I love doing what I can to save money on groceries.
I don’t know about you, but I find that especially here in the Great White North, food is really expensive – meat and cheese especially! I like to do what I can to save money and still get enough protein in our diets.
Today I want to share with you a trick that I learned from my mom about ground beef. Fred and I are not foodies but any stretch of the imagination – we cook really simply, so ground beef is a staple at our house. We put it in soups, in spaghetti sauce, lasagna, on nachos, and in burritos. It takes a while to cook, so I buy it in bulk and freeze it in smaller portions. This saves me time and money!
Here’s a step-by-step guide with pictures. Ready?
1. Buy a big batch of beef. Lean ground beef is usually a bit more expensive, so I usually go with regular ground beef and rinse it after it’s cooked to get the extra fat off.
2. Get out the biggest pan you have. I use a non-stick frying pan. You could do two batches at once (2 pans) to save time.
3. Scoop out a bunch of the beef into the pan. I usually keep the stove on 6 or 7 (medium-high) while cooking. If you crank it up to high, the grease will splatter.
4. Flip beef over when the bottom is cooked. Make sure both sides get cooked. You might have to flip the beef over a few times to make sure it gets cooked through the middle.
5. Beef is done when you can’t see any more pink. Make sure that it’s cooked all the way to avoid any raw meet in your food later on!
6. Pour into colander with a tin can underneath. This drains all the lovely fat off your beef and makes it more tasty. Wait until the grease hardens and the can is full, then throw away. 
(Sorry about the shadow in this picture!)
7. Cool, then put in individual bags/containers. I usually separate them into the portion size I will use later. My mom taught me that 2.5 cups is one pound, which is helpful for future cooking endeavours. Put beef in the freezer so it’s there when you need it.
So there you have it! A simple way to stretch your meat budget and make it easier to throw together a meal later. The possibilities for ground beef are endless – it’s a must-have for your freezer!
What do you use ground beef for? Leave me some ideas below!