Are you in the mood for beef for dinner tonight, but don’t want to eat the same thing every night? If so, you’re in luck! In this blog post, we’ll explore some delicious and easy beef recipes that you can try, so that you can enjoy the flavor of beef without eating the same dish over and over.
Whether you are a beginner in the kitchen or an experienced chef, you will find something here that you can make for dinner tonight. So, let’s get cooking!
Meal Prepping Can Be Repetitive
So many people love to meal prep on the weekend and eat all week. BUT few like to eat the same thing all week…which is what usually happens when meal prepping.
When meal prepping, you likely would buy protein, starch and vegetables in bulk to save money. Hunt a recipe that you liked and made it. You generally always had several meals and packed some up for lunches and dinners and froze the rest.
It works for a while…until you get tired of eating the same thing for lunch and dinner…and lunch and dinner.
Don’t do that type of meal prepping anymore. You don’t have to. Each recipe below has its list of ingredients; however, remember that your meat selections are coming from the meatloaf you have cooked.
This gives you some more options than just beef burgers. Any of these dinner ideas will be sure to hit the spot tonight!
A New Way to Meal Prep
Pick a protein, cook a meal with that protein…add the sides. Then, use that meal, adding to it…making some changes…and eat something different every night of the week.
First, do like most people do…find a recipe. Look on Pinterest or Google a recipe using your protein.
But, don’t look for just any recipe, look for one that you can add to or make slight changes to throughout the week to make other things as well.
With a little bit of creativity and planning ahead, you can have delicious meals without eating the same thing every night!
Start The Week Right with Meatloaf
Sunday, cook meatloaf with mashed potatoes for Monday’s dinner. Cook some green peas Monday when you get in from work and done!
While not all that exciting, very tasty, and who doesn’t love meatloaf! Meatloaf gets better over time. So, cooking it and putting it in the refrigerator will be perfect!
Actually, make two meatloaves and twice as much mashed potatoes as you need…since you’re cooking anyway. You might like to try this meatloaf recipe from Simply Recipes.
Besides the taste and ease of making meatloaf, you also have something for Tuesday night.
Make sure to save leftovers of your dinner ideas for tonight because they can be transformed into a whole new dish. There are a lot of things you can do with meatloaf.
If you want something light, why not consider a beef salad? Take your leftover slices of meatloaf and mix them into a large salad bowl with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, etc., and top it off with your favorite dressing.
Another great suggestion is to make a beef quesadilla or burrito. All you need to do is take your leftovers and add it to a tortilla along with cheese, beans, sour cream, etc., then fold it up and heat it in a pan or oven until golden brown.
Lastly, don’t forget about tacos! Take some ground beef (or leftovers) along with taco seasoning and make it into tacos or nachos. Top it off with your favorite condiments such as salsa or guacamole and enjoy your supper ideas for tonight.
OR you could keep reading and see what else you can make with the rest of your meatloaf!
Take Half the Meatloaf
Take half of one of the meatloaves and make shepherd’s pie, try this recipe from Spruce Eats, with the rest of the mashed potatoes and peas…adding some chopped carrots and some cheese on top of the potatoes.
The great thing about using leftovers for dinner ideas is that they can be easily modified to your tastes. Surely you created your meatloaf based on your family’s taste to start with. Now you can add whatever seasonings or vegetables that your family loves to each of these meals.
Take Another Half of the Meatloaf
Wednesday night, take the other half of a meatloaf and make spaghetti, with this recipe from Taste of Home, add a salad and you’re halfway through the week!
Enjoy your beef fix without eating the same thing every night! Don’t forget to add your favorite shredded cheese and even sour cream if you like it.
Dinner will be ready in less than 30 minutes! There are endless options when it comes to what’s for dinner tonight.
Take the Rest of the Meatloaf, But You’re Not Done!
Thursday night, take the rest of the meatloaf, add sloppy joe mix from a jar, try this recipe from Taste of Home, add buns and roast some potatoes and carrots…done again! The sloppy joe recipe is for 36 sloppy joes, you will likely need to cut the recipe in 1/2 or even 1/4 of what it calls for…unless you need 36!
Recipes from Tast of Home are great! I am not sure why anyone would need 36 sloppy joes unless they were for a kid’s party! If you do make the whole recipe, have a party!
This recipe can be made in no time at all. There are so many great dinner ideas that don’t have to be boring – get creative and have fun with it! Add sliced or shredded cheese, some chopped olives, shredded cooked purple cabbage, bacon bits…we could go on forever!
Back Up and Take the Rest of the Shephard’s Pie
Friday, take whatever is left of the shepherd’s pie, add some gravy mix from a jar or packet, some more chopped vegetables and a can of biscuits. No recipe for this one, it is too easy! Press the biscuits into a muffin tin, fill with meat mixture, top with cheese and bake. Add a platter of celery and carrot sticks with salad dressing. Another quick meal on the table for dinner!
If you don’t want biscuit cups, roll the meat mixture in a tortilla, add cheese and bake for 20 minutes. Or heat the meat mixture up and put it into pita bread with lettuce, tomato and cheese.
Don’t forget to add a delicious dessert, maybe a quick berry cobbler or something chocolatey (ice cream anyone?) for those with a sweet tooth.
Take Another Step Back, You’re Nearly Done!
Saturday, take the rest of the sloppy joe mix, add more chopped bell pepper and onion, spread it in an 8 x 8 pan, top with cornbread mix and bake. Here is a recipe for that from I Wash You Dry. Add the rest of the salad and another meal done.
But wait, you don’t have to eat your beefy dinner with just salad. You can dress it up with some other ideas too. How about some roasted potatoes with olive oil and rosemary? You can also serve it with a side of roasted vegetables. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not make some homemade french fries? With a little bit of creativity, you can create a delicious and healthy meal.
Rest and Do It Again!
Sunday, rest a bit…you did good! No slaving over the stove for an hour or more in the evening after work, no wasted food and no trips to the grocery store on the way home! What a win!
You should have some leftovers for lunches…not as much as you normally do but enough. If you want more leftovers or want to fill your freezer, cook an extra or two meat loaves on Sunday.
Next week we will do it again with chicken. There is a lot that can be done with chicken, but we only need 6 dinners to get through the week. Why six? Because, one night you deserve to go out to dinner! OR at the very least, you deserve to have someone else cook for YOU!
Get Creative for Dinner!
One thing cooking like this does is it lets you be more creative. You could add some rolls Monday, a pickle and olive plate for Tuesday’s dinner, make a special salad on Wednesday or make deviled eggs for Thursday. Even make cupcakes or that berry cobbler for dessert one night, maybe on Monday when all you have to do is boil peas and your baking rolls anyway right?!
The possibilities are endless and can keep you from getting bored with your meals. So, if you’re looking for creative dinner ideas for tonight, don’t forget to include some beef!
If you like to cook like this, let us know what you do.