This tip comes from my reader Jenni. This is a great tip for those of you that don’t like to break up your own packages of ground beef….
My husband and I would usually just buy the ground beef in the pre-packaged styrofoam trays. We noticed that we could never find one tray that was exactly one pound. In fact all of them were 1 1/2 – 2 pounds each and most of our recipes only called for one pound of ground beef. So we started going to meat counter just around the corner and asking them to measure one pound of ground beef instead. We saved a lot of money by only buying one pound instead of the extra 1/2 to 1 pound of meat that was pre packaged. It takes only an extra minute or two to have them wrap up the meat, but it stores much nicer and it’s always fresher. It’s also a good idea to talk to the employees working at the counter because sometimes they tell us about upcoming sales. I’ll never buy pre-wrapped ground beef again.
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You can also buy the larger packs and make hamburger patties with them. Just flash freeze them and use them as needed.
Sams club often has large packages of ground beef nearing sell by date on sale. I take it home and brown it as I am unloading and putting the rest of my purchases away. I drain, rinse (to reduce the fat) in hot water and pkg 2 1/2 cups each in freezer bags and freeze. It makes dinner prep super fast and easy. I also have a master list of ground beef recipes that are quick to fix.
I always go to the meat counter at Meijer when I have save $1 wyb A1,etc. I use a coupon for the A1 and the beef. I ask for $1 worth and it is free and already packaged for recipes. Recently the meat guy didn’t have enough grond chuck, so he offered me ground round for the same price. I don’t use 1 lb. when a recipe calls for it. Just seems like alot of meat.
If a recipe calls for 1 # of ground meat, I usually use 3/4 #. So instead of waiting while a package of exactly 1 # gets made, it would be cheaper to buy that 1.5 # package and divide it in two. Just up the veggies and starches in your recipe and it will come out fine – and cheaper than using 1 # of meat.
My Winn Dixie will weight and repackage it for me – I just tell them how much I want in each pack, how many packs and they do it for me. I have never had any problems with this. They do that on all their meat, pork chops if I need 4 and they don’t have any packs with 4, etc. They even cut up a whole chicken for me awhile back (and I got the cheaper price of it being a whole chicken). They didn’t have any cut and I just asked the butcher how hard it was to cut up and he told me he would do it for me – he came back with it cut and the old label right on top inside the pack.
I always buy a 4-5lb package, then divide it up. I often package it up in less than 1lb increments (like I would divide a 5lb package into 6 smaller packs) and then freeze the smaller packs. You can get away with using less than one pound in most recipes. Well, at least we can because it’s just two adults and one toddler.
We do too. I use between half a pound and 3/4 pound in hamburger helper, and we add beans if we really wanted a heartier dish
We buy the pre-packaged burgers at Costco. Each patty is approximately 1/2 lb. so very easy to package two patties together and freeze. There are 12 patties to a package so I just look for one that is close to 6 lbs. and I know my packages will be fairly close to 1 lb.
For me I have found that the pkgs of 12 or more hamburger patties ended up being alot cheaper out here. The great thing is that if I want to use the meat for something other that hamburgers I can take out 4 patties which equals a pound and let it soften in the refrigerator til I need it that night. 1lb out here is around $4 and I can get 3-4lb this way for only $6-$7 way better price.
I don;t so much -save- on ground beef as I do -extend- it. If I am making a meat sauce or sloppy joe, etc…I mix the ground beef with ground turkey or maybe black beans if I am making tacos…you get the idea. I have also gone to grilling mini burgers and using the new Arnold mini thins (LOVE these things) as buns…the kids eat all their burger and don;t leave little sticky burger bites rolling around their plates that are too slimy to save and the kids are not flled up on big buns.
Good ideas :)
Our local store with a meat counter offers a discount/lb when you buy 5 lbs or more. If you call ahead, they will happily package it however you like.
That’s pretty awesome!