Ground beef meal prep packets can be stored in the freezer so you can buy big batches of ground beef when it goes on sale and use it for easy family dinners in no time! Fresh carrots, celery, and onions add a boost of veggies to the mix and pair well with 24 easy ground beef recipes.
Make ahead ground beef meal prep packets so you can shave time off your family dinner prep all month long!
This easy recipe for frozen browned ground beef will help you add pre-cooked meat to easy casseroles, soups, and pasta sauces for delicious dinners even on a busy night.
Buy ground beef when it goes on sale and you can stock up on easy-to-use meal prep packets for the busiest week nights!
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Why This is the Best Recipe
I love easy family dinner recipes that help me get food to my family quickly. I think this is the best ground beef meal prep recipe because:
- Flexible: There are 24 amazing ground beef recipes on my site you could use this meal prep packet to make.
- Easy: By browning a big batch of ground beef in advance, you will shave so much time off the final meal prep for your dinner.
- Healthy: My mixture includes fresh carrots, celery, and onions to add a little extra dose of veggies in the mix. They pair perfectly with just about any recipe you want to make.
Ingredients
The ingredients for the ground beef meal prep packets are very similar to those needed for my Italian bolognese sauce (minus the milk and tomatoes you see below.)
You'll need to have:
- Ground Beef
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions
- Minced Garlic
- Salt & Pepper
If that mixture looks very plain in flavor to you, that's completely on purpose.
The goal is to have a packet of browned ground beef that can be used for a wide variety of easy dinner recipes.
The extra seasonings will come when you prepare the final dish.
How to Brown the Ground Beef
Add the ground beef to a large pot on the stove top over medium-high heat.
I love to use my heavy-bottomed dutch oven for this recipe, it is one of my very favorite kitchen tools since it helps to brown the beef so evenly.
Mostly you'll just need a large pot that has enough space for the ground beef and the vegetables we'll add in a minute.
Cook the ground beef until no longer pink. Break it up with your spoon as you go.
Drain the fat off and return the pot to the stove.
Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add the Vegetables
Add the diced carrots, celery, and onions to the browned ground beef and stir.
Continue to cook until the onions have softened and become translucent.
Freezing Instructions
It is important to let the ground beef mixture cool completely before packaging it in 1-2 cup servings for your freezer.
Otherwise steam from the warm meat could cause freezer burn in storage.
You can freeze the ground beef for up to 3 months.
Thaw the ground beef packets in the fridge overnight and then just stir them into your recipes.
If you forget to thaw them, you can defrost the ground beef in the microwave.
Ground Beef Meal Prep Tips
This simple ground beef meal prep packet has just a very simple flavor. It will pair well with almost any ground beef recipe you plan to use.
If you know that there are specific recipes you plan to use it for, you could always add the specific seasonings needed for that dish before you freeze it.
Just be sure to label each container so you remember how you plan to use it for dinner later.
Easy Ground Beef Recipes
You can see all 24 of my favorite easy ground beef recipes that these meal prep packets would work perfectly for right here:
📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Meal Prep Packets
Ingredients
- 4 pounds ground beef
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 3 carrots
- 1 stalk of celery
- 3 onions
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Sprinkle of fresh ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the ground beef to a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook the meat, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until no longer pink. Drain the fat off and return the pot to the stove.
- Add the minced garlic to the pot and stir. Cook for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- While the beef is browning, chop the carrots, celery, and onions into a small dice. Add them to the pot with the browned ground beef and stir.
- Reduce the burner heat to low and cook the mixture until the vegetables are softened and the onions are translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
- Let the ground beef mixture cool completely before packaging it in 1-2 cup servings for your freezer.
- Mark the packets with date and freeze for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes
How to Use Frozen Ground Beef Packets
Place a ground beef meal prep packet in your fridge overnight to thaw. You could also gently defrost it in the microwave or let it soak (still in its bag!) in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
Find this delicious recipe next time you visit by saving it to your very own recipe box on my site. All your favorites stored in one easy place!
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