Simple Ground Beef and Potatoes Recipe

Have you ever taken a look in your fridge and thought about what you could make with ground beef? I have a simple recipe that I make once or twice a month for my husband that he absolutely loves. I find that this recipe is also great for those times when we don’t have much money and can only afford a little bit of food. Let’s face it, life happens and sometimes we have to pay for repairs on our cars and home. This recipe is what I make during those tough times and even during times when my husband requests it.

For the recipe, I use lean ground beef and Russet potatoes. Russet potatoes are my favorite types of potatoes to cook with. If you want to try different potatoes you can. This recipe is what I use when cooking for two or three. So if you want to add more meat or potatoes, then go right ahead. It really depends on how many you are cooking for. I also use a large non-stick pan for cooking. So the size of the pan can vary depending on how much you’re cooking.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound ground beef

7-8 potatoes (I use Russet potatoes), peeled, cut, and rinsed

2 tablespoons of oil (I use olive oil)

1 tsp salt

First peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut them into small pieces so they can cook faster. Set aside and begin cooking the ground beef in the large non-stick pan. After cooking the ground beef, drain the grease from the pan and beef. As you drain the grease, add the oil in the same pan used to cook the beef (I do this because the potatoes get the flavor of the meat as its cooking). Then add the potatoes and cook them on medium heat. Sprinkle the salt on the potatoes and mix the potatoes with a spatula. I cover the pan with a lid as the potatoes cook. Every 5-7 minutes turn the potatoes. Do this until the potatoes are soft, usually takes about 20 minutes all together for me to cook the potatoes. Now add the beef to the pan. When the beef is added, mix it with the potatoes and cook for about 7 more minutes. Continue to mix the beef and potatoes every minute during these 7 minutes. Make sure the potatoes are soft (but not too soft) before turning the stove off. Serve the food on a plate or even in a bowl. My husband and I eat ours in a bowl. We also use ketchup to eat with our meat and potatoes. When my dad eats this recipe, he just eats his with salt and pepper.

A side note:

If you prefer to boil your potatoes instead of waiting for them to cook in the pan, then go right ahead and boil them. I did this one time and the recipe turned out okay. All I did was cut them small and boiled them. When they were starting to get soft (but not too soft), I drained them in a strainer and added them to the cooked beef in the non-stick pan. I also made sure to add about 1 tablespoon of oil so that the potatoes cook easily with the beef. Cook the beef and potatoes for about 7 minutes, mixing with a spatula every minute or two. Once the potatoes are cooked enough, then it is finished. Put them on a plate or in a bowl and enjoy. Remember you can top off the meat and potatoes with ketchup or just plain salt and pepper. It is really up to whatever you like. Enjoy!