I have about 4 recipes for meat loaf....easily that many meatball recipes, I would never make "stroganoff" with ground beef....reminds me too much of what a sick dog leaves.
There are about a bazillion recipes for browned ground beef with various tomato sauces and pastas....you can make home made hamburger helper....but likely they don't need a recipe for that.
I think your kids need to expand their repretoir and get into pieces of chicken browned in a pan....
And remind them that whatever they do cook it's better than the dining hall!
Linda c

Tacos! Crispy or softshell, bowls of toppings to add as desired. I just brown the meat and add a packet of taco seasoning, but an ex of mine added onion & potato without seasoning.

Cheeseburger pockets - my mom and I used her homemade roll dough to make pockets filled with burger and cheese for an instant sandwich. I haven't been able to replicate this on my own.

Goulash
1lb ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can or 2 cups chicken broth
2 cups spaghetti sauce
8oz macaroni
Parmesan cheese for topping

Brown beef and onions in deep skillet & add garlic near end. Mix in spaghetti sauce, broth & pasta & bring to a boil. Cook at moderate boil until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally (about 10 min). Serve sprinkled with Parmesan.

Stromboli
1 loaf frozen bread dough
2 egg yolks (reserve whites)
1T Parmesan cheese
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
2T oil
12oz mozzarella
Pizza toppings: pepperoni, hamburger, olives, green pepper, onions, whatever else you like on pizza

Thaw bread dough & spread on cookie sheet like pizza. Mix egg yolks, Parmesan, parsley, garlic salt, oregano, pepper & oil together & spread on dough. Cover with pizza toppings. Sprinkle mozzarella on top. Roll like jelly roll, seal ends, and place seam down on cookie sheet. Brush with egg white and bake at 350F for 30-40min until brown. Slice and serve with spaghetti sauce.

Oriental Beef Skillet
2pkg ramen noodles - oriental flavor
2cups water
1lb lean ground beef
1 bunch scallions, sliced
16oz frozen oriental vegetables
1T soy sauce

Break ramen noodles into medium bowl. Sprinkle with one seasoning packet. Cover with 2 cups boiling water, stir and allow to sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients. I large skillet or wok, brown ground beef over medium heat. Drain. Add scallions and sprinkle with remaining seasoning packet. Return to heat and cook an addition minute. Add noodles & soaking water, frozen vegetables and soy sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Hope something here can help, Linnea!

Here is a link that might be useful: Similar recipe to my friend's awesome cheeseburger soup

Chicken dishes, they are both okay on. Probably their default meat choice. They both live in areas where meat is extremely expensive. When we visit, we stock up their freezers. I try to give them cuts I know will get used before freezer burn sets in. I gave her a small pot roast for her slow cooker: it never got used.

My daughter's chief argument for getting an apartment was so she could cook. I was skeptical, as she showed little interest in it while home. But now she is doing it. Our son, on the other hand, has been cooking for a long time. He just has no time to make anything unless it's very quick.

I don't have a recipe but Salisbury steak comes to mind.

I like stuffed cabbage, but I don't have a recipe for that either, although I'm sure others here do. I also make empanadas with ground beef, but I deep fry them, and so you probably are not interested in that. I make Piroshki with ground beef and a yeast dough and bake them, but I also do not have that recipe with me here.

Lars

I don't buy hamburger very often - when I do I buy really fresh high quality ground angus and make burgers with it.

That said, I also like it in stuffed peppers, sloppy Joe's and Johnny Marzetti (or American Chop Suey or Goulash or whatever you call it where you live). Oh - and Marcella Hazan's sauce Bolognese.

seagrass

Here is a link that might be useful: Add this to the hamburger repertoire

Doesn't look like all of the measurements came through on that link. It was just a fast Google search on my end. It's a famous sauce. Here's another link for you - my apologies...

seagrass

Here is a link that might be useful: Hambuger elevated to Heaven

Ground beef was a staple when I was growing up, we ground up every piece of cow we couldn't sell, the farmers always ate the cheap cuts.

We had tacos, burritos and enchiladas, we had cabbage rolls and stuffed peppers, goulash and spaghetti, "hamburger steak", which is today's salisbury steak. I still like Spanish Rice occasionally, and chili is good once in a while, I like mostly the leftover stuff over a baked potato, better than the original chili. Meatballs and meatloaf, like LindaC mentioned, and you can even make pasty with ground beef, although I use minced pieces instead. One of my favorites when I was a kid was hamburger gravy, made like sausage gravy and served over mashed potatoes. Now Ashley makes it, but she adds a can of mixed vegetables and serves it over biscuits. It looks like ick, but she likes it.

WE've used it in vegetable soup and in beef noodle soup and taco salad and Shepherd's Pie and Swedish Meatballs over noodles and just plain cheeseburgers on the grill.

I'm sure there's more...

Annie

Salisbury Steak and Shepherds Pie are two favourites.

Shepherds Pie

This is how I make Shepherds Pie. Just a basic outline. It is all done to taste.

Lean ground beef
onion
garlic
celery
fresh thyme
salt
pepper
Worcestershire sauce (optional)
flour

Saute meat until browned. Add the chopped onion, garlic and celery. Saute until vegetables are tender. Season with salt pepper, thyme. Sprinkle with flour. Cook for a minute or two and add beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for 30 minutes or so. Pour into shallow casserole and top with mashed potatoes. Dot with butter and bake until golden.

Salisbury Steak In Mushroom And Green Peppercorn Sauce
======================================================
The secret to a good Salisbury Steak is to let it simmer in the sauce until it is tender. Otherwise it is just a burger.

2 Pounds of ground Sirloin
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 Teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste

Sauce

1/2 small onion chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 Tablespoon green peppercorns
Fresh Mushrooms sliced
2 Tablespoons Flour
Broth 2 to 3 cups (Beef or chicken)
Pan drippings plus 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter or oil.

Saute onions in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil until tender but not browned. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. In a bowl combined ground sirloin, parsley, thyme, dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Add onions and garlic and mix well. (I use my hands).Form into oval shaped patties. (I made 5 nice size ones from the 2 pounds, but you could make smaller if you prefer). Brown the patties in a heavy skillet in a little olive oil. You can also brown these in a grill pan. Remove the meat from the pan. Add a little more oil if needed and saute the onions, garlic and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little flour, cook for a couple of minutes and add the broth and the green peppercorns. Add the patties to the pan, cover and simmer on low for at least one hour. Make sure there is enough sauce to almost cover the steaks.

I was going to add stuffed peppers & shepherds pie, but Annie & Ann beat me to it!

If speed is the main issue, beef can be seasoned, browned & frozen for even quicker tacos, quiche, breakfast burritos, baked potato topping, etc. I've found that cooking a big batch & reheating a small portion works well when cooking for one.

I am seeing a college kid who doesn't "cook" and doesn't like a hamburger.....and I don't see hamburger steaks nor enchiladas happening.
I suggest you show her how to make hamburger helper.....and tell her what to do with a chuck roast....
Or buy some of the blue boxes.
Linda C

I'm probably going to get slammed for this but....

College cooking makes me think of ramen noodles. So, brown the ground beef, add the ramen spice packet, boil the noodles, mix it all together with grated cheese. Add in a frozen veggie - peas or chopped broccoli or chopped spinach or whatever. Done. Takes no time. OK, not the healthiest or the most sophisticated but easy, quick and tasty.

My room mate and I ate a lot of macaroni and peas -- short pasta, peas, parmesan in box and pretend butter. We also had an agreement: whoever had the dinner date, ate half and brought home half for her roomie.

Last night we had nachos for dinner. MMMMM..

Browned ground beef with various chili powders, cumin, onion , garlic and a dab of tomato paste (you could also use a packet of taco seasoning mix).

Place tortilla chips in a large, shallow dish, top with the ground beef, a can of black beans (drained), chopped tomato, cheese, sliced black oloves and green onions, Nuke for about 2 minuts...serve with salsa and sour cream.

Use anything you like, really. Make a big ol' pile of them and dig in!

I have a recipe for a stroganoff that uses ground beef and a crockpot. It's good, I'll try to remember to post it when I get home.

And there's always Tater Tot Casserole, Beef & Noodle Casserole (goulash), and the aforementioned taco's, enchiladas, salisbury steak, chili and sloppy joes.

Linda

Linda

Ah! Nachos! If your kids don't want to invest in the spices (chili powder, cumin, etc.) just mix the ground beef with some jarred salsa instead. I do this when I'm makiing nachos and I want to get it done quickly. I've never tried nuking them, but I know that in the oven, the chips will remain crispy. Only takes a few minutes at 400 for the cheese to melt which is all you really need to have happen.

newbie posting here but i get rave reviews when this is served or shared.
julie's wet burritos

filling

1 1/2 lb ground beef
1 can refried beans
chopped onions
1 package of dry taco seasoning mix
flour tortillas

brown beef and onions. add seasoning and at least half of a large can, all if you'd like, of refried beans
put a couple spoonsful of meat mixture in tortillas, roll up and place in 9x13 pan that you have placed a little bit of sauce in the bottom.

sauce

1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar of beef gravy
1 small can of enchilada sauce (i use mild)

mix all together and put a little bit in the bottom of the pan to keep tortillas from sticking. place filled and rolled tortillas in pan and pour sauce mixture over all. cover with lots of shredded cheese, i use med cheddar or mexican blend.

bake at 350 for about 30 min.

serve with chopped tomato and lettuce over them........sour cream if desired.

makes about 10 medium sized burritos or use less filling in each and make more.

Can't have nachos without a can of chopped green chilis! :)

One of my daughters' and husband's favorites: Mostaccioli. It's EASY!

1 box Kraft mac n cheese (the regular cheapie box, and does not have to be Kraft brand)

1 lb hamburger
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
basil and oregano to taste
garlic powder and onion powder to taste

Heat water to boil for the macaroni. In the meantime, brown the hamburger in a fry pan. Add onion and garlic powders to taste. Dump the can of tomato sauce into the hamburger, add basil and oregano to taste. Boil the noodles as directed on the macaroni package, reserving the cheese packet aside. Drain the noodles and place in a large serving bowl. Pour the hamburger-tomato sauce mixture over the noodles and stir. Then add the packet of cheese, stir well. Voila, you have a meal to serve 4.

Donna

A pound of ground chuck, browned, crumbled and drained, and a can of Campbell's French onion Soup (don't add water), served on buns. Voila! With tater tots, to boot! Twenty minutes from frozen....Love the stuff!

I make a "hamburger stew" of sorts on occasion, more so when I was a working mom on a budget. I gave the recipe to a couple of young men I worked with back then and they made it all the time for themselves as they were tired of spending all their money on fast food. The only other things they made for themselves were boxed mac & cheese, and ramen.
Brown a pound of burger in a large pot, add a few cubed potatoes, cover with water and simmer until potatoes are tender. Add a package or two of frozen mixed veggies, a couple cans of "cream of" condensed soup(I used celery or mushroom), season to taste, simmer until veggies are tender. I usually served this with(or over)biscuits.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, one of my favorites!

STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS

1 small whole Green Cabbage
2 tablespoons Butter
1 pound Ground Pork
1 pound Ground Beef
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Cup Chopped Onion
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Cups Cooked Long Grain Rice
1 Egg
� Cup Chopped Parsley
2 15 ounce cans of Stewed Tomatoes
1 5ounce can Tomato Sauce

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Core the Cabbage and place the whole head into the boiling water, core side up. Remove the individual leaves with tongs as they cook, and put them into a colander to cool and drain. Remove as many as you can. Set the remaining head aside to cool and drain.

Melt the Butter in a saut� pan, and add the Ground Pork, Ground Beef, Onion and Garlic, and saut� until the meat is completely cooked. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Place all in a large mixing bowl, add the Egg, Rice, Parsley and Salt and Pepper, and stir gently to combine.

Place approx. � cup of the meat mixture at the base of the Cabbage Leaf and roll tightly, folding in the sides as you go. Place in a deep stockpot, layering closely. Chop the remaining head of Cabbage and distribute between the layers. Pour one can of Stewed Tomatoes over the first Layer. When all the Filling and Cabbage Leaves are used, pour on the second can of Stewed Tomatoes. Be sure there is plenty of headroom in the pot as the rolls expand as they cook. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for an hour, checking the liquid level frequently, adding Water or Tomato Juice if necessary. After the first half hour pour the Tomato Sauce over the Rolls. Finish cooking.

Remove to a large platter and cover to keep warm. Increase the heat to medium and stir the pot until the sauce has thickened. Taste to correct seasonings, and serve the Sauce on the side. These are definitely better reheated the next day.

Steve

Sloppy Joes are a treat around here, not sure why I don;t make them more often, but they are well received and EASY! Also American Chop Suey - I know there are a ton of variations out there (and names) but this is what I grew up with in Maine and it is the only one I really like.... (from Marjorie Standish - Portland Press Herald, 1968)

Alexa

******************************************************

American Chop Suey
Saute about 3 slices onion in 3 tablespoons margarine. When onion is soft, add 1 1/2 pounds hamburg and cook over a medium heat until the red color has left. Add salt and pepper to this.
In the meantime, cook elbow macaroni. Put about 1 1/2 quarts water in a covered pan. Bring to a boil. Add salt. Add 1 1/2 cups dry elbow macaroni. Stir and bring to a full, rolling boil on high heat. Stir constantly and boil for 2 minutes on high. Then cover the pan. Remove from heat. Allow to stand for 10 minutes. (No boiling over when done in this manner) At the end of 10 minutes, remove cover, stir and put in colander to drain.
Back to hamburg, add 2 cans of tomato soup, undiluted, mix well. Add drained, cooked elbow macaroni. NO OTHER SEASONING IS NEEDED. Turn into 2-quart casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle top with parmesan cheese if desired.

These are great, thanks! To clarify, the kids will eat a hamburger, it's my non-American born husband who won't.

That Salisbury steak looks so mouthwatering. I'll confess the only Salisbury steak I've ever had came in a box (blush), and I was not impressed with that, but this looks as different as....as.... chocolate and carob.

Do your kids have crock pots? They're great for college students, and there are tons of crock-pot cookbooks and crock-pot recipes on the internet, for that matter.

Here's what I had for lunch today... scrambled ground beef browned with onion over rice with curry powder, golden raisins and toasted pine nuts. and I had a banana on the side.

I love scrambled hamburger with rice, and lean towards mid-eastern/eastern spices when I make it. I was originally inspired by food I encountered in lebanese restaurants.

Cooks.com also had a recipe (search "scrambled hamburger over rice") that looks similar to my uncle's "spanish rice" with bacon and tomato sauce. The difference is he mixed it all together in a casserole dish and baked it.

We also like sloppy joe's....

Here is a link that might be useful: Lebanese Ouzeh Rice

bizzo, you just reminded me of a recipe I love:

Pakistani Kima (aka hamburger curry)

Saute in skillet:
3 T butter
1 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
Add:
1 lb ground beef
Brown well. Stir in:
1 T curry powder
1 1/2 t salt
dash pepper
dash each: cinnamon, ginger and tumeric
2 c cooked tomatoes
2 potatoes, diced
2 c frozen peas or green beans
Cover and simmer 25 minutes (or until potatoes are done). Serve with rice. Even better when topped with coconut.

linnea:
I make very small meatballs ( about nicklesize ) bake them in the oven and freeze them for later .

I use them in place of Beef, for a Stew.
OR
In Chicken Wedding Soup.
OR
In Lasagna, cut in half pieces.
Or
Topping for Pizza
Or
Stuffing for Calzone

All these items can be made in spare time and frozen.
**************************

Maybe your husband would like an Italian Hamburger ???

If you want any recipes I will post them.

LOU

Oh that Pakistani Kima sounds great even at 6:30 AM! LOL! That is definitely on my short list for this week. Thanks so much for sharing that recipe!

Alexa

We don't eat ground beef very often but here's one my daughter liked to make for her friends.

MEXICAN RICE

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes, undrained and chopped
2 cups rice (not instant)
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can beef broth
1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained
1/2 tsp. each of ground cumin, oregano, salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese

Brown beef, onions and garlic in deep skillet or Dutch oven. Add remaining ingredients except cheese. Bring to a boil; then cover tightly and simmer for 25 minuts. Remove lid; cook until liquid is absorbed. Sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese before serving. 6 servings.

Alexa - You're welcome! :) Sharing recipes for someone else to enjoy is 2nd best to cooking for people.