Can hamburger reduce stress and save you money?

Turkey and Santa and trees, oh my! The holidays are in full swing, the calendars are filled with activities, with parties to attend and cards to send. It’s the time of year we begin to focus on gift giving and I’m going to suggest we start with ourselves first.

The gift of knowing “What’s for dinner” is priceless. To avoid hitting the drive-through (again!)here’s what you do; pre-cook seasoned ground beef and freeze in serving size appropriate to your family’s dinner needs. That’s all. You add a few simple ingredients to make quick and tasty meals. Seriously, spending an hour doing this will reduces stress, save you money and keep you fitting into your jeans.

I find six pounds of ground beef, thoroughly cooked and divided, yields four generous meals for my family of four. Your needs may vary. Cook with a good amount of chopped onion and season with garlic, salt and pepper. Use zip top freezer bags and freeze flat so they defrost quickly. Here are some ideas to make delicious, nutritious meals your family will love. You’ll see I’m not listing amounts because all the recipes are very forgiving and you can “eyeball” it to your preferences.

Tex-Mex Mac and Cheese – Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions. In a large skillet, heat ground beef with chili powder and cumin. Mix in salsa, canned green chili peppers and canned cheddar cheese soup. Blend with cooked macaroni and top with shredded Mexican-blend cheese.

Poor Man’s Casserole – Make mashed potatoes, fresh is best but instant would work. Mix hamburger with frozen mixed veggies, tomato sauce and your favorite seasoning. Place beef in the bottom of a casserole dish, layer the potatoes over the beef, top with shredded cheese. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Mock Stroganoff – Cook wide noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, mix beef with French onion dip. This is found in the dairy section with the sour cream. Add frozen peas and bring to a simmer. Blend with cooked pasta and serve.

Speedy Spaghetti – Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile in a skillet combine hamburger with spaghetti sauce. Add Italian seasoning and garlic to taste. Combine cooked pasta with beef mixture.

Sloppy Joes – Mix hamburger with canned tomato soup, brown sugar and mustard. Serve on buns.

High-speed Chili - Heat hamburger with lots of chili powder and cumin, add cans of tomatoes with chilies, tomato sauce, kidney beans and corn. This can also be served wrapped in tortillas with cheese and sour cream.

Pizza Express – Purchase pizza dough. In a skillet sauté frozen onion and pepper blend. Add the hamburger and season with Italian seasoning, garlic and enough tomato sauce to moisten. Add a dash of sugar. Trust me. Roll dough on a pizza pan or baking sheet. Spread the hamburger mix and top with shredded mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes or until crust is golden.

Join us on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Frugal Food contributed by Patti Diamond, author of Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous!, www.divasonadime.com