Happy Thursday, everyone! Almost to the weekend again. They’re never long enough, huh?
We cram in as much fun as we can around soccer and laundry. This coming Sunday, I think we’re going to a pet shop to look at snakes. After the recent reptile show we attended, Trevor hasn’t stopped talking about wanting one. We might – MIGHT – get him something for Chrismukkah #holdme
Anyway, we’re all so jammed for time these days. More homework, more sports activities, longer hours at work. Ugh. So I’m all for cooking hacks and short cuts in the kitchen, as long as it doesn’t compromise taste.
One of my favorite time-savers is seasoning and cooking ground meat ahead of time, then freeze in portions. Defrost only what you need to make meals easier and quicker!
Simply double this recipe and/or freeze in smaller portions to fit your needs.
Make Ahead Pre-Seasoned Meat
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef , turkey, or pork
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add ground meat; cook until browned, breaking it up into small chunks with a wooden spoon, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the Italian herbs, onion powder, and garlic powder. Drain off fat.
- Spread meat onto a baking sheet and allow to cool completely; about 20 minutes.
- Spoon the meat into a 1-quart freezer ziploc bag; squeeze all the air out, seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months.
- To use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
What a great idea. How come I never thought of it?!
Snakes, you say…………….or maybe just a turtle.
Amy,
A pet shop to look at snakes?! So cool!!!! I guess I shouldn’t mind that my kids want a dog huh?! girl, I love this make ahead idea! We eat ground beef and turkey at least 1-2 times a week!! I love this!
Hello?!?!?! Beagles>reptiles. No icky reptile things in this house. Closest we came was living in NC and the salamanders would come in through the door when it was open and our cat thought they were the greatest things ever. But now that we live in the tundra, we don’t have those (the ONE advantage). Thanks. We’ll stick to beagles. You should, too. ;)