ground beef

After a hectic start to the week, a late night taqueria run might sound terribly tempting, but avoid the caloric pitfalls of eating out by making your own version of a taqueria special at home: beef and potato burritos.

Build a healthier burrito, starting with last night's 90-percent lean ground beef and aromatics such as onion and jalapeño for heat. Save yourself time and effort by browning the beef, reducing the tomatoes, and heating the tortillas all in the same pan. You'll be surprised by how little effort this Mexican meal takes. Continue reading for the recipe.

With Memorial Day kicking off the unofficial start to grilling season, it's likely there are plenty of burgers in your near future. Unfortunately, cooking meat at high temperatures (like grilling) can create carcinogenic chemicals known as heterocyclic amines (or HCAs), which have been linked to cancer risk. The good news? Certain add-ins can make your meat much safer to cook — and more flavorful, too!

Studies have found that adding rosemary to uncooked meat will greatly reduce the amount of HCAs found in your beef after cooking, attributed to the antioxidant carnosol. If rosemary isn't your thing, there are other ingredients that work, too. To find out what they are, keep reading

New to the world of crockpots like PartySugar? Then you might not realize the capabilities that slow cookers have beyond soups, braises, and stews. It might seem counterintuitive to make lasagna in an oval crockpot, but the result will leave you (and your stomach) pleasantly surprised. Arrange browned beef, uncooked noodles, tomato sauce, and cheese in layers, proceed to tend to the rest of your life without ever having to check on the oven, and come back to a glorious Italian family meal.

Make this for dinner tonight when you read more.

A couple of weeks ago, I didn't understand the allure of a crockpot. I was hesitant to try one, but ended up making this chili with Breville's machine. It's the perfect dish for a crockpot novice. All I had to do was dump the ingredients into the pan, turn the gadget on, and voila: hours later my house smelled wonderful and a scrumptious, filling bowl of spicy, chunky chili was in my hands.

The thing I love most about this recipe is its easy adaptability. The original version calls for black beans, but I had pinto and used those instead. Oh and did I mention that you can add the dried beans directly to the crock? They require no preliminary soaking! Seriously, if you have a slow cooker, make this chili — you won't be disappointed. Here's the recipe.

Is one of your New Year's resolutions to save more money? If so, the fastest way to fatten up that piggy bank is to make a super-speedy dinner that'll double as tomorrow's lunch.

Dice up the remaining chorizo from last night's split pea soup, and toss it with bite-sized tomatoes, jack cheese, and al dente bow-tie pasta for an enticing supper that's ready in a mere quarter of an hour.

Pack the rest as the next day's budget-friendly midday meal. For a dinner that's as easy on the wallet as it is in the pan, keep reading.

There's a reason why spaghetti with meat sauce is America's go-to weeknight meal: it tastes like comfort, works well with a budget, and comes together quickly.

Avoid spaghetti palate fatigue with an update on the old favorite: button mushrooms, heavy cream, and parsley add a Stroganoff-like twist to a classic sauce made from leftover ground beef.

For a healthier alternative, sub whole wheat, high-fiber pasta for standard spaghetti, and swap out evaporated milk for the heavy cream. Get to know a new dinnertime favorite when you keep reading.

With its finely chopped vegetables, ground beef, and creamy sauce, this dish is great for kids who are picky eaters. The meat, Worcestershire, and sour cream sauce mask the mushrooms, carrots, and onion.

Thanks to the familiar and fun elbow-shaped pasta, no one will notice that it's actually whole wheat. It's a wholesome, nourishing one pot meal that's sure to please parents and children alike, so get the recipe and read more

• Celebrate the premiere of New Moon by making vampire cookies. — Baking Bites
• Fabio Viviani talks turkey. — Endless Simmer
• Find out why ground beef is dangerous. — The Atlantic
• Are you on Team Martha or Team Rachael Ray? — The Epi-Log
• Anthony Bourdain is not happy that the Travel Channel is now under Food Network's ownership. — Eater
• Google has launched a new food-centric portal. — Grub Street SF
• A detailed description of Guy Fieri's just launched road tour. — Eat Me Daily
• Michael Chiarello on brining turkey. — Chow
• Worried about what wine pairs with turkey? How about serving beer instead? — Serious Eats

Last night I made an Eastern European-inspired ground sirloin stew with egg noodles, and tonight I'm going to use the leftover beef to make something on the opposite end of the spectrum! I'm craving takeout, but — inspired by my recent successes — I'm going to continue my pattern of preparing Asian foods at home.

Spice up the sirloin with the help of minced garlic, lime, and Asian fish sauce, and wake up your senses with freshly-torn basil and julienned chiles. Complement the fiery protein with a soothing side of milky coconut rice. The result, which is healthier and cheaper than takeout, after the break.

Earlier this month, Party and I were enticed by one reader's rendition of beef stroganoff. If you, too, found yourself salivating over her creation, here's another dish that you need to bookmark! Unlike the classic course, which has sour cream and mushrooms, the ground beef in this recipe becomes a stew with the help of a roux, beef broth, and Worcestershire. Pile it on top of herbed egg noodles, serve with a salad, and you've got a speedy (and guest-worthy!) dinner. Curious? Then read more.