If there’s one thing I’ve learned over my years of cooking, it’s to always keep ground beef in the freezer. As long as I have that, I know I can get dinner on the table no matter what. Add this collection of tried-and-true vintage recipes, and you’ve got everything you need for a satisfying meal. From casseroles and meatloaf to stuffed peppers, these ground beef dinners are classic, comforting, and every bit as useful today as they were decades ago.
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01 of 18
“The name is a little misleading—these ‘steaks’ are actually ground beef held together with egg and breadcrumbs. They’re basically single-serving patties of meatloaf that are seared and then braised in a savory mushroom gravy. This recipe is a little (OK, a lot) retro, but it totally hits the spot.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer
02 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer
“There is something about taco salad that just says family meal. Maybe it’s the customization option, so different palates can experience their perfect main salad components. Maybe it’s the ability to bring children into the meal prep ritual, since its varied components are easy to assemble. Or maybe it’s because it’s a one-dish-and-done meal that still satisfies.” —Stephanie Burt, Recipe Developer
03 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photography by Frederick Hardy II, Prop Styling by Priscilla Montiel, Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall
“This version keeps everything I love, streamlines it into a one-skillet meal, and leaves my mark as the third generation. I’ve added dried chives to the beef filling for a little pop of green and more oniony flavor. I also added some garlic powder to the topping because everything should have garlic! It’s still just as easy and comforting as I remember, my childhood on a plate.” —Melissa Gray-Streett, Recipe Developer
04 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Keiko Groves
“This dish was more common in the late 1950s when the low-calorie meal trend began to take off, and families were seeking healthier cooking options. And I love using cornflakes, as they give great texture and a subtle sweetness that plays nicely with this savory treat.” —Bobby Hicks, Cookbook Author
05 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
“The beauty of this dish is that each portion is super easy to serve or to dole out for meal prep, making lasagna roll-ups a great choice for make-ahead meals.” —Afton Cyrus, Senior Editor
06 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
“While I wanted to keep the flavors and spirit of this casserole intact with ground beef, potatoes, and tomatoes, I updated it a bit with fresh vegetables, spices, and no gloopy canned soups. Plus, there’s a fun potato hack that makes the recipe quicker and easier to make!” —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer
07 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
“This simple sandwich was popularized throughout the Midwest by Maid-Rite, an Iowa-based restaurant chain founded in 1926. Traditionally, loose-meat sandwiches (also called “Maid-Rites”) are served with mustard, pickles, and sometimes chopped onions.” —Haley Scarpino, Associate Editor
08 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Coco Morante
“A fun and retro dish, porcupine meatballs started to appear in the early 20th century but gained popularity post World War II, when brands like Hunt’s printed recipes for porcupine meatballs in ads for their tomato sauce.” —Coco Morante, Recipe Developer
09 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
“My best friend’s family made this often when I was growing up, and they, as many Ohioans do, referred to it colloquially as “Marzetti”. Hearty with ground beef and cheesy, tomato-sauced macaroni, it feeds a crowd, and it was their go-to for countless potlucks and church suppers.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
10 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
“Instead of making individual patties and searing each one, simply cook ground beef in a skillet and combine it with sautéed mushrooms and a savory gravy for a 30-minute meal. It has all of the flavors of the original without the hassle.” —Laurel Randolph, Simply Recipes Editor
11 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Nico Schinco / Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
“I like to serve the patty melt with bright, acidic, or vinegar-based side dishes because it’s such a rich sandwich. Try pickles, pickled vegetables, Greek salad, green bean salad, or maybe an olive salad.” —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer
12 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle
“Chop suey was a catch-all term for Chinese-American stir fries consisting of mixed chopped vegetables and meat (often beef) cooked in soy sauce and served over rice that became popular in the United States in the late 1800s. Over time, the dish morphed into many new forms, including American chop suey, which rose to prominence in the 1960s.” —Amanda Stanfield, Recipe Developer
13 of 18
“In the early 1900s, Cincinnati saw an influx of Greek and Macedonian immigrants. Brothers Tom and John Kiradjieff opened Empress Chili Parlor in 1922. They took a diner-ized version of a Greek stew seasoned with Mediterranean spices and gave it a familiar handle: chili.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
14 of 18
“This recipe my mother adapted from Adelle Davis when mom was teaching herself to cook in the 1960s.” —Elise Bauer, Founder
15 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Frank Tiu
“Made up of four components—a starch, meat, canned or frozen vegetable, and canned condensed soup—they were especially popular during the Great Depression as a one-dish wonder that was filling and crowd-pleasing.” —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer
16 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
“For the record, it’s not strictly traditional to serve sauce (or gravy) with Swedish meatballs in Sweden. But somehow, in the transition from Europe to this side of the Atlantic, we have become accustomed to serving the meatballs with sauce. And thank goodness; it’s terrific!” —Elise Bauer, Founder
17 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Photo by Jen Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Lindsey Lower
“My world was rocked when I figured out it takes about five extra minutes to make homemade Hamburger Macaroni. The homemade version still has the nostalgia factor while tasting oh-so-much better thanks to beef broth and real cheddar cheese. Now I don’t have to wistfully remember the good old days—I can relive them, deliciously.” —Laurel Randolph, Simply Recipes Editor
18 of 18
Credit: Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
“Over the years I’ve read (and made) dozens of meatloaf recipes. Most of them are good, and a few are great. One thing that unites my favorite meatloaves is their ease. If you’re looking for a reliably crowd-pleasing meatloaf recipe that you can pull together with a few pounds of ground beef and basic pantry staples, this is your recipe.” —Sara Bir, Simply Recipes Editor
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