It's no secret that ground beef prices are higher than ever. But because it's a staple in so many of our favorite dishes, it's hard not to pick up a pack every time we head to the grocery store. Luckily, there is a way to stretch your ground beef recipes, and it's actually delicious and healthy.
The answer? Add lentils. Swapping in cooked lentils for part of your ground beef can make meals like tacos, pasta sauce, sloppy joes, and shepherd’s pie go much further for a fraction of the cost. The earthy legumes blend seamlessly into saucy dishes, adding extra protein, fiber, iron, and other nutrients while helping you cut back on rising grocery bills.
Why does it work?
First and foremost, lentils are delicious. Their tender earthiness adds a subtle layer of flavor with very little change in texture, allowing you to swap out about a third of your meat for this legume, with no one in the family the wiser.
This hack will cut your grocery bill instantly
Ground beef pricing continues to increase. About $6.50 per pound is the lowest price I’ve seen lately at my supermarket. Dried brown lentils clock in at about $1.25 per pound, but they expand significantly when they cook—so one pound dried will yield about 6 cups of cooked lentils.
If you cook a pound of ground beef, then add 1 to 2 cups of cooked lentils, you will increase the yield of your recipe by up to 50% by spending only 35 to 40 cents. You can feed more people for less money with this single simple addition.
How to do it
- Skip the soaking: Lentils are quick and easy to prepare. Rinse 1 to 2 cups of dried green or brown lentils, add them to 6 to 8 cups of salted water in a large pot, then bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool before using. Short on time? Canned lentils work too.
- Mix them right in: Brown your ground beef as usual, then stir in 1 to 2 cups of cooked lentils per pound of meat. The combo blends perfectly into saucy dishes like tacos, pasta sauce, sloppy joes, shepherd’s pie, stuffed cabbage, and beef stroganoff.
- Prep ahead to save time: Cook lentils in advance and refrigerate them until needed, or freeze them in 1- to 2-cup portions for easy meal prep. You can even keep canned lentils on hand for a no-cook shortcut.
How does it taste?
Honestly, your family may not notice a difference at all between the new, stretched and improved ground beef recipes and the originals. The earthy taste of the lentils should blend in well, especially with your delicious spices, tomato sauce, onions, garlic, and other vegetables and seasonings playing along.
Nutrition boost
Along with great value and a delicious result, you’ll receive bonus health benefits from adding this little legume to your meals. Stefani Sassos, M.S., R.D.N., NASM-CPT, Nutrition and Fitness Lab director, says, “Adding cooked lentils to ground beef is such a simple way to boost both protein and fiber while also adding important nutrients like iron, folate, and potassium.”
More fiber, less fat, and extra nutrients sound like a terrific reason to try this trick pronto. If you love to cook with ground meat, this method is the smart way to do it, as prices spiral up.
