What To Do With 40 Pounds of Ground Beef

Almost all the ground beef our family consumes is from Zaycon Foods. They usually come to the OKC area twice a year, once in the spring and again in fall. They offer 40-pound cases of all  natural 93/7 lean ground beef at great prices!

The thing is, when you order 40 pounds of ground beef that comes in four 10-pound chubs, you have to repackage it to fit in the freezer. Some people just redistribute the raw meat into smaller portions. Personally? I like to put in a little extra work right away to make life a whole lot easier later.

What To Do With 40 Pounds of Ground Beef

I like to divide the ground beef and prepare it in several different ways to coordinate with the meals my family eats on a regular basis. Here’s what I do:

Meatloaf – 6 pounds

Mix ground beef with each of these ingredients per pound:

• 1 cup breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs or oats (you can even used cooked rice)
• 1 egg
• 1 packet onion soup mix
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 tsp pepper

Form 1-2 pound meat loaves. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then place in gallon size ziploc bag or recycled bread bag and freeze. Thaw when ready to use and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until done.

(some people go ahead and cook the meatloaf and then freeze so they only reheat at mealtime. I choose to freeze raw and then cook because I think it tastes fresher. )

Taco Meat – 6 pounds

Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning. Cool and then freeze in ziploc bags. Use for tacos or taco salad.

Meatballs – 6 pounds

Mix ground beef with each of these ingredients per pound:

• 1 cup oats or bread crumbs
• 1/2 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pepper to taste

Form meatballs about 1-inch in diameter. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet or pan and freeze until outside is firm. Repackage into ziploc bags and freeze.

When you’re ready to make BBQ Meatballs, most of the work is already done. Just remove the desired number of meatballs from the freezer, and proceed with the recipe. I don’t even thaw mine before baking.

Browned w/ onions – 8 pounds

Season ground beef with salt and pepper and brown with chopped onion. Freeze in 1-2 pound portions in ziploc bags. This is your starting point for many recipes like Beef Stroganoff, Lasagna, Mexican Layered Casserole, Beef Enchilada Casserole and many more.

Patties – 8 pounds

Season ground beef with salt and pepper and form 4oz patties. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet or pan in freezer. Once the surface is frozen, repackage in ziploc bags or other freezer container. You may want to place a small piece of parchment paper between each patty.

These are now ready for good old fashioned hamburgers or Crock Pot Salisbury Steak (if you are planning Salisbury Steak, go ahead and brown lightly on both sides before freezing. This cuts out one more step come dinner time).

Raw – 6 pounds

Package some raw meat into 1-2 pound packages to use for unplanned or new recipes.

Note: I have a family of seven so I use 2 pounds of ground beef per meal. If you have a family of four or less, then you only need to use a pound per meal, especially if the recipe includes fillers like beans, rice, pasta, etc. If you’re single or a couple, you can freeze left overs in single portions to reheat as needed.)

I know quite a few of you order from Zaycon Foods also. I’d love to hear how you prep your ground beef for the freezer. I’m always open to fresh ideas.

Oh, and if you haven’t already, be sure to register for a Zaycon Fresh account so you’ll receive reminders about upcoming events and SALES!