How to Stretch Ground Beef

Add Grated Potato to Stretch Ground Beef

I add grated potato to hamburger for Mexican dishes. It makes great tacos and chili.
Carol

TVP Is a Great Addition

I use TVP (textured vegetable protein). It is dried soy and takes on the taste of whatever I cook with it. Also, I add some dry oats, along with grated carrots, celery, onion, and green bell pepper.
Linda

Raw Ground Beef photo from Shutterstock

Looks Just Like Ground Beef

I cook bulgur wheat with water and add it to sloppy joes, chili, Spanish rice, etc. When I use it in a tomato dish, it looks just like ground beef.
Caroln

Is It Meatloaf or a Burger?

For years, I followed my mother's example of stretching ground beef by adding dry oatmeal and an egg if I was going to make meat patties. I would fine chop onion and sometimes add green peppers or celery as well as throwing in an adequate amount of seasoning. My son would tease me about my "meatloaf" burgers, but I have found these burgers to be easier to digest than pure meat.
Mary Lou

Puree Veggies First

I find the best way to disguise veggies in ground beef is to puree them in the food processor. This works even better than grating. I put in a cup or more of cabbage, carrots, peppers, broccoli stems, celery, etc. in as I start to cook the meat. I usually also add half of a cup of filler like precooked lentils, kasha, quinoa, rice, or ground up beans. I often boil up this mix and put one cup containers in the freezer for those busy nights when we just have crumbled ground beef for tacos or shepherd's pie. I usually have double the amount of meat mixture when I'm done. My family loves to eat meat, so this is a great way to stretch it. Add a little beef soup base to salt the meat and strengthen the flavor.
Mark

A Good Way to Use Stale Bread

I add stale bread, torn into small bits, mixed with an egg and spices to stretch ground beef. This makes great burgers, and I get double the material. It’s terrific for meatballs, meatloaf, etc.
Stephanie

Healthy Way to Stretch Ground Beef

I mix fresh ground turkey and ground beef in equal amounts. It’s better for our health, and it tastes good, too.
Alice

Take the Next Step:

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