8 Great Ground Beef Recipes

We older folks all remember the stuffed peppers from school lunchrooms. A gloopy mixture of rice, ground beef, and ketchup stuffed into a green bell pepper and topped with more ketchup before baking. This version is far more sophisticated and nuanced and isn't more difficult - it just requires more ingredients. I developed the recipe for a lawn party almost 30 years ago and originally cooked them on a charcoal grill.

My mother doesn't like meatballs. This came as an absolute surprise to me when she revealed this flaw because she used to serve them frequently at parties when I was growing up. That was the only time she made meatballs though and I loved them as much because I was only permitted to eat one on such occasions as because I loved the taste and their elegant appearance in a copper chafing dish. Meatballs are a bit of trouble to make but their flavor is out of proportion to their size and effort.

I've tried a lot of variations in meatloaf over the years adding grated carrots or glazing with plum sauce or using rice for the filler, adding shredded cheese. But the only variation from my mother's meatloaf that has become common in my recipe is making a free-form loaf and wrapping it in bacon. Well, and I usually skip the ketchup glaze, but then, so did my mother. And isn't that the ultimate description of a nostalgic dish: Just like Mom used to make.

Bolognese is the original meat sauce from which our American beef pasta sauces are derived. But comparing the real thing with what most of us are familiar with is like comparing a Mercedes to a Saturn, they both accomplish the same purpose but the Mercedes does it much more luxuriously. Also, a true Bolognese is a more a ragu (stew) than a sauce where the liquid flavors the meat rather than the reverse. This is another of those recipes better on day two so this recipe produces enough for leftovers.

No, a Caribbean Jerk Burger isn't a burger for Caribbean jerks, it's a burger containing jerk seasoning. Jerk seasoning is a collection of spices popular on grilled meats (pork, beef, and chicken) in the Caribbean. In this recipe instead of sprinkling the seasoning on the surface of the burgers, it's mixed into the meat along with a bit of lime juice. I like serving them on onion rolls with a slice of aged provolone and a spoonful of mayo. These are also good made with half beef and half pork - and they freeze beautifully.

Mititei is a Romanian sausage usually made with beef, pork, and mutton; although I've made them with pure beef, pure lamb, half and half beef and lamb, beef and pork, or lamb and pork. They're not enclosed in casings but are instead shaped into sausage-style rolls, chilled for two to eight hours, and then grilled. Traditionally mitiei are served with mustard and beer.

I have a friend who lives in Houston with whom I frequently argue about two things - chili and barbeque. As a Texan she insists the only proper barbeque is smoked brisket and the only proper chile is made from beef, chiles, and maybe tomatoes. I'll avoid the brisket question here, but as for chili I think one of it's advantages is that it's a great way of extending cheap meat into a larger and more complete one-pot meal. And although I agree with her that diced meat is superior to ground meat, I do use ground meat when it's handy.

Somehow I made it to the ripe old age of 50 without ever eating an Italian meatball. Fortunately I realized that significant lapse and set out immediately to rectify it. I began with a recipe by Marcella Hazan and then adjusted it through two or three iterations to my taste. They're a bit of trouble to make so I always make enough to freeze some for a later date. I also sometimes use my basic Maranara sauce (which I usually have in my freezer) to make it.