Weight Watchers Recipes With Ground Beef

Ground beef is an affordable ingredient for dieting on a budget. Because of its versatility, ground beef is also an ideal ingredient; it lets you prepare a wide variety of recipes, which can keep you from getting bored with bland meals.

Beef Cottage Cheese Casserole

This delicious homey casserole is full of flavor and color. The cottage cheese topping puffs up as the casserole bakes. This recipe is similar to Shepherd's Pie but has fewer carbs.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds 95 percent lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (8-ounce) container button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 (6-ounce) can low sodium tomato paste
• 1/3 cup water
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups low fat cottage cheese
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 2-quart casserole with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground beef, onions, and garlic over medium heat, stirring to break up the meat, until the beef is thoroughly cooked. Drain well and return to the pan over medium-high heat.
3. Add the mushrooms, red bell pepper, and celery, and cook for 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently.
4. Add the tomato paste, water, and Dijon mustard to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. In a medium bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, and egg whites and beat until combined.
6. Spread the beef mixture in the prepared casserole dish and smooth the top.
7. Pour the cottage cheese mixture over the beef mixture. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the topping has puffed and is light golden brown. Serve immediately.

Serves 8

8 SmartPoints

Nutrition Information

Calories: 280

Fat: 12 grams

Saturated fat: 5 grams

Cholesterol: 100 mg

Sodium: 629 mg

Carbohydrates: 11 grams

Dietary fiber: 2 grams

19% DV Vitamin A

51% DV Vitamin C

10% DV Calcium

Ground Beef Tacos

Tacos are a delicious choice for dinner. This recipe combines finely chopped mushrooms with the ground beef to increase the fiber content and reduce the fat and calories

Ingredients

• 

  3/4 pound 95 percent lean ground beef
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup finely chopped button mushrooms
• 1 (14 ounce) cans low sodium diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 cup low sodium tomato paste
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 8 taco shells
• 3 fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1-1/2 cups mixed lettuce leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the ground beef, onions, garlic, and mushrooms in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring so the beef breaks up. When the beef is browned and the mushrooms are soft, drain well.
2. Add the canned diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salsa, chili powder, oregano, salt, and cayenne pepper to the beef mixture and stir. Simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Place the taco shells on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 3 to 7 minutes, or according to package directions, until the shells are crisp.
4. To assemble the tacos, fill the shells with the ground beef mixture. Top with the chopped fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese and serve immediately.

Serves 4

9 SmartPoints

Nutrition Information

Calories: 327

Fat: 10 grams

Saturated fat: 1 grams

Cholesterol: 21 mg

Sodium: 715 mg

Carbohydrates: 33 grams

Dietary fiber: 5 grams

26% DV Vitamin A

56% DV Vitamin C

6% DV Calcium

More Weight Watchers Recipes

Ground beef lovers can find many Weight Watchers recipes online. Most of the recipes specify the fat content of the beef you should buy for each dish.

• This Low Fat Ground Beef Recipe uses cabbage, mushrooms, and wild rice for a base for tender meatballs. It has 13 SmartPoints.
• Creamy Pasta and Beef Casserole has lots of flavor and is classic comfort food. It has 18 smart points if you use 95 percent lean ground beef, low-fat cream of mushroom soup, and reduce the cheese to 1 cup.
• If chili is on your menu, make Pressure Cooker Chili. Use 95 percent lean ground beef. The spices in this recipe are delicious and add lots of flavor. This recipe has 9 SmartPoints.
• Shepherd's Pie is a rich and satisfying recipe. For this one, use low-fat sour cream and 95 percent lean ground beef for just 13 Smart Points.
• If you love Mexican food, Seven Layer Taco Casserole is one for you. Again, use 95 percent lean ground beef, fat-free refried beans, cut the cheese in half, use nonfat sour cream, and cut the guacamole and olives in half for 13 SmartPoints.

Tips

To make your recipes as healthy as possible when cooking with ground beef:

• When cooking with ground beef, use the leanest ground beef you can find (lean or extra-lean).
• Weight Watchers offers an online calculator if you know the nutritional information of the food.
• Drain the beef thoroughly after it's browned to remove more fat.
• Adding more vegetables to the recipe will help reduce the point count.
• Use lots of herbs and spices, which add a negligible amount of fat and calories, to increase the flavor.

Follow the Weight Watchers System and Eat Well

Following the SmartPoint system is easy. You'll eat delicious food and you don't have to feel deprived. Many recipes for favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes have been developed. Choose your favorites and dig in.