How to Make Meat Dishes on a Budget

This is a great way to stretch your dollar. I buy a 4-pound chuck roast and ask my butcher to grind it for me for a hamburger. The difference in the flavor and texture of the meat is so superior to ones that are prepackaged.

I can make three meals: meatballs, meatloaf and the juiciest cheeseburgers ever!

Make six 4-ounce hamburgers, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. I would suggest you make and eat the cheeseburgers the same day you purchase the ground chuck, while the meat is freshly ground. You won't believe how juicy and moist it will turn out!

Place the rest of the ground chuck in a large bowl to make the meatballs and meatloaf . They can be frozen for up to three weeks or kept in refrigerator for three days.

If you have frozen the meatloaf, take it out of freezer the night before you are planning to use it and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Before you are ready to heat it, let it stand at room temperature for one hour. Cover the top well with foil and set it in a preheated 400° oven for 30 minutes.

Take the frozen meatballs out of freezer the night before you want to use them and place them in the refrigerator. To heat the marinara sauce , place in a bain-marie on very low simmer, making sure to mix often. To make the bain-marie, just fill a pan that will be able to hold your bowl with the sauce with water halfway up the sides. Simmer until your meatballs are hot on the inside, about 20 minutes. Use the same method if you are warming the sauce without meatballs.

Beef on a Budget