How to Make Ground Beef into a Tasty Dinner

You can make a lot of things with ground beef.

Ground beef is a staple among the thrifty and frugal. Sometimes you just run out of new ideas and get tired of the same old thing. Spaghetti, tacos, burgers, meatloaf are all good but they do get old. Here's a twist on basic ground beef, that depending upon what's in the pantry can be simple or more elaborate.

Things You'll Need

• 1 lb. ground beef
• Strainer or colander -- screened
• 2 boxes Rice-a-Roni beef flavor
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 4 Cups water
• 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• Dollop sour cream
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Large skillet with lid

Instructions

1. Brown 1 lb. of ground beef with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder to taste. There is no specific amount so just sprinkle some on. Remove from heat and drain grease off using a screened strainer or colander. Set aside.

2. Add butter and rice or pasta to skillet and saute on medium until pasta browns slightly.

3. Pour 4 cups hot water to rice and butter in the skillet and allow to come to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the flavor packets included with rice. Stir in, reduce heat and cover. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

4. Add ground beef and stir well, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

5. Turn off heat under skillet and add a dollop of sour cream and the shredded cheese to the skillet. Mix well and cover for 5 minutes. Depending upon what you have in hand you can also add in some additional canned items, such as drained corn, drained green beans or carrots. Serve hot and enjoy.

Tips & Warnings

• This is a flexible recipe for using ground beef to make a complete meal, you can add or leave out items as you choose. The only definities are the beef, rice and cheese, and actually even the cheese is optional.