33 Ridiculously Easy Dinners You Can Make With a Pound of Ground Beef

Savory ground beef, cheddar cheese, and tender potatoes make this one-pot dinner a weeknight hero.

Between the satisfying crunch of the taco shell, the spiced ground beef, and all the toppings you can think of, it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleasing combination.

You only need five minutes to prep these saucy noodles that have the most amazing depth of flavor. Plus, this dish comes together largely with pantry ingredients.

This recipe is everything you love about classic ground beef tacos, baked into an easy casserole and then topped with lettuce, tomato, and shredded cheddar.

Inspired by the traditional flavors of bulgogi, this recipe is the perfect 20-minute dinner. You can make it on repeat and still keep it fresh every time by serving it over a different kind of rice or changing up the toppings.

These fried half-moon pastries come together quickly with store-bought dough and are filled with a flavorful ground beef filling and melty cheese.

This stir-fry is heavily inspired by classic Thai basil beef (although it takes some liberties to make it faster and even more weeknight-friendly) and uses a simple four-ingredient sauce that’s just the right balance of savory, salty, and sweet.

Thanks to the viral doner kebab hack, making gyros at home is delightfully easy. Using a food processor to mix the meat and other ingredients into a uniform consistency yields gyro meat that’s as close to restaurant-quality as you can get in a home kitchen. No roasting spit required.

Meaning “fake dumplings,” this dish gets its name because the pasta is a shortcut version of Turkish mantı, a delicious (albeit time-consuming) dumpling dish filled with spiced meat and finished with a Turkish pepper sauce and garlicky yogurt. The cheat version employs pasta and quickly sautéed beef to avoid the tedious task of forming and folding dumplings.

If you’re craving a juicy, tender, cheese-topped burger — one that you can really sink your teeth into — then you need to try this recipe. No dry hockey pucks here! Just the kind of burger you’d normally pay big bucks for at a restaurant.

Mixed with ground beef, beans, tomatoes, and warm spices, this classic recipe is a winter staple. Plus it tastes even better the next day.

Thanks to the magic of Japanese curry mix, this comes together in just 30 minutes and has a complexity of flavors that is just as satisfying as something that’s been simmering all day.

A meatloaf that's delicious enough even for people who claim they're not a fan of the retro dinner. This homemade version is super tender, flavorful, and loaded with veggies.

You only need 10 minutes to prep these saucy noodles. Not only does the rich, savory sauce taste totally incredible, but it also perfectly clings to the noodles. Plus, there’s just enough of it so all the components are nicely coated but not swimming in it.

This dish is a one-pot wonder with ground beef and cheddar cheese that channels all the Hamburger Helper vibes.

Make tender and rich meatballs every time. The key is to soak fresh or dried breadcrumbs in a little milk until the bread becomes soggy, then mix that right into the meat.

This classic barbecue side dish utilizes pantry staples and comes together in just one pot. They’re not as sweet as traditional baked beans; the mix of barbecue sauce and brown sugar perfectly balances sweet and savory.

You only need 10 minutes to prep these saucy noodles. It all starts with a simple sauce using harissa paste and honey, which turns noodles savory and sweet, with a little kick of heat.

A smash burger gets the ratios right: thin, crispy patty with lacy edges and a perfectly melty layer of American cheese. Because everythnig is flat, no toppings fall off, so it really makes for a better eating experience all around.

This classic meat sauce is hearty, rich, and better than anything you’ll order in a restaurant. Spoon it over a bowl of pappardelle, or toss with your favorite pasta shape.

A veggie-rich take on the classic Chinese appetizer that you can actually eat as dinner. The best part is that you don’t have to chop a mountain of vegetables — all you have to do is snag a bag of coleslaw mix at the grocery store!

Sautéed beef and onions, gooey cheese, and the perfect dipping sauce make these the most delicious appetizer.

A duo of gochujang and soy sauce adds umami, a subtle sweetness, and a kick of heat that really takes classic Bolognese to a whole new level. It's comfort food with an extra-flavorful punch.

Tourtière is a traditional French Canadian spiced meat pie typically served during Christmas or New Year’s Eve. It’s flavored with warm spices (like ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon), and sometimes filled with potatoes and celery, depending on which region you’re from.

Veggies, starch, and protein are all packed into colorful, single-serving “cups” and finished with a cap of melty, browned shredded cheese. This recipe is versatile enough that you can mix and match with your favorite flavors or just use up leftover ingredients taking up space in the fridge.

One of the easiest dinners you’ll ever make. It’s a cozy dish made with pantry and fridge staples like canned tomatoes, ground beef, and elbow macaroni.

This saucy noodle skillet loaded with iron-rich ground beef and lots of fresh broccoli is a perfect fit for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that’s super satisfying. Bonus: The leftovers are incredible!

This beefy Tex-Mex-flavored casserole is layered with corn tortillas (instead of pasta), refried beans, cheese, and a taco-spiced meaty filling tossed in store-bought red enchilada sauce. It’s not authentic, but it is delicious.

The best dinners are a little sloppy. Ketchup combined with a can of plain tomato sauce makes a robust flavor base for this sloppy Joe recipe. Slide a few pickle chips in under the bun — they add the perfect crunch.

Weeknights just got easier with this slow cooker beef and pasta dinner. Every bite is packed with savory ground beef, tender pasta, and a cheesy tomato sauce. It’s delicious, filling, and even easier than the boxed version, thanks to the slow cooker.

Everything you love about spaghetti and meatballs, made so much easier in this one-pot, no-chop dinner.

You can't go wrong with this flavorful stew of ground beef, peas, and carrots (and sometimes corn), with mountains of creamy mashed potatoes. Using frozen veggies as a shortcut makes this an easy weeknight recipe.

These Taco Bell-inspired tacos feature a double taco shell stuffed with a beef-and-bean filling. After just one bite you’ll understand the hype: They’re the perfect way to liven up Taco Tuesday.