Where's the Beef?

Ground beef. It is cheap and easy. When I do my shopping, I bulk up on a variety of meats to put in my freezer and pull out as need be, but I always have about 1 lb of ground beef in the till. Here are some standby recipes using ground beef that are good for the belly, good for the soul and good for the pocketbook.

Beef Ragu with Polenta

Ingredients:

• 1 C yellow Cornmeal
• Handful dried oregano
• Dash of Kosher salt
• 2 C Chicken Stock
• 1/2 C Whole Milk
• 1/2 C heavy Whipping Cream
• 3/4 C grated Parmigiano Cheese, divided
• 1 Tbl Butter
• 1 Lb ground beef (sirloin is preferred)
• slosh of red wine (Pour yourself a glass and drink whatever you don't put in the pan)
  
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Directions:

• Place cornmeal, oregano and salt in a large saucepan.
• Gradually add broth, milk and cream, stirring constantly with a whisk
• Bring to a boil, stirring frequently
• Reduce heat to low, cover and cook, stirring frequently, until meat ragu is done
• Stir in 1/2 C of cheese and butter before serving
• Heat a large skillet over medium heat; coat with cooking spray
• Add beef and saute 5 minutes, drain off grease
• Add onion, garlic and pepper, saute until beef is thoroughly cooked
• Add sauce and simmer for approximately 8 minutes
• Top polenta with beef mixture and sprinkle with more cheese
  

Better than your Mama's Meatloaf
Note: baking this on a broiler pan instead of a loaf or rectangular pan lets all the grease fall down into the bottom away from the meat and prevents the meatloaf from getting soggy.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
• 1 C milk
• Healthy dash of Worcestershire sauce
• handful dried sage
• salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1 Tbl coarse ground mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 C Italian style bread crumbs
• 1/2 C ketchup
• 1/2 C barbeque sauce

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350
• Spray a broiler pan with non-stick spray
• Mix all ingredients together (except ketchup and barbeque sauce) in a large bowl, taking care not to over mix and make the meat tough and dry
• Put the meat mixture on the broiler pan and free-from a rough rectangular shape
• Mix ketchup and barbeque sauce together in a small bowl and spread over top (You can make this up ahead of time, just omit the ketchup mixture until ready to cook)
• Bake uncovered for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes
• Let stand 5 minutes, slice and serve