10 Things To Make With Leftover Ground Beef

Ground beef (also called hamburger meat in some homes) is a dinner mainstay for many of us.  So many things to do with it, it cooks up very quickly, and whatever you make with it is usually comforting and homey and satisfying and family friendly. 

But as with any dinner staple, we can get rut-like about how we make it.  So what else can you make with ground beef? 

Hamburger Dinner Ideas

Many of these recipes call for browning the beef within the recipe itself, but if you have leftover already cooked ground beef you can skip the browning step and just add the cooked ground beef right in there. Obviously make sure the ground beef has been cooked simply, or with seasonings complimentary to the recipes you choose. You may need to adjust the amount of seasonings you add in the recipe if the beef has been fully seasoned. 

(P.S. as long as they are simply cooked, crumbled leftover hamburgers may work in these recipes as well!)

Here are 10 ways for putting ever-popular ground beef to work in delicious ways. Dinner ideas for days.

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What to Do with Ground Beef: 10 Simple Ground Beef Recipes

Beef, Black Bean and Jalapeno Chili

Can you ever have too many chili recipes? Trick question.

One-Skillet Cheesy Beef and Macaroni

This is total comfort food; a one dish recipe, with even the pasta cooking in the same skillet.

Instant Pot Ziti “Lasagna” with Bolognese Sauce

The Instant Pot quickly makes cooked pasta, sauce, and cheese come together in a layered pasta dinner.

Game Day Ground Beef Chili

Because you can always use one more chili recipe.

A nice straightforward and simple chili recipe, with hamburger meat at the base.  You can tailor the recipe to what you have on hands, different kinds of beans, different vegetables, and dial up the heat, or dial it down as your family prefers.

How to Make a Nacho Bar

One of the best possible ways to kick off a party.

Ground beef makes a terrific nacho topping.  This is a great use for leftover browned ground beef, whether seasoned simply, or with Mexican, Southwestern, or Tex Mex seasonings.

Bolognese Sauce

This quick and easy Bolognese makes the cold weather a lot more tolerable.

Cheesy Mashed Potato Topped Shepherd’s Pie

Mashed potatoes atop a savory pie are delicious; cheesy mashed potatoes are kind of sublime.

Leftover ground or chopped cooked lamb also works perfectly for this.  Also something to think about when you have leftover mashed potatoes on hand (I’ve also used packaged mashed potatoes for this, and no one knew or would have cared).

Cheesy Ground Beef Quesadillas

Like the best bar food in the world, but right here in your own kitchen.

My family has never met a combo of ground beef and cheese that they didn’t like.  This simple ground beef recipe is a forever favorite, and one of my go-to ways to use leftover ground beef.

Havarti and Gouda Turkey Lasagna

Gouda and havarti give this hearty lasagna serious cheese flavor. This is a contender of a lasagna.

Sub in the ground beef for the turkey sausage.

Cheesy Beef and Hash Brown Casserole

Crispy but tender shredded potatoes top a casserole of juicy ground beef bound together with a creamy cheesy sauce.

You may also be interested in 10 Things To Make With Leftover Shredded Chicken!