There are ways to fix hamburger meat such as spaghetti, goulash, stroganoff, meatballs, lasagna and meat sauces. With people looking for ways to cut back on their spending, there are ways to fix hamburger meat to feed your family. There are also ways to fix hamburger meat that aren’t boring.
Pasta and Hamburger Meat Dinner Ideas
Spaghetti Dinners
There are three ways I make spaghetti. These ways are just plain sauce, sauce with meat or with meatballs. I use about a pound of hamburger for the meat sauce. I usually get the hamburger meat at our small hometown grocery store because the owners package the hamburger meat in packages just under a pound to just over a pound. This way I don’t have to divide the larger packages down, even though I do buy those from time to time and break them down.
When I make spaghetti with meat sauce, I brown the hamburger meat with one onion, a little salt and pepper, and about a teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Then I take a small can of tomato sauce and add another teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Once the hamburger mix is finished, I will add it to the tomato sauce mixture. I will heat until warm. I cook the spaghetti until done.
When I make meatballs, I use a pound of hamburger, one egg, a half of an onion, salt and pepper, and a quarter cup bread crumbs. The bread crumbs are plain or Italian seasoned whichever I have on hand. If I the plain bread crumbs, I will add a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half to the meat, eggs and bread crumbs. Mix everything together in a large enough bowl so the ingredients don’t go flying out of the bowl. I normally fry my meatballs. When the meatballs are done, I take them out of the pan and drain them on a paper towel on a plate. I will make the spaghetti sauce in the same manner as the meat sauce. Sometimes I mix them sauce and meatballs together; sometimes not.
Lasagna or Stuff Jumbo Shells
I will make the hamburger meat the same way I do for spaghetti. By making the meat sauce this way, I can add another layer to the lasagna. I will use the recipe on the lasagna box to make the rest of the lasagna. Outside of the meat sauce, I don’t do anything different.
When I make stuff jumbo shells for dinner, I follow the directions for the stuffing for the shells. Then I make the hamburger meat sauce for spaghetti and pour over the top before baking.
Both of these dishes take some time to make because you have to boil the pasta and put the dishes together. When you are done, they are worth the effort and mess.
Hamburger Stroganoff
When I make hamburger stroganoff, I always have to look the recipe up in a cookbook or on the internet. I know I need wide or egg noodles, sour cream, and hamburger meat for it. I know there are always other ingredients I need, so that’s why I have to find a recipe. Just follow whichever recipe you find to make the hamburger stroganoff.
Goulash
Goulash is made differently by everyone who makes it. My grandma and mom taught me how to make the goulash I make. My husband’s step mom made hers a different way. The way I make mine is a pound of hamburger meat, salt and pepper, tomato sauce or canned tomatoes, one onion, and elbow macaroni. Cook the hamburger, salt and pepper, and onion together until meat is done. Cook the elbow macaroni until done. Once the macaroni is done, drain and mix into the meat sauce mixture. Sometimes we add parmesan to it after it is cooked.
You don’t have to make it the same way I do. You can look for a recipe for goulash and cook it by that recipe.
Velveeta Shells and Cheese and Hamburger
I cook the pasta per the instructions on the box. I brown the hamburger with onions and salt and pepper. When both are done cooking, I mix the shells, cheese packet, and the hamburger mixture together in the skillet. Sometimes I add steamed broccoli to the mixture.
Hamburger Helper Boxed Dinners
If you are on a very tight budget, Hamburger Helpers can be a great way to go. I don’t use these very often any more. I found that my family wasn’t to crazy about them. They preferred the other ways listed above when I used hamburger meat.
