Making lunches is easier when you big-batch cook. Keep healthy, convenient, foods like cooked ground beef in the freezer and you’ll always have lots of quick and healthy lunch options.
Big Batch Tex-Mex Beef
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Kids Cook! Get your kids involved in the kitchen by having them help out with this recipe. Here’s what they can do!* Measure out ingredients (minus the spices!), and chop vegetables with a kid-friendly knife. This would be a good time to discuss which parts of bell peppers are useful and which are for the compost bin.
Dietitian's Tip: I've often heard people say ground turkey is lower in fat than ground beef. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency defines terms like "lean" or "extra lean". Regardless whether it's extra lean pork, chicken, turkey or beef extra lean should never have more than 10% fat. So they are all excellent choices. And lean has no more than 17% fat. (Cool facts to impress the kids with over dinner, ha!)
Dietitian's Tip: I've often heard people say ground turkey is lower in fat than ground beef. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency defines terms like "lean" or "extra lean". Regardless whether it's extra lean pork, chicken, turkey or beef extra lean should never have more than 10% fat. So they are all excellent choices. And lean has no more than 17% fat. (Cool facts to impress the kids with over dinner, ha!)
Source: Make Once, Eat Twice, 2016 Calendar. Canada Beef
Recipe type: Big Batch Cooking
Serves: 16 cups
Ingredients
- 4 lbs (2 kg) Extra Lean or Lean Ground Beef
- 4 tbsp (60 mL) chili powder
- 2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
- 1 tsp (5 mL) salt
- 2 tsp (10 mL) paprika
- 2 tsp (10 mL) coriander
- ½ tsp (2 mL) cayenne pepper
- 2 red bell peppers, finely chopped
- 2 small onions, finely chopped
- 2 cups (500 mL) corn, frozen or canned
Instructions
- Cook ground beef and spices in Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 9 to 10 minutes, breaking into small chunks with back of spoon, until browned and completely cooked. Drain well, and return to pot.
- Add bell peppers and onions, simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are softened. Add corn and heat through 1-2 minutes.
- Spread mixture in a single layer on several foil or parchment paper-lined baking trays; freeze just until meat is firm, about 1 hour.
- Loosen beef mixture into chunks; scoop meal-sized portions into freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Lunch from leftovers
Make Tex-Mex Tacos with Big Batch Tex-Mex Beef!
Please Note
*All “Kid’s Cook!” ideas herein are meant as a guide only. You know what your child can safely manage. Make sure they know and understand your rules for working in the kitchen safely and always supervise kids in the kitchen.
Make Tex-Mex Tacos with Big Batch Tex-Mex Beef!
Please Note
*All “Kid’s Cook!” ideas herein are meant as a guide only. You know what your child can safely manage. Make sure they know and understand your rules for working in the kitchen safely and always supervise kids in the kitchen.