids is made with ground turkey, but you can easily swap for ground beef instead. Sort of a throwback, this version is updated and more kid-friendly than many other recipes.

-Easy Beef Lasagna from @jocooks is my kind of lasagna recipe. It’s so simple and feeds lots of hungry kids.

-Ground Beef Pizza from @geniuskitchen is a great way to get some extra protein and iron into a kid diet staple. It’s like pizza meets a cheeseburger.