Take Versatility to the Next Level with This Magic Meat Mixture
This Magic Meat Mixture is a result of my quest to simplify the process of feeding my family quality, homecooked meals everyday. One day, it occurred to me that ground meat can be used in MANY different recipes. And, once cooked, it also keeps and re-heats well. So, why not double the amount of ground meat I cook for any recipe, and save the rest for another meal later in the week? I call it “magic” because it can be transformed, almost magically, into so many very different dishes.
Magic Meat Mixture is a simple, flexible and very versatile recipe. You can halve, double or triple the amounts to suit your family’s needs for today and for later in the week. And, as with any of my recipes, you can change, add or subtract any ingredient. If it works for you, it’s All Good!
Magic Meat Mixture Basic Recipe
- 1-3 pounds ground meat (beef, chicken, turkey, pork, bison, elk, venison, whatever you want. You can even mix any or all of the above, depending on what you like or what you have on hand.)
- 1/2 – 2 Onions. Dried, minced onions from the spice aisle work well here, too….or pre-diced in the produce section. We like onions. If you don’t, just leave them out or use less. Use more if you REALLY like them.
- 1 – 2 teaspoons minced garlic per pound of meat. (Again, adjust amount or leave out based on your own taste.)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
—Sometimes, we add in peppers, mushrooms, shredded carrots, chopped fresh (or frozen) spinach, broccoli, cauliflower or other veggies.
—If you have kids who are picky about eating their vegetables, this is the perfect recipe in which to “hide” veggies. Just finely chop (or better yet, use a blender or food processor for) any veggie you want to hide in the food. Then add the near-puree’d veggies to the meat while cooking.
Pan fry the meat, garlic, vegetables, salt and pepper together. Most ground meat makes enough of its own liquid to keep the meat and veggies from sticking to the pan. If you’re using only very lean meat, you may want to add a little olive oil, butter, other oil or beef or chicken stock to prevent sticking.
When the meat is browned, and the veggies softened, drain any excess liquid and you’re done! Your Magic Meat Mixture is ready for use in any recipe. Use part of it now, and store the rest in a glass or plastic container or even a zip top bag in the refridgerator, where it’ll be ready for your next simple, but delicious dinner.
Simple Italian Recipes
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce (a family favorite)
- Pasta (any variety, any cut) 1-2 ounces per person. (With small kids, I usually break the longer pasta noodles – spaghetti, vermicelli, angel hair, etc. – in half to make it easier for them to eat.)
- Magic Meat Mixture – about 1/4 cup per person/serving…adjust up or down depending upon how meaty you like your sauce.
- Your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce (homemade or store-bought) – about 1/2 cup per person/serving
- Additional Italian spices, if desired. (We like Thyme and Oregano.)
- Grated Parmesan, Romano, Asiago or other hard cheese as a topping, if desired.
Boil water and cook pasta, per package directions. Combine Magic Meat Mixture, your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce and any additionl spices and re-heat on the stovetop or in the microwave or 350 degree oven. Be sure to use an appropriate time and dish for the reheating method you choose.
Portion pasta onto plates or into bowls. Ladle sauce on top of pasta. Top with grated cheese, if desired. Serve! OR, if it’s easier and more practical for your family situation, mix it all together in a pot first, then serve.
The brilliance here is that, if you added ‘hidden’ veggies, your family gets an extra serving of vegetables without even realizing it.
Chianti anyone? Or any other fine wine that tickles your fancy will make any meal an event.
Lasagne
If you have the time and energy…and the lasagne noodles and mozzarella and ricotta cheeses, you can use the same spaghetti sauce above to layer into your lasagne recipe.
Left Over Spaghetti?
Have some Mozzarella, Cheddar, Colby, Monterrey Jack or other soft, easily melting cheese? If so, consider Fried Spaghetti. It’s a fun take on the original, with just enough of a different taste and texture that your family may not notice it’s made from leftovers.
Mix noodles and sauce together, if they’re not already mixed. Heat a little oil in a skillet, over Medium to Medium-High heat. Add Spaghetti mixture and heat for a couple of minutes. Add grated cheese and stir until melted, adding small amounts of oil as needed to keep the cheese from sticking to the pan too much. Dish is ready to serve when cheese is melted.
Chili
Chili can be made in a crock pot, InstaPot or in a saucepan on the stovetop. Also, Chili has lots of spices that need to infuse with the meat and sauce, so allow some time for this one. The good news is you can just mix, turn on the heat and walk away. If you have a favorite Chili recipe, use it, adding in your already prepped Magic Meat Mixture. If not, try this one, and adjust to your taste.
- Magic Meat Mixture – 4 – 6 cups
- Tomato sauce – 2 large (24 oz) cans … or homemade
- Tomato paste (for thickening, if desired) – 1 small (6 oz) can
- Can of chili beans or red/kidney beans (the chili beans usually already have spices, so keep that in mind when adding additional spices.
- Chilli powder 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons (or mix your own using cumin and red pepper)
Now, the easy part. Dump all the ingredients into a pot (Crock Pot, InstaPot or large sauce pan on the stovetop). Stir to mix. Turn it on, and walk away. Crock Pot – about 4 hours on low. InstaPot (or similar device) – set to stew setting and default timing. Stovetop – Low heat/simmer for about 2 hours.
So Many Mexican Dishes ..Just add taco seasoning (or not)
Nachos
Arrange tortilla chips on a large, oven-safe bakeware dish (ceramic, aluminum, whatever you want.) Sprinkle Magic Meat Mixture (with added taco seasoning or other spice you enjoy on Mexican food) over the entire array of chips. Add any additional vegetables you want, such as tomatillos, jalepenos, etc. Then top with shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby, Monterrey Jack…fresh shredded or store-bought). Place in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Serve with salsa, salsa verde, guacamole, sour cream, extra jalepenos, sliced avocado, whatever you like. (For smaller portions, this can also be heated in the microwave on a microwave-safe plate.)
Burritos
Place a scoop of Magic Meat Mixture (with added taco seasoning or other spice you enjoy on Mexican food) right in the middle of a large flour tortilla. Add any additional vegetables you want, such as tomatillos, jalepenos, etc. Then add a spoonful (or 3) of shredded cheese (Cheddar, Colby, Monterrey Jack…fresh shredded or store-bought). Don’t over fill the tortilla, or it won’t roll!
Fold the side closest to you over the mound in the middle, so that the edge touches the tortilla on the opposite side of the mound. Hold that piece in place while folding in the sides, using both hands at the same time… or one side at a time, if it’s difficult to keep the original fold in place. Then, holding the end folds in place, roll the mound towards the side further away from you, ensuring the side folds tuck in. Repeat for each additional burrito you want to make.
Place on an oven-safe dish in 350 degree oven for about 18 minutes. Serve with salsa, salsa verde, guacamole, sour cream, extra jalepenos, sliced avocado, whatever you like. (This can also be heated on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave, but the tortilla will be less crispy than the oven version.)
Enchiladas
Place a small scoop of Magic Meat Mixture (with added taco seasoning or other spice you enjoy on Mexican food) a little below the middle of a flour or corn tortilla. Spread it out into the shape of a log, left to right. Add any additional vegetables you want, such as tomatillos, jalepenos, etc. Then sprinkle a little shredded cheese over the top (Cheddar, Colby, Monterrey Jack…fresh shredded or store-bought). Don’t over fill the tortilla, or it won’t roll!
Fold the side closest to you over the log in the middle, so that the edge touches the tortilla on the opposite side of the log. Hold that piece in place while folding in the sides, using both hands at the same time… or one side at a time, if it’s difficult to keep the original fold in place. Then, holding the end folds in place, roll the mound towards the side further away from you, ensuring the side folds tuck in. Repeat with as many enchiladas as you want to make.
Place in an oven-safe dish. Once all enchiladas are in the dish, top with salsa, salsa verde, queso and/or additional cheese, jalapenos, onions, as desired. Place in 350 degree oven for about 18 minutes. Serve with salsa, salsa verde, guacamole, sour cream, extra jalepenos, sliced avocado, whatever you like. (For smaller portions, this can also be heated on a microwave-safe plate in the microwave.)
Simple Asian Dishes
Lettuce Wraps
For Lettuce Wraps, add whatever favorite Asian spice you like to the Magic Meat Mixture. We like Basil (and a little coconut milk) for a Thai flavor and Chinese Five Spice for more of a Chinese-based flavor. Then, add a homemade or store-bought sauce, such as Soy Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Peanut Sauce, Hoisin, Sesame Sauce, Duck Sauce, Sweet and Sour Sauce, Coconut Milk, you name it…whatever you like. For added heat, try a touch of hot mustard, Wasabi, red or green chili sauce or Sriracha.
For the lettuce, choose a lettuce that ‘cups,’ so that it holds your newly-spiced and sauced Magic Meat Mixture. Try Butter Lettuce, Green or Red Leaf Lettuce or Romaine Lettuce. You can even use Swiss Chard or put smaller amounts of the Magic Meat Mixture into celery sticks. Iceberg Lettuce can be used, but Iceberg ‘bowls’ tend to be a bit large.
You can spoon the Magic Meat Mixture into the lettuce leaves and display on a platter to serve along side additional sauces. Or do what we do: just heat up the newly-spiced Magic Meat Mixture in the Microwave and serve it along side lettuce leaves and additional sauces. Then each family member can create his/her own lettuce wraps.
Serving the lettuce wraps with Ramekins of different sauces makes the meal feel elegant. Even using the small, disposable, plastic condiment cups (found in many of the larger food stores), so that everyone gets their own array of sauces beside their plate, makes my family feel like they’re dining out. Add some fine wine for the adults, and you’ve achieved an elegant, restaurant-style meal at home, with only a little effort.
Beef/Pork/Chicken/Turkey Fried Rice
Don’t let fried rice intimidate you. It’s really easy to make. First of all, any rice will do, short grain, long grain, white, brown, homemade, instant, microwavable bagged rice, or my favorite LEFTOVER rice (from a previous meal). For this recipe, you will need the following:
- Cooked rice, about a cup per person
- Cooking oil – about 1/4 cup, divided (NOT sesame oil for this purpose…it has a very low smoke point, which means it burns easily. Burned sesame oil isn’t particularly tasty.)
- Finely chopped green onions – about 3 Tablespoons per person
- One Egg, scrambled per every 2-3 cups of rice
- Canned cubed carrots and canned green peas (about 1 Tablespoon of each per person/serving)…optional
- Soy or Teriyaki Sauce to taste
- Your favorite Asian spices, if desired
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Sesame seeds and or Sesame Oil, optional
Unless it’s leftover rice, cook rice per package directions. Have the rice Magic Meat Mixture and other ingredients ready to go, because the rest of this will move pretty quickly. Heat about 1 Tablespoon of the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the green onions. Stir until cooked. (2-3 minutes) Add the scrambled eggs and stir quickly. As soon as the egg is cooked, add the rice. Mix thoroughly, adding additional oil, as needed to keep rice from sticking to the pan too much. While stiring add any spices and Soy or Teriyaki sauces , and additional optional veggies to taste. (If you’re unsure how much to use, GO SMALL at first. You can always add more later, even after the food is on your plate.)
Then, JUST BEFORE you’re ready to call the dish “done,” add Sesame Seeds and/or Sesame Oil. Mix thoroughly.
Dish is done when all ingredients are heated through and/or the rice has browned to your liking.
More Easy Recipes With Magic Meat Mixture
Dirty Rice
This Magic Meat Mixture is THE BEST for Dirty Rice. Again, any rice will do, short grain, long grain, white, brown, homemade, instant, microwavable bagged rice, or my favorite LEFTOVER rice (from a previous meal). The best part about this recipe is that once the rice is cooked, all you have to do is heat up the Magic Meat Mixture in the microwave and stir it into the hot rice, adding spices, as you wish. Want Cajun Dirty Rice? Add Cajun seasoning. Want Red or Black Bean Dirty Rice? Just open a can, heat up and add the beans.
Beef Stroganoff
Magic Meat Mixture is ready to add to any Hamburger Helper, or similar, store-bought package. Or make your own with noodles and your own (store-bought or homemade) gravy or sauce. It’s easy and quick. Here’s how:
While cooking noodles (egg noodles or ribbon-type pasta are traditional, but use whatever you have on hand) per package directions, combine Magic Meat Mixture and any gravy or sauce/”Helper” package in a pan. Once the noodles are drained, layer on a plate with the sauce on top OR combine in a pot and serve. I like to combine in a serving dish and add French Fried Onions to the top for additional flavor and flair.
Gravy/sauces can be homemade, canned, from a jar, from a package or some combination of these. You can also concoct a sauce for Beef Stroganoff with a combination of at least two of any of the following soups…just mix the more liquid ones with the creamier ones (or add beef or chicken stock or water) to reach the desired consistency:
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Cream of Onion Soup
- Golden Mushroom Soup
- Cream of Onion Soup
- Cream of Bacon Soup
- Beefy Mushroom Soup
- Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Cream of Celery Soup
Sloppy Joes
This is another super easy one. Just add 1 (6 oz) can of Tomato Paste, and about 1 cup of water (adjust to your preferred consistency) to about a pound of the Magic Meat Mixture, with or without additional spices (packaged Sloppy Joe Seasoning Mix, paprika, chili powder, garlic, onion powder or dried minced onions, thyme, savory, whatever you like). Mix thoroughly. Heat on the stove top or in the microwave. Then, spoon it onto buns.
If you want additional or different flavors, try adding a little high-quality Balsamic Vinegar, Worchester Sauce or wine (NOT cooking wines. If you wouldn’t drink it, you shouldn’t cook with it!!) You could also add additional sautéed veggies, like peppers or mushrooms, if you like those.
My grandmother even made her Sloppy Joes with a bottle of Heinz Ketchup instead of the tomato paste, water and spices. The ketchup has it’s own spices and is already a good consistency, so that’s a time saver. It’s also sweeter than the tomato paste version, which is quite appealing to kids, especially.
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