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    Home » Recipe Roundups

    22 Cheap Ground Beef Recipes That Are Perfect for Meal Prep

    By Emmeline Kemperyd on April 21, 2025, updated March 20, 2025 - Leave a Comment

    Ground beef is a versatile and budget-friendly ingredient that can be used in a variety of meals. With these 22 easy recipes, you can prepare delicious dishes that are perfect for meal prep, making weeknight dinners a breeze. From hearty casseroles to flavorful tacos, these ideas will help you make the most of your time and money in the kitchen. We know "cheap" can mean different things to different people, so here you will find recipes fitting a variety of budgets - but all without any unnecessarily expensive ingredients.

    Bolognese Pasta Bake

    Bolognese Pasta Bake.
    Photo Credit: The Cinnamon Jar,

    Bolognese pasta bake is a classic comfort dish that everyone enjoys. It's a hearty meal that brings a sense of warmth and satisfaction.

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    Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Dinner

    Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Dinner.
    Photo Credit: Cooking Up Memories.

    Cabbage Roll Skillet Dinner brings all the cozy flavors of stuffed cabbage into a simple one-pan meal. It’s ready in just over 30 minutes, making it a great choice for a filling dinner on a busy night.

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    Hamburger Rice Casserole

    Hamburger Rice Casserole.
    Photo Credit: Deliciously Homecooked.

    This hamburger rice casserole is a simple and tasty dish that everyone in the family will enjoy. Made with ground beef and paired with steamed broccoli, it’s the perfect comfort food for any night.

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    Eggplant Moussaka

    Eggplant Moussaka with Lamb.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    Eggplant Moussaka is a hearty dinner packed with vegetables and ground beef, all topped with plenty of cheese. This version skips the potatoes and Bechamel sauce, using more eggplant instead for a tasty and healthy Mediterranean meal that's easy to prepare.

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    Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers

    Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers without Rice
    Photo Credit: always use butter.

    Stuffed peppers can be ready in just 45 minutes with this simple recipe that skips the rice. Packed with tex-mex flavors from taco seasoning and topped with cheese, they’re great on their own or with some tortilla chips.

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    Egg Roll in a Bowl

    Egg roll in a bowl with chopsticks.
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    Egg roll in a bowl is a quick and simple one-pan dinner that you can whip up in just 30 minutes. Packed with fresh veggies and tasty flavors from soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic, this dish is sure to please.

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    Big Mac Casserole

    Big Mac Casserole.
    Photo Credit: Cheerful Cook.

    Ground beef, cheddar cheese, and crispy tater tots come together in this casserole for a tasty meal. Topped with Big Mac sauce, it offers a fun and satisfying twist.

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    Slow Cooker Taco Meat Loaf Stuffed Peppers

    Slow Cooker Taco Meat Loaf Stuffed Peppers.
    Photo Credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

    Slow Cooker Taco Meat Loaf Stuffed Peppers offer a tasty twist on the usual stuffed peppers. This dish combines the flavors of taco meat and meatloaf, making it a great choice for dinner.

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    Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna

    Instant Pot Lazy Lasagna with wooden spoon.
    Photo Credit: The Recipe Well.

    This lasagna is super simple to make. With layers of ground beef, noodles, sauce, and two kinds of cheese, it’s a quick meal that comes together in one pot.

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    Slow Cooker Meatloaf

    Slow Cooker Meatloaf.
    Photo Credit: The Magical Slow Cooker.

    This slow cooker meatloaf is a simple and tasty dish that you can prepare without much work. With just a few classic ingredients, it’s perfect for your holiday meals.

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    The Best Tater Tot Casserole

    The Best Tater Tot Casserole
    Photo Credit: Midwest Foodie.

    Tater tot casserole is a beloved comfort food that combines ground beef, fresh veggies, and creamy gravy, all topped with melted cheese and crispy tater tots. This dish is simple to prepare in one pot, making it easy to serve straight from the oven to your table.

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    Homemade Minced Beef and Dumplings

    Homemade Minced Beef and Dumplings.
    Photo Credit: Culinary Ginger.

    Homemade Minced Beef and Dumplings is a classic British dish that brings warmth and comfort. This filling meal is cooked in one pan, making it easy to prepare and perfect for chilly days.

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    Beefy Mac and Cheese

    Beefy Mac and Cheese.
    Photo Credit: My Kitchen Sanctuary.

    Beefy Mac and Cheese is a classic comfort dish that combines creamy mac and cheese with flavorful ground beef and zesty tomato sauce. A touch of sour cream adds a nice creaminess, making this a satisfying meal for any day.

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    Instant Pot Bolognese

    A bowl of instant pot bolognese served over pasta.
    Photo credit: always use butter.

    This Instant Pot bolognese is a quick and easy way to enjoy a classic pasta sauce. With simple ingredients you probably already have, you can whip up a rich and satisfying meal in no time.

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    Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup

    Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup.
    Photo Credit: The Recipe Well.

    Stuffed Pepper Soup has all the flavors of stuffed peppers but is much simpler to prepare. With bell peppers, ground beef or turkey, rice, and beans, this soup is a hearty meal that the whole family will enjoy.

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    Frito Taco Bake

    Frito Taco Bake.
    Photo Credit: The Cookin' Chicks.

    Frito Taco Bake is a simple and tasty dish that everyone will enjoy. With seasoned ground beef, a cheesy sauce, and crunchy Fritos, this casserole is great for busy weeknights or relaxed weekends.

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    Meatballs without Breadcrumbs and Eggs

    Meatballs without Breadcrumbs and Eggs
    Photo Credit: always use butter.

    These meatballs are simple to prepare and can be ready in under an hour. You can cook them on the stove, in an air fryer, or in the oven, resulting in juicy and flavorful meatballs.

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    Arayes

    Arayes.
    Photo credit: Dana's Table.

    Middle Eastern arayes are crispy pita pockets stuffed with tasty, seasoned ground beef. They're perfect for grilling in the summer or can be easily made indoors any time of the year.

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    Cheesy Beef Pasta Skillet

    Cheesy Beef Pasta Skillet.
    Photo Credit: The Hungry Bluebird.

    This is a simple and cheesy dinner featuring seasoned ground beef and pasta shells in a creamy cheddar sauce. It brings back memories of childhood favorites while being made from scratch.

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    Rigatoni Bolognese

    Rigatoni Bolognese.
    Photo Credit: The Almond Eater.

    Rigatoni Bolognese is a simple and tasty one-pot meal. This classic Italian meat sauce is great for weeknight dinners or special occasions, especially when served over rigatoni pasta.

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    Walking Taco Casserole

    Walking Taco Casserole.
    Photo Credit: Recipes from a Pantry.

    The Walking Taco Casserole is a delicious and comforting dish that everyone will enjoy. It features tasty ground beef, melted cheese, and crunchy Fritos, making it perfect for weeknight dinners or fun get-togethers.

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    Creamy Burrito Casserole

    Creamy Burrito Casserole.
    Photo Credit: In the Kitch.

    This creamy burrito casserole is packed with layers of ground beef, cheese, tortillas, and peppers, giving it a delicious Mexican twist. It's a simple and enjoyable meal that everyone in the family will appreciate.

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    More Recipe Roundups

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      30 Summer Crockpot Comfort Foods That Cooks While You Relax
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    • Pasta with pancetta and peas.
      22 Easy Pasta Recipes With Few Ingredients

    About Emmeline Kemperyd

    Emmeline Kemperyd is a writer, food blogger, recipe creator and food photographer and the founder of alwaysusebutter.com. She has more than 20 years of experience creating and simplifying recipes so they taste good, and are quick, easy, and approachable. She is a regular contributor to MSN  and her work has been featured by The Guardian, Well+Good, Vulture, SheKnows, Good Men Project, Daily Kos, The Grio, The Asian Parent, and The Feed Feed, among others.

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    Hi, I'm Emmeline! I love tasty food, but I'm always in a hurry. And I have the quick and easy recipes to prove it!

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