The use of mushrooms and a simple technique seamlessly adds nutrients and flavor to regular ground beef, making it an ideal way to incorporate more plant-based eating into our diets, even if we still enjoy meat.
Ground beef that tastes “meatier” and is healthier, too? This kitchen hack tastes great and, at the same time, stretches a pound of ground beef through the addition of a simple box of mushrooms.
When mushrooms are sautéed for several minutes beyond the point at which their liquid is released, they develop a meaty, umami-rich quality that adds an extra layer of flavor along with an added dose of fiber and nutrients.
To make the mushrooms seamlessly meld into the meat, they just need to be chopped very finely. Although not required, a food processor makes quick work of this step. Minced onion and a few seasonings add the finishing touch.
While I don’t always use this trick when I cook ground beef, it’s a great card to hold in your hand, ready to play when you’d like an option that’s a little healthier or offers a more complex flavor–or when you simply need to stretch a pound of meat.
This recipe may be scaled up or down as needed. Simply plan on 8 ounces of mushrooms and half an onion to each pound of ground beef. This amount will give you the equivalent of 1½ pounds of cooked ground beef.
The funny thing is that my younger son, who isn’t a fan of mushrooms, always thinks recipes that incorporate this clever hack taste especially good!
Mushroom Ground Beef
Yield: The equivalent of 1½ pounds cooked ground beef (To apply this concept to a variety of recipes, figure 2 parts ground beef to 1 part mushrooms.)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound button, baby bella, or cremini mushrooms, cleaned*
- ½ a large onion
- Olive oil for pan
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
Instructions
- Quarter the mushrooms and roughly chop the onion, and then pulse in a food processor until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Optionally, you may mince the mushrooms and onions by hand. The food processor just makes quick work of this job.
- Over medium heat sauté the onion and the mushrooms in a skillet coated with couple of teaspoons of olive oil, stirring occasionally, until the moisture has cooked out of the mushrooms and the mixture is starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. At this point, add the ground beef and sauté, stirring and breaking up the meat, for another 5 minutes or until the meat is browned. While the beef is cooking, sprinkle with the salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Notes
Recipe first published March 9, 2016
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