Make Ahead Beef

One thing I do like to do is get about 10lbs of ground beef and then do a base batch for other recipes.

One thing that is essential is a giant skillet so you can cook up a bunch of it at a time. 5lbs at a time is about the most I like to do, or it just get to be too much.

Brown and crumble your ground beef until it's a consistent size. I like to use salt, pepper and some garlic.

If you aren't feeling particularly motivated, then let the meat cool right there and then separate into 5 quart sized ziploc freezer bags. Label with a Sharpie "Base Beef" so you know it's just ready to add.

If you give yourself another 20 minutes or so, you can go to town with a couple other basic recipes and save yourself a little time later on down the line.

Here are some options:

Spaghetti Sauce - take one pound of your beef and mix with your favorite canned or jarred spaghetti sauce in a ziploc freezer bag. Label as spaghetti sauce and freeze. When ready to use, take out in the morning and let thaw during the day. This will only need to be reheated because the meat is already cooked.

Sloppy Joe's - Hmmm. I'm hungry. So here's what I'd do for this:
1 can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste (for thickness)
1/4 c yellow mustard
1 t Liquid Smoke (you can find this by your salad dressing section in the grocery store. It's not required, but it does give it a twist.)
A squirt of honey - enough to give it just a little sweetness.
1 lb ground beef

This is a rough recipe, definitely adjust it to taste. But it's oh, so good! Freeze and label when done. This is a Thaw, heat and serve type recipe, too!

Taco Meat - add your favorite Mexican or southwestern seasoning to meat when still warm. It blends better that way. Put in a ziploc bag, label and freeze. Thaw, reheat and serve!

Beef base can also be used for any fake-Stroganoff-type recipes, hamburger hotdishes, etc. Lots and lots of options here!

You can substitute ground turkey for any of these recipes! Enjoy!