Warmer weather can mean more demands on your time,
so consider these Ground Beef Time-Saving Tips
Quick Preparation
Buy ground beef in bulk, and then:
1) fry up some for tacos, spaghetti, sloppy joes, etc., drain fat and separate it into 1-2 cup portions and freeze.
2) Make patties out of some; stack them (separated by plastic wrap or waxed paper) and put into a freezer bag and freeze for later use.
3) If your family likes meat loaf, this is also a good time to prepare one; place it in a freezer container and also freeze for later use. We do this while we’re putting away our groceries—takes about 30 minutes and later on we’re really glad we went to the extra effort.
Smart, huh?
Meatballs
Whether for Italian meals or cocktail meatballs, form meatballs and drop into boiling water, one at a time. They'll cook quickly, keep their shape and the grease will drain into the water. Cook for a few minutes and voila -- meatballs to use or freeze on a cookie sheet. When frozen-bag 'em. Your next meal will be ready in minutes, no need to thaw, just drop needed amount into sauce and heat. Super smart, huh?
Freezing Meat
OR, if you don’t have time to cook it up just yet: Freeze ground meat in 1 pound portions and place into freezer storage bags. Flatten out to the edges of the bag and remove all the air before zipping and sealing, then freezing. These flat bags of ground meats stack neatly laid flat or standing on edge in the freezer. If you want a smaller amount it’s easy just to break it off then reseal the bag. The meats also thaw quicker when stored this way. Smart, huh?
(If YOU have a smart idea, won't you share it? Life is so much easier and we accomplish so much more when we pool our resources. And after all, we're all in this together. So email
patty@dvo.com or
alice@dvo.com with YOUR Smart Ideas!)
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