Ground Beef

Don’t laugh. This dish might give you more insight into my culinary history than almost anything else. It’s a throwback to my childhood and it speaks directly to my more-than-occasional desire for quickness and efficiency, in that I love a good casserole or one-skillet dish. No fuss, no muss, easy cleanup, and get-right-to-it dinner. I made this for Wolfie and his friends when they came home after soccer or Little League practice. I can still picture everyone at the kitchen table, doing homework, while I simmered the beef in the mélange of spices and added macaroni, cheese, and breadcrumbs, and then announced to a sea of smiling faces, “Dinner’s ready.” Years later, I whipped out this dish when Tom’s kids entered the picture and everyone came home from college during breaks. We all know the store-bought mix; this homemade version is even better than the classic, I promise. Excerpted from Valerie’s Home Cooking by Valerie Bertinelli. Copyright © 2017 Oxmoor House. Reprinted with permission from Time Inc. Books, a division of Time Inc. New York, NY. All rights reserved. Slideshow: More Ground Beef Recipes

For a better sear, Stefan Bowers of Battalion in San Antonio, Texas presses his meatball mixture into a rectangle and then cuts it into squares, instead of rolling into a ball. Slideshow: More Meatball Recipes

With warm spices, fiery harissa and chopped pistachios, this meaty ragù from Tel Aviv chef Salah Kurdi is solidly Middle Eastern. Don’t let that stop you from ladling it over gnocchi or layering it into baked pasta. Slideshow: More Ragù Recipes

Milk-and-cream-soaked breadcrumbs and an egg are the secrets to these supertender meatballs from Swedish star chef Magnus Nilsson. Serve them as he does, with lingonberry jam and mashed potatoes. Slideshow: More Meatball Recipes

Ground beef is an affordable and versatile ingredient, that can be incorporated in several healthy recipes. Try some of these easy and nutritious dishes, from stuffed zucchinis to Hungarian beef-and-potato soup.

For a healthier meat loaf, Restaurant Divided host and weight-loss guru Rocco DiSpirito cuts back the meat and swaps in mushrooms. He uses earthy creminis along with ground beef and turkey for a loaf that’s moist and tasty. Slideshow: More Steak Recipes Recipe from Food & Wine Chefs' Easy Weeknight Dinners.