Ground Beef Versatility

 One of the most versatile ingredients is ground beef, whether the real thing or plant based. It can be made into everything and anything. You can make it plain or fancy, depending on your tastes and what you want to do.

One of the easiest dishes to make with ground beef is hamburger. Many home chefs have very definite ideas about the perfect patty with the perfect taste. For a simple one it's just mixing ground beef or even turkey  with one egg and breadcrumbs for the most perfect and juiciest burger. A flavorful add in is a tablespoon or two of chopped onion. For more flavor saute the chopped onion in butter or I Can't Begin It's Butter.if you want something different, spike up the patties with hot pepper flakes or chili powder. Keep in mind you can also add these when you use the ground beef for meat loaf. Some like to have this American classic with zing whether it's a teaspoon or two of chili powder or flakes.Again the basic recipe is somewhat similar to hamburger patties. It's combining egg, meat and breadcrumbs  with the addition of a cup of milk. Recipes vary here too, with the addition of brown sugar and ketchup. Then there's the question of adding a glaze or not and what kind. Vegans will appreciate a loaf made of Beyond Beef. This is a delicious mix of the plant based meat with fishless  Worcester sauce and breadcrumbs. Onion and garlic powder give it some oomph too.

Ground beef is also the backbone of many other dishes too. You can make a delicious Bolognese sauce with it or with soy crumbles. Both Morningstar Farms and Gardein have the last and it makes for a tasty faux Bolognese.The sauce is a hearty version that works well with any kind of pasta and ravioli.It also freezes and reheats well too. Of course any meat crumbles are great in chili. It makes this fun dish hearty , especially when you add a few different kinds of beans. You could even sub in quartered hamburgers too in this for a filling winter supper. Again chili is up for interpretation. it can be mild or made four alarm , depending on what you or your family likes. Ground beef or vegan crumbles make the perfect filling for burritos and tacos too. Again you can add what you want to it for these. Chili powder give it some zing along with taco mix spicing (which you can buy in your spice aisle) or in your grocery's Mexican food section. Ground beef is also great in Chinese dishes. The famed Szechuan dish Ants Climbing A Tree is a delicious marriage of ground beef, chopped scallions, garlic and rice noodles.Pepper flakes give it bite  as everything is sauteed in a mix of olive and vegetable oil.

Ground beef and its' vegan version soy crumbles are incredibly versatile. Have it in patties or in sauce. Try it in Mexican or Chinese dishes. It gives any home chef a wide range of options and variety.