How to Stretch Ground Beef

Ok I am cookin stupid.. how much do you add??

Quoting momslilangels07:

Ok I am cookin stupid.. how much do you add??

It depends on which you decide to use.  If it is turkey or pork (which isn't that cheap right now) I would use an equal amount, say half ground beef and half ground turkey. 

I use a 1/2 to 1 cup carrots to 3/4 lbs beef.  I haven't tried the potatoes yet - because I am on weight watchers.

I also add pureed veggies to ground beef which helps it stretch as well.

I have added dry quick oatmeal too. I never thought of cream of wheat. I dont like it but it is more of a texture thing...I probably wouldnt notice it in there. Great ideas, Joyce!

If I may suggest this little meal that I make with ground beef and shreeded (sp?) potatoes.

You can make home made tacos with this.

Enough beef to feed your family make it like 1 1/2 pounds of beef brown , drain it if it has fat

add garlic salt to taste and shreed the potatoe let it cook till its transparent add a small can of tomatoe sauce and mix together keep on low. IN another pan with oil make taco shells and serve with cheese and hot sauce , I make salsa . It makes plenty of taco's and it's easy and tasty.

for 1 pound ground beef with 1 taco seasoning mix i add 1 cup instant rice(cook it first please! LOL) and i can feed 5 with that.

Has anyone tried using beans?  Do you mash them up?

At meijer I got frozen ground turkey for $1 a lb.  Mixed it half and half with ground beef and oats, shredded carrots, green pepper, and onion, sugar and salt.  With 3 lbs of meat we fed 2 adults and 12 kids with leftovers.  (our sides were cornbread and carrots)

The best way (aside from all the add-ins) to get cheap ground beef is go to your local butcher shoppe instead of a regular grocery store. Not only would you be helping a local business, but the more you buy, the more you save & you'd be helping more than one business (your local farmer who supplied the cow & your local butcher shoppe, who's usually owned by a single person or family)

We recently purchased 1/4 of a cow & paid $200 for all of it - this included hamburger, roasts, steaks, and spare ribs - you can make it all hamburger, or all roast, or whatever you want, the total would be similar! Try getting that much at your local grocery store for $200!! It took me 4 average size coolers to take all that home!!

I use beans with beef in casseroles. Depends on the dish.  Beef, bean(not mashed) and rice,  Taco casserole (not mashed), Enchillada (mashed).

Quoting JHanc968:

Has anyone tried using beans?  Do you mash them up?