Last week I made tacos. My family’s was ecstatic – as if I’d presented my family with a dinner of prime rib.
Why are tacos so exciting around here? They are a rarity. Easy as they are to make, and tasty as they are to eat – tacos are one of the more expensive meals I serve to my family of 5 men. It’s the meat. The delicious, juicy, perfect-for-tacos meat.
I remember the days I could only use a 1/2 pound of hamburger meat to feed my family a meal. Now it takes 2-3 pounds of hamburger if we’re having a meal of something in which meat is the main component – like tacos. That’s over $15 for meat alone. Then add lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, cheese, guac, salsa, tortillas – all in large quantities.
Thus, meals like tacos are rare, and meals where we can stretch our meat a bit further show up on our table more frequently.
I never advocate for skimping on good food just for the sake of saving a buck. Nourishment it worth the cost – so don’t short yourself or your family on nutrients in an effort to cut food costs. But there are ways to stretch the meat you’re serving your family. You probably have some good ideas for ways to do this, so be sure and leave a comment sharing your tips. Here are the ideas I thought of to make your meat stretch:
Add Beans
Stir lentils, red beans, black beans, pinto beans – any of your favorite beans – into the ground meat you’re planning to serve. Note to self: If I did this more often, we could probably have tacos more often. How ’bout that?
Cut the Meat in Half
If you’re adding meat to a casserole, consider if cutting the amount in half will still fill and nourish your family. I find this easy to do in recipes which include chicken, which leads me to…
Let Meat Broth Pack a Punch
When I make chicken, turkey, or beef stock – it becomes a very healthy meat-product. (That sounds so fake, like “cheese product.” Homemade broth is sooooo not fake, it’s just something you make with meat. Thus, meat-product, right?) Broth made with wholesome meats and lots of vegetables is so very flavorful! Therefore, I find that I can cut way down on the meat in recipes that use broth. Here’s a good example:
This weekend I made this easy Creamy Chicken and Rice Casserole. I cooked the rice directly in my nutrient-packed chicken broth. There were so many veggies blended into my broth that it turned my rice orange. Plus, I knew that the chicken bones filled my broth with nourishment. Therefore, I only added about two cups of cooked chicken to two 9×13 inch casseroles. With such flavorful broth, no one even noticed the small amount of chicken in the casserole.
I love how colorful this plate is with all the great veggies!
Skip It
You all know I’m a meat lover. But even I have learned that I don’t have to eat meat all three meals every day. Two of our favorite meatless lunches are: Easy Cheesy Bean Dip and Easy Noodle Stir Fry. We don’t even miss the meat when we’re eating meals like these.
Have Eggs Instead
Eggs aren’t just a great breakfast food. Scramble or fry some up to compliment your lunch or dinner. It doesn’t get any easier, and eggs are still an inexpensive protein to take the place of meat.
Summer says
What great ideas! I will have to try some of these delicious-sounding low-meat recipes! I just had Cowboy Caviar for the first time the other day (which, to me, sounds awful BUT…) it was DELICIOUS! It is not really caviar, but a variety of beans, almost a salsa-like bean dip. I had it with chips but I thought it would be great wrapped in a tortilla or even just plain! If you haven’t tried it, pinterest it and see if it’s something your family might like–I can’t imagine it is to expensive to make! :) We will definitely be adding it to our lunch repertoire!
Stacy says
I use a pork roast or chicken in the crock pot when I make tacos. Add rice and beans as fillers. We’re dairy free, so meat and beans are proteins.
Nathana Clay says
We do a lot of the same things because meat, especially good quality meat, is so expensive! I love meals with eggs. We also love to use lentils, beans, and quinoa to pack in protein and stretch a meal! Nuts make for a filling protein-packed snack too (especially if paired with or covered in chocolate…).
Lynda says
I mix black beans in w/ our taco meat. I figured it helps it go twice as far & it’s good for us so it’s a win-win. My kids don’t even notice them any more.
Kristin says
Meat is so expensive! One pound of grass fed ground beef is like $7! So we do many of the things you suggest. Also, I often put scrambled egg in stir fry to supplement the meat. We have a lot of bean meals here, too.
Jane J. says
Thank you so much for your earlier comments on buying organic fruits and veggies; it was helpful to me. What about meat? Do you always buy grass-fed or free range? How important is non GMO meat in your opinion? I was purchasing grass-fed meat, and now I find the non GMO meat next to it for quite a bit more. Is it worth it?
Is there a place where you buy meat other than the grocery store? It seems like dairy and meat are the most important to go “clean” on, but are also the most expensive. I keep trying to find places where I can purchase them for slightly less.
Thanks for any thoughts! What a blessing they are.
Laura says
I buy almost all of our meat from local farmers. I’m very thankful I have this option. It is not cheap by any means, but it is wonderful quality.
As far as GMO free vs. Grass Fed, I didn’t know such differences existed. I would imagine if it’s grass fed beef, it’s automatically GMO free because it is only eating grass. GMO free probably means GMO free corn fed? Just a guess. I’d stick with grass fed. :)
Gretchen says
I mix this recipe with a couple pounds of taco meat to stretch it further, so we can have tacos much more often :-)
http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-inexpensive-lentil-tacos-304604
I use beef or chicken broth when I can instead of the water and bouillon.
Jen says
A couple of other tips to help you “swallow” the high cost of good quality meat . . .
When you eat a higher quality of meat you usually feel more satisfied with less. With high quality meat my husband eats about half the meat that he used to. You really can go with less like you said in this post!
Serve a cup of bone broth in a mug to drink before each meal to everyone. You can also mix a teaspoon of high quality plain gelatin into each cup for added protein. Studies show that the incorporation of bone broth cuts down on your desired meat consumption. You aren’t always going to be serving something that has bone broth as an ingredient (like tacos!) so just drink it straight up.
Donna L. Miller says
When I worked at a buffet I saw them putting oatmeal in the taco meat. I had never even knew that they did that until I seen them put it in!! You can add oatmeal to your hamburger when you put your seasoning in and just add more water and let it simmer. You will be surprised how you barely notice it! I add beans sometimes too. Another thing I do is make haystacks. You make rice and put a bunch on your plate first, add a little meat, a bunch of lettuce, and then all your favorite taco toppings. Serve with tortilla chips. They fill you up, but they take MUCH less taco meat and you can still add lentils, beans, or oatmeal to the meat first.
Karyn says
My (ex) husband gave up beef, cold turkey (honestly!), on his 40th birthday after his physical. So, I learned to make just about everything with ground turkey instead of ground beef. Everyone always raves at my meatballs, meat loaf, spaghetti and tacos. Ground turkey is still more expensive than beans, but it works . . . and works well for many things you would use ground beef for. I’ve not been pleased with homemade turkey ‘burgers’, but it works for just about everything else. I no longer have to worry about beef issues, other than the cost — so I do use it on occasion, but still prefer the ground turkey. If you are thinking of changing this on your family, I would mix it half and half for awhile and then maybe 2/3 to 1/3 and then switch over. It does taste ‘different’ but most find it to be a good different.
Kristin says
Martha Stewart has an amazing turkey burger recipe. Google “Martha’s Favorite Turkey Burger”. It is really flavorful! Though I switched to local grass feed beef about 4 years ago and you would not believe how lean the hamburger is, so it’s beef for us. Also, I have yet to find a local source for ground turkey.
Anitra says
My mom did this, too… but somehow, I can never find ground turkey that is less expensive than the 90% lean beef I normally buy. I also have issues with low iron, so I’d rather stick with beef in small quantities, when possible.
Emily says
I like to add finely shredded carrots and/or zucchini to hamburger when I brown it. I think if you add Worcestershire when you do this it helps make it taste more meaty.
Most of our family likes black beans so I definitely add those to my taco meat!
Marie B. says
Yes, I always add a can or a couple cups of black beans or whatever beans I have around and some oatmeal as well as a little tomato sauce or paste & extra liquid to the taco meat since I have to feed 7 people . They won’t choose to add the black beans to their tacos or burritos on their own but if it’s in the meat they always take it and don’t complain. I do find that peeled chopped or shredded zucchini dissolves/melts right into most skillet or slowcooker recipes and stretches the entree as well adding veggies at the same time!
Leigh says
I agree with those who have mentioned adding beans to taco meat. My preference is to add brown lentils to stretch ground beef in lots of recipes, particularly Tex-Mex meals. My family is also fond of burrito bowls made with brown rice, black beans, a little bit of seasoned meat, and the usual toppings (Yay, guac!). And dips go over well here, so I’ll make meatless pizza dip with homemade breadsticks or hummus with veggies, or stretch the meat in a dip with something like buffalo chicken dip and crunchy tortilla chips.
BUSY MOM IN AL says
We love your Creamy Chicken and Rice around here! I just tossed all the ingredients for your crock-pot version and can’t wait to see how it tastes. So easy!! I decided to leave out the onion mix and add the carrots, garlic and sea salt like the original recipe uses.
I was worried about the little bit of chicken I had but you are right, the broth has a benefit too. :) My in-laws love this meal when I make it for them. Thank you for sharing such a delicious and comforting meal!
ann in E. oregon says
Taco Night to a favorite in our home, too. In our family of 6 (w/ two teenage boys), I stretch our taco meat by adding 3 c. of cooked brown rice and extra taco seasoning. This allows me to double the filling w/out doubling the cost of taco night! :-)
Kristin says
Maybe eggs are inexpensive at your house, but good farmer’s market eggs are $4 a dozen around here, sigh. Local organic grass fed hamburger is about $5.50/lb. I add a softball sized onion and a can of black beans (drained and rinsed) to my taco meat and it makes enough to feed our family of five for 2 meals when served with veggies and fruit for sides. It takes 8 eggs to feed my family frittata and scrambled eggs (2 girls like their eggs plain) for 1 meal. That being said, we still don’t have tacos all that often either, because I don’t believe it is sustainable to eat tons of meat. My ways to stretch meat is to put it in things and to limit portions bacon, breakfast sausage, meatballs, etc.
Shelley says
We love eggs for meals too. I’m making a chicken stew today with a small package of chicken thighs. It’s going to mostly be vegetables and gravy, and served over baking powder biscuits.
Kristie says
One thing I do to stretch meat for tacos, as well as up the nutrition, is to add finely diced onion, mushroom, shredded carrots or zucchini- really, any veggies like that you have on hand! Cook them with the meat as it browns and then add extra taco seasoning. You barely taste OR see them, and that way you can have tacos much more often!
Sara says
So I have 4 teens and and hubby who love taco’s. I have started using my meat grinder and grinding up chicken brests and seasoning with DIY taco season and my family just love this. My hubby who is a hamburger junky says the chicken taste so much better. It is for sure cheaper. Hope this helps
Karen S says
If I’m making chili, I use more beans and less beef. I always slice my chicken breasts in half horizontally, using the nice, top half for frying, baking, etc; the bottom half I usually poach for casseroles or chicken salad. Also, if a recipe calls for 1 lb. of ground beef, you can substitute 1 1/2 cups of cooked brown rice for 1/2 pound of the beef.
Karen says
FOR TACOS: We mix half ground beef with same amount of cooked quinoa then add the seasoning and let it simmer to make a the flavour soak in. We used to do rice but found the quinoa was a better “kid-friendly” texture. I freeze pre-cooked quinoa so I can make it in big batches to pull out for those quicker meals.
leah says
I use this lentil recipe to mix in with taco meat- everyone loves it!
Lentil Taco Filling
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 cup dried lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
16 oz chicken broth
1 cup salsa (use a “normal” salsa… not peach-n-mango or something wild like that)
In a large nonstick skillet, saute the onion and garlic in oil until tender. Add the lentils, chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Uncover; cook for 6-8 minutes or until mixture is thickened. Mash lentils slightly. Stir in salsa. Serve.
leah says
Also, I usually double the batch and then freeze 1/2 of it for an easy meal next time we have tacos :)
Angela Wasson says
Tacos are also a favorite around here and I too make them very little because of the meat issue. I add a can of petite diced tomatoes to two pounds of ground beef, but it barely makes one meal with three teenagers in the house. My hubby is the picky one here – he hates beans and veggies, so making it stretch is difficult. I am going to try lentils for sure – maybe even the oatmeal or rice idea.
Lindsay says
For any kind of “Mexican” dish I always add an equal amount of beans. So, if I’m doing 1 pound of ground beef, then I add 1 pound (approximately – I eyeball it) of beans. Then I double my spices (taco seasoning, chili seasoning, etc.). Beans just kind of go with Mexican dishes though. Any thoughts on how to stretch the meat in Italian dishes? I guess you could just cut out some of the meat, but then you would end up with a runny sauce. I’d like to hear what people do for Italian – cutting back on the meat, but keeping it hearty and thick. Spaghetti sauce, lasagna, etc.
michelle says
I add loads of veggies and use crushed or chopped tomatoes (usually canned) rather than tomato sauce. Peppers, mushrooms, onions, and spinach all go in our pasta sauce and only sometimes I add meat. I hope this helps! Also, adding a little olive oil to the sauce helps it thicken nicely.
Emily says
I add shredded carrots and zucchini to the meat when I’m browning it, before I add the tomatoes and sauce. It really bulks up the sauce but doesn’t change the flavor very much. My super picky husband doesn’t even say anything about it. :)
Hannah says
I’ve read that you can add cooked pureed white beans to a tomato sauce and adjust the seasonings. (More garlic makes it all good) Depending on how much you add, you may not even know the beans are there.
Diane says
I have added beans to my taco meat too. Then I put 1/2 in the freezer for another meal, but we are only a family of 3 since our older boys are gone. We also peanut butter on pancakes and then syrup to save on meat and eggs. We also make grilled cheese and tomato soup. My husband and son like these with peanut butter.
I also have done lentil tostadas.
2 cups lentils , 31/2 cups water, chili powder, cumin, 2 garlic cloves minced and 1 tsp salt. Put in saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer 30 min or til tender. Drain lentils and mash. Serve on tostadas with your favorite toppings like cheese, guacamole, etc.
Diane says
Oops- I meant have spread peanut butter on pancakes
April Hutchens says
For tacos, try half ground turkey, half lentils with your homemade taco seasoning. Delicious, moist, filling, and packed with nutrients.
Anitra says
We have a weekly taco night for our family (2 adults, 3 young kids). I used to use a pound of beef. Then I started adding other things to stretch the meat: half an onion, some chopped peppers, a can of beans & a can of diced tomatoes… Lately, I realized that we always have leftovers from taco night, so I’ve been reducing the amount of meat while keeping the other add-ins the same. We’re down to a 1/2 pound and we still get leftovers (for now)! Certainly makes taco night cheaper. :)
For any casserole-type dish, I always reduce the amount of meat and increase the vegetables.
Randi says
Ours is the cheese way more than the meat. I’ve got a family of cheese lovers!
Gina says
When I was not watching my carbs, I would add brown rice to my meat to stretch it. My body can’t handle a higher carb diet even the 100% whole grain.
Jill says
Saute mushrooms in a bit of half oil/half butter. As they cook down, sprinkle crushed thyme over them and they’ll taste just like beef and have the same mouth feel as beef chunks – another great meat substitute idea.
We also add nuts to things – a handful of toasted cashews tossed in with a chicken stir fry is a good filler, for example. Or toasted and sliced almonds or pecans on a salad add protein, too.
Also, remember that a serving of meat is only 3 oz. per meal – about the size of a deck of cards. So any more than that, and you’re eating more than a reasonable portion size. For a family of four, that’s not even a pound!
Meredith says
My kids LOVE tacos, and we eat them fairly regularly. There are 7 of us, and we usually add about 1 cup brown rice, cooked, to 1 lb of taco meat! That stretches the meat considerably and helps fill us up! I also throw in a jar of black beans sometimes instead of rice, just to toss it up. My aunt used to always put rice in her taco meat when I was a child…now I know why!
Ashley N says
These are some great ideas, but any tips for hiding the beans? My 4 year old is going through an anti-bean phase.
Karen says
Mash up black beans until they are smooth & then add it into the meat. My anti-bean daughter eats quesadillas like this all the time & has no idea that she’s eating beans :)
Jennifer Wilcox says
I use rice in my taco meat to stretch it. Do a mixture of beans, rice and meat and you will feel like you are at Chipotle.