Not sure what to make with ground beef? These vintage ground beef recipes will help you make easy dinners for your family fast. And they all have a fun vintage flare!
Living in Oklahoma I feel like most of our freezers are full of ground beef. As a kid, we even would buy a side of beef some years from a local farm.
There is always a lot of ground beef (or ground bison) in my freezer, it’s an easy meat to just pull out and turn into a delicious dinner. It’s the most common cut of beef we eat.
Ground beef has been popular for a long time and has often been used as a way to stretch the meat budget because it’s great used in small amounts in other dishes.
With rising food costs it’s a good time to bring back some vintage ground beef recipes that were really good at being budget-friendly! And don’t worry, these dishes are all delicious and not weird.
How to Cook Ground Beef
Before we get to the recipes for ground beef it’s a good idea to learn how to cook ground beef properly. Knowing this will help you make the best ground beef recipes possible.
The first thing you want to do is make sure to look for fresh ground beef. I like to get mine from either Thrive Market or Crowd Cow. Both have great ground meat and it comes straight to your door.
If you are buying your ground beef from the grocery store be sure to look for the sell-by-date that is furthest from the day you are shopping. Also, be sure where you are buying the ground beef is cold and make meat your last stop before the checkout line to help keep it cold.
Also consider seeing if you still have a butcher in town. It’s great to shop small and you can get freshly ground beef. I also like to grind my own with my KitchenAid stand mixer food grinder attachment.
Another thing to know before cooking your ground beef is how lean it is. 85/15 is a good all-around ground beef but since it’s quite lean you will want to add some fat when cooking. If you get a fatty cut, especially something like wagyu, you may not need any fat added to the pan.
This is a very simple way to cook your ground beef-
- Heat the pan. If using lean beef be sure to oil your pan. You need the pan to be hot or your beef will steam instead of brown.
- Add your meat to the pan. Break the beef up into small pieces and let it start to brown.
- Break up the meat as it cooks. When the beef starts to brown you’ll want to continue to break up the meat into smaller pieces.
- Cook until brown.
You can also cook ground beef from fresh or frozen in an Instant pot!
How to Defrost Ground Beef
The USDA says that the safest way to thaw ground beef is in the refrigerator. This keeps the meat cold and prevents it from getting to a dangerous temperature which can cause bacteria to grow.
A couple of ways to defrost ground beef safely if you forget to put it in the refrigerator in time include, the microwave, in cold water, or you can cook it in the Instant Pot.
For the microwave just go slow and keep an eye on it. With cold water, you want to put the meat in a watertight plastic bag and submerge it in ice water. Change the water every 30 minutes.
You do want to cook ground beef immediately if you microwave it as some areas may start to cook. It’s also best to cook the beef right away if you are using the cold water method. If you are using the refrigerator method you want to cook or refreeze the beef within 1-2 days. Don’t refreeze ground beef until cooked if you thaw in cold water or the microwave.
You never want to thaw ground beef on the countertop as meat shouldn’t be at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Your beef is unlikely to thaw that fast and it’s risky to try.
Vintage Ground Beef Recipes
Now it's time for some delicious vintage ground beef recipes. You are sure to find a few for your family to try.
This delicious Great Depression recipe is a really good way to stretch your ground beef.
American Goulash is an easy, one-pot, classic comfort food from the 1910's made with ground beef, tomatoes, and macaroni noodles. Enjoy year-round, and delicious leftover, this irresistible Goulash Recipe is guaranteed to win over even the pickiest eaters!
This dish comes from the 1920s. It’s a comforting, economical dish made of ground beef, mashed potatoes and onions. It is perfect for a family meal.
This 1960s classic, Ground Beef Porcupine Meatballs is the ultimate comfort food! The ingredients are simple, the sauce is absolutely amazing and it's perfect for dinner any day of the week!
These 1960's inspired Cheeseburger Stuffed Biscuits are juicy, super customizable, and great for a picnic!
Chow Mein Casserole, also known as Minnesota Hotdish or Chow Mein Hotdish, is 1960s classic midwestern casserole comfort! This ground beef and rice casserole with creamy soup and a crunchy chow mein noodle topping is super easy to throw together or can be made ahead and frozen!
Nobody can resist a saucy, classic ground beef casserole despite its Depression-era origins. A Midwestern dish of pasta, mozzarella, and cheddar cheese textures that create an outstanding meal.
Sweet and savory BBQ Grape Jelly Meatballs are a classic 1960s party appetizer. Learn how to make homemade meatballs with this easy recipe! Or, save time and use frozen meatballs instead for a quick 3-ingredient dish.
A classic 1970s casserole that’s both delicious and family-friendly! Comes together quickly with a few staple ingredients!
Homemade beefaroni is a vintage ground beef recipe that never gets old!
The Duke hiimself helped create this delicious vintage ground beef recipe.
This Instant Pot version of the 1970s classic Ground Beef Stroganoff is delicious. It's an easy recipe that is done in 30 minutes, and is perfect for a busy weeknight. An all-in-one dish that's full of flavor, budget-conscious and kid-friendly!
Johnny Marzetti is a comforting casserole, consisting of noodles, tomato sauce, ground beef, cheese, and sauteed vegetables. It's said to have originated in a restaurant run by the Marzetti family in Columbus, Ohio in the 1970s.
More Vintage Recipes
Looking for some more vintage recipes to try out? I’ve got you covered!
GIULIA says
Loving ideas for dinner with meat lover’s guest