I would freeze the meat in half pound portions, flattened like a big square patty so it packs flat in the freezer and defrosts quickly.

If you wish to cook it, how about spaghetti sauce, chili or sloppy joes? ( We like the home-made 1950's style...not the canned version )

I think it was Shambo who posted a Greek meatball recipe and I would make those.

Korean beef and mushrooms is good. Stir-fry the beef, add onion, mushrooms, saute. Add 2 or 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, 1 can sliced water chestnuts. Add crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, black pepper, 2 or 3 TBS. sesame oil, 3 to 4 TBS. soy sauce, stir. Add 1 cup white rice and 2 cups beef broth, stir for 1 minute at high heat. Turn heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and add 1 cup snow peas and cover for 5 minutes. Serve with gochujang sauce and kimchi on the side.

I purposely buy ground beef in bigger-than-one-meal packages. Sometimes I just pack the excess, wrapped in waxed paper, into a freezer bag. A lot of times I fry, crumbled, then drain well and when it's cooled put it into a freezer container so that on babysitting night I can do something quick after we get home, like sloppy joes or toss with some mushrooms, add gravy and serve over mashed potatoes or noodles.

I would make meatballs or meatloaf and freeze, uncooked. Then it's very easy to get dinner together on a night when you're just not feeling it.

I would either make a mushroom meatloaf or a Bolognese sauce. I made a mushroom meatloaf a couple of days ago, and I use the leftovers in pasta sauce to make it into a sort of Bolognese or meat sauce. When I use mushrooms in a meatloaf, I add a package of gelatin and 1/4 tsp baking soda, to make it more tender, and I use dried Porcini mushrooms.

I think I made meatloaf a couple years ago. in this instance mini meat balls suit us better. Spice grinder dried porcini, 2-3 tbsp ,spices, a tbsp oates. Spices you like. Roll in panko or any fine crumb.

We freeze on a sheet pan, then zip-lock or food saver. This follows our veg/broth/ minimal protein plan...take out 6 mini meat balls for soups, etc.

80% veg, a meat treat.

Big meat meal are not in our deal-i-o. We have a commercial grinder and grind every 6-8 weeks. We plan what we might want to process for the freezer...mini amounts for so many meals.

The only thing I use ground beef (chuck) for is burgers and meatballs. Once every few years I'll make meatloaf. I freeze burgers and meatballs for future use. Burgers uncooked, meatballs cooked (baked).

If you want to revisit making meatballs cook them in the pressure cooker. In my 8 qt I can cook 3 lbs (2lb ground beef, 1lb italian sausage, and the the add ins) at once. 5 minutes and done. 2 jars of sauce is usually enough.

Just be sure to warm up the sauce and then put in the meatballs. I find the bottom will scorch if the sauce isn't warmed up.

I’d make stuffed bell peppers, freeze any extra.

I made nachos yesterday with my ground beef.

I usually buy hamburger in a large pkg when on sale. I make a double batch of spagetti sauce (freezing 1/2 for another night) & make the rest into hamburger patties which I freeze and separate with parchment paper so they are easy to handle when thawed. I also really like using left over rice if I have it on hand to mix with tomatoes, green & red peppers, onions & spices. Hamburger is so versatile 😋.

I would divide into four 1/2 pound packages and freeze it for later. But if you don't want to do that, you can make Bolognese sauce with 1/2, divide in two (for two meals) and freeze; and meatloaf with the other pound, bake the meatloaf, and then slice it and freeze it so it can be warmed for future meals. Another meal that comes to mind is Piccadillo (here is the recipe I used - Piccadillo - but it look like it has been a bit updated because I remember also using capers). It is really yummy - there is something about the raisins and capers (and olives) together that I really like.

I like my Piccadillo with raisins, olives, and sliced almonds... and use it to stuff Anaheims.

What can't you do with 2 pounds of ground beef? I always have some stashed in the freezer for that last minute dinner thought. Sloppy Joe's, taco or burrito filling/taco salad, chili, Jamaican patties, stuffed peppers, pasta casseroles, Bolognese sauce, cottage pie, tamale pie, meatballs, meatloaf, etc. And since virtually every recipe I can think of calls for around a pound, I freeze in 1 pound packages.

cook up a pound, make a lasagna. enjoy, and freeze the rest of the lasagna. freeze the other pound in 1/2 lbpackages ... double zip bagged.

Or you could make a wonderful calico bean dish in the crock pot, and portion the rest into freezer containers.

Or add 2 pounds of ground pork and 2 lbs of ground ham and make ham balls.

I'd make AnnT's Salisbury Steak, but Elery would rather have enchiladas.

When I make meatballs I usually make 5 pound batches because it is such a production. I use the "Mama's Meatballs" recipe I got here, it's from Rocco DeSpirito, and then I freeze a bunch, so we can use them as we need them.

I seldom make meatloaf because I just don't like it, but I've been thinking about a batch of Spanish Rice or cabbage rolls.

Annie

I'm enjoying reading all your responses. I really just wondered what other people would do. I'm tempted by the sloppy joe's suggestion (I've never used a special can for it--no need! I don't measure either. Just dump stuff in). I love sloppy joe's. But I should make something for the freezer and no way that would make it that far. To clarify, I made a big pot of beans (black eyed pea stew) and a much bigger pot of spaghetti sauce yesterday, but ended up not needing the ground beef. So meatballs or meatloaf, depending on how lazy I'm feeling, half for the freezer. I don't freeze raw meat. I have a package of cryovac'd ground beef for "emergencies" but never even cook that. It's been really interesting reading how so many of you freeze ground beef and in little portions and all of that! I had no idea! Also all the different dishes you'd make, and all the same ones. :)

I always buy ground beef at least 2 pounds at a time. I make patties and wrap individually in that sticky plastic wrap and put them into a freezer bag. because they are flat and not huge, they defrost quickly in a plastic bag submerged into warm water and I always have a burger at the ready. For 2 pounds that would make 6 nice patties, not a huge job to do!
Or you could make meatballs from half a pound and patty up the rest.

When I had too much ground beef around - I made Paleo meatloaf. Use potato instead of breadcrumbs. Frankly, it tastes better too.

I use the same recipe for meatballs and meatloaf. I just add more egg and breadcrumbs for the meatloaf, and if the ground beef was not previously frozen, I will often freeze part of the mix for later use.

I always have meatballs in the freezer. But I also did 5-lbs at a time, a mix of ground beef and pork, season them up (spices, mustard, red pepper flakes), cook and freeze. Handy-dandy for quick meals.

I still freeze them, but in a smaller quantity now, the last ones were 3 lbs.

I would split it into two, freeze one and make meat sauce for spaghetti with one of them and probably a chili later.

The last time I made a batch of chili, I used FOUR pounds of ground beef! It made a huge pot and I froze it up into individule meal sizes. Very handy to have in the freezer!

Pillog says . I don't freeze raw meat. I have a package of cryovac'd ground beef for "emergencies" but never even cook that. It's been really interesting reading how so many of you freeze ground beef and in little portions and all of that! I had no idea!

These days, the only way I buy ground meat is from local farmers. I want to be sure that there's only one or two cows in my ground beef! The only way they sell that is frozen, so they don't have to worry about it going "off" before it's sold.

So... that's why mine is frozen. I haven't noticed any adverse problems with using meats frozen by the butcher.

Four farms we visit. Beef, chicken, wild game, veg. ...All have freezers and fresh. If destined for the freezer, stocking up, I want my meat frozen as soon as possible after processing. (it is going into my freezer any who)

Most have a rotation of processing...quail Mondays, pig Wednesday, chicken Friday etc....they flash freeze and do that for bulk.

When we stop for chicken we get two fresh and 5-6 dozen frozen thighs.

Beef same. Grind our own, fresh. Purchase some steaks frozen.