Mom Hack: One skillet of ground beef=4 meals!

I've long been trying to figure out how to get the most bang from the least amount of effort, so...I was pretty impressed with myself from this week's easy meals and I thought I'd share!

It started with 2 1/4 pounds of ground beef.  I cooked it all at once and divided it up this way:

Tacos (1 pound)

Spaghetti with meat sauce (1/2 pound)

Chili (1/2 pound) 

Cheesy Pasta Casserole (1/4 pound) 

Ingredients for all 4 meals:

2 1/4 pounds ground beef

Cheddar cheese shredded

Mozzerella cheese shredded

1 pack spaghetti noodles

1 pack shell or elbow noodles

Corn tortillas (bulk from Costco)

3 jars of spaghetti sauce (Aldi $1 each)

Taco seasoning

Chili seasoning

Shredded lettuce

Salsa

Uncooked pinto or red beans

Sour cream

Avocado

Sides:

Salad to serve with spaghetti and casserole

French bread for spaghetti and casserole

Cornbread or crackers for chili

Day 1: 

Tacos

1. Brown all the meat and remove 1 1/4 pounds (a bit more than half) of the meat to store in the fridge for later use.

2. Heat corn tortillas in the microwave with a wet paper towel over them to restore the moisture while heating.

3. Add taco seasoning to the meat.

4. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, salsa, sour cream and avocado.

Day 2:

Spaghetti with meat sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions.

3. Slice half a loaf of French bread and lay slices on a baking sheet.  Cover slices with butter slices and sprinkle lightly with garlic powder and a tiny bit of salt. Bake until golden on edges.

4. Heat 2 jars of spaghetti sauce and 1/2 pound ground beef.

5. Serve spaghetti with garlic bread and a side salad.

Day 3:

Chili

1. See my crockpot beans recipe on this blog, add a cup of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 pound of ground beef, chili seasoning and top with cheddar cheese, sour cream and salsa.

2. Serve with corn bread or crackers.

Day 4:

Cheesy Pasta Casserole

1. Cook 1 package of elbow or shell pasta According to package directions. Drain.

2. Heat oven to 350F.

3. In a rectangular casserole dish, place cooked pasta and top with remaining ground beef, 1 and a half jars of spaghetti sauce, and sprinkle with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses on the top.  Cover and bake until cheese is melted.  20-25 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, prepare garlic bread and place in the oven until golden on the edges.

5. Serve with a crisp salad.