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April 27, 2020 By Jackie 3 Comments

How to Freeze Ground Beef

This post was originally published on December 2, 2009. It was updated on April 27, 2020.

Many years ago, I bought ground beef in bulk because it cost less than buying smaller amounts. I would go home, divide it into roughly one pound increments, and freeze it to have the right amount for a recipe. This was something I learned from my mom, and it was helpful to not have to thaw out a huge package of meat just to use one pound of it.

Fast forward a couple of years, to when I figured out how to freeze ground beef in a way which made meal prep infinitely easier. I still bought ground beef in bulk, but I figured out that browning it before freezing it would be a huge time saver. I haven’t frozen ground beef any other way since.

How many times have you wanted to make a recipe that called for a pound of ground beef? If you are like me, lots of times. When I make a meal that requires ground beef, having it already cooked and ready to go in my freezer is such a big help. As a mom of five, anything I can do to make cooking easier is a win.

How to Freeze Ground Beef

To brown up large quantities of ground beef, you will need a big stock pot, a colander, a large bowl, zipper bags or some type of freezer container, and ground beef, of course.

Cook the ground beef until there is no pink left. I like to cook it a little longer than that, even though I will be cooking it in a recipe at some point. I am kind of militant about cooking meat, especially ground beef, to the proper temperature (at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit).

Once the meat is fully cooked, I let it sit for a few minutes, so that it is not boiling lava hot when I transfer it to the colander. Then, I carefully pour the ground beef, grease and all, into a colander that is sitting on top of a large bowl.

I forgot to take a picture of the meat in the colander until after I had frozen the ten pounds of ground beef we browned up over the weekend. Hopefully, you get the idea.

I let the ground beef drain until most of the grease is in the bowl below the colander. After that, I put the ground beef into sandwich sized zipper bags in two cup increments.

Two cups of cooked ground beef is approximately one pound of uncooked ground beef. (Those are jars of homemade chicken broth in my freezer on the shelf above the ground beef. That is a post for another day.)

In 2009, I wrote this post, that I have seriously updated today, because I was so excited to have 32 pounds of browned deer burger to put into my freezer.

We have wonderful friends who used to provide us with a deer or two, that they processed themselves, each fall because they knew times were especially lean on one income with a large family.

This method will work for ground beef, ground vension, or any other ground meat of your choice.

Having cooked ground beef in my freezer is such a time-saver for many meals we enjoy like chili, spaghetti, lasagna, sloppy joes, tacos (I usually freeze ten cups of cooked ground beef at a time for tacos.), and more.

While remembering to put a package of cooked ground beef in the refrigerator the night before is ideal, you can always microwave a package for 45 seconds to a minute if you are in a time crunch.

Ground beef isn’t the only food item I cook in advance and freeze. I have cooked big batches of chicken in the crockpot, shredded it, and frozen it in one cup increments. I have done the same with dried beans.

Do you cook any foods and freeze them to make meal prep easier?

Filed Under: Recipes

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I really needed today. This month has been very bu I really needed today. This month has been very busy, and an e-learning/snow day was much appreciated by everyone in my house. Joseph, Janna, and I had so much fun playing in the snow this afternoon. Here are a few pictures of our adventures. (Janna is wearing a coat my mom made for me nearly 40 years ago.)
I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that h I have mixed emotions when I reflect on all that has happened in 2020. There have been so many negatives for so many people. I can’t say it has all been positive for me either. However, there are some things that have happened in 2020 for which I am so grateful. 
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The main thing I am grateful for is the extra time I was able to spend with my kids. We had so much fun during quarantine and this summer. I know this wasn’t the case for everyone, but I do not regret the days when we had nothing planned and could just have fun together. Whether it was walking in the woods, playing games, watching a movie together, or even doing chores, I never once heard an “I’m bored.” 🙂 
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In addition to the gift of more time together, I am also grateful for all of the milestones we have celebrated this year. In June, my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary, and then we had four milestone birthdays. Julia turned 21, James turned 18, Joshua turned 16, and Joseph turned 13. (Janna felt left out, so we told her that her birthday was special because it was her last birthday in single digits.) Also, today marks 25 years that JT and I have been married. 
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While I won’t be sorry to see 2020 go, and I hope
and pray 2021 is better for so many people who are hurting right now, I don’t ever want to forget the good times we had this year. 
.
P.S. I took all of these pictures over fall break.
The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual The girls and I recorded our parts for our virtual church service yesterday, and I couldn’t resist getting a picture with them in front of this beautiful Christmas tree. ❤️
James has been playing school basketball since he James has been playing school basketball since he was in the fourth grade. Tonight he and his fellow Seniors  were recognized at their game, and I just can’t believe James is this old. 
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Normally, Senior Night is the last game of the season. However,  because everything in the world seems so uncertain right now, we wanted to make sure the boys got a chance to be recognized. We wanted something “normal” for them. I am thankful James and his teammates not only got recognized but also won their game. 
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P.S. We had our masks on at all times other than when we took pictures.
We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is t We have another teenager in the house! Joseph is turning 13 today, and it just doesn’t seem possible. The beautiful baby boy who was placed in my arms on a cold and foggy day in December is still my “little” guy. However, after looking at this picture of the two of us, I don’t think he will be shorter than me for long. Joseph is still my shy guy, but he is also sweet, loving, kind, and just an all around good kid. We also lovingly refer to him as the cat whisperer because the kittens and cats follow him around like puppies. 🙂 It has been so much fun to have Joseph at school with me this year now that he is in junior high, and I am so thankful that I get to be his mama. Happy birthday, Joseph! ❤️
2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of 2020 has been challenging in so many ways. One of those challenges was self-inflicted. 🙂 I just finished my fourth master’s level course of 2020 through Ball State, and I passed the high ability licensure exam last Thursday. This means that I will soon have high ability added to my teaching license. 
.
When I signed up to take my first class in January, I had no idea what 2020 was going to entail. Teaching in a pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart. Taking classes and caring for five kids while teaching in a pandemic has allowed me to see what I am really made of. I don’t mean to brag, but I am pretty happy that I received straight A’s. Beyond that, I learned so much, and I am grateful for this opportunity even though I felt stretched to my limits some days. 
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Yes, 2020 has been challenging, but I have been blessed with more time with my family, knowledge gained, and challenges met and overcome.
I almost forgot to post this here. 🎂 Joshua is I almost forgot to post this here. 
🎂
Joshua is 16 years old today. It doesn’t seem possible that my little pip squeak of a baby boy is now about 6’4”. Joshua is now the tallest of the family, and I’m not sure he is done growing. There hasn’t been a dull moment since Joshua arrived, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. He is a fun-loving, hard-working, kind-hearted, and intelligent young man. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. I am so thankful God thought I was up to the task of being Joshua’s mama. ❤️
My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t c My little 7 pound 20 inch baby boy, who didn’t cry as soon as he was born but first looked around to see what was going on in the world, is now a 6’2” handsome man. I truly never thought the years would go by so quickly, but here we are. James is 18 today. 

There are so many words I could use to describe James: hardworking, dedicated, persevering, intelligent, funny, curious, kindhearted, dependable, respectful, and helpful. I could also expound upon his accomplishments, and I could tell you how great he is. However, I don’t love James for what he has accomplished but simply because he is my son.

I have been so blessed to be James’s mom, and I thank God every day for entrusting him into my care. I don’t know what the future will hold for him, but I know he will do great things. 

For anyone reading this who is struggling with a tantrum throwing toddler, a strong-willed child, and/or a child who questions everything, I would like to encourage you. Look for the positive qualities your child possesses such as perseverance, dedication, and curiosity and build upon that. I will never regret the hard days of parenting because my prayers and hard work have paid off. Helping James reach his full potential and keep those qualities without breaking his spirit has been worth the effort.

Happy Birthday, James!
I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed sur I’m not going to sugar coat it. Today seemed surreal. It felt chaotic. Nothing was normal. We are all exhausted. However, it was wonderful to be with my students again after five months, and my own kids enjoyed seeing their friends. I don’t know how this school year will play out, but I am ready to go back tomorrow and try to make teaching virtually and in person work to the best of my ability. My students are worth the effort. 
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James is a senior, and this was his last first day of school. Joshua is a sophomore, and Joseph is in 7th grade which means I have all three of my boys in the same building with me. Janna is in fourth grade, and she was very excited to be back at school. Julia will be a senior in college when she starts back next week. 
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I am praying we all have a safe and healthy school year. I plan to try not to think about the unknowns and what-ifs and take it one day at a time.

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