To begin this project, I went to Walmart and got a “tube” of 5 pounds of ground beef. We don’t have the freezer space to get 50 pounds at once so this will have to be done in increments.
When I got home, I made each of my 6 kids hold the tube of meat in their arms. The burger that those guys ate used 10 of these tubes I told them.
The Great Hamburger Experiment: Meal 1 - 48.5 pounds to go
None of my kids believed it was even possible and by far the most popular reaction to that news was “That’s just gross!”.
I divided the meat into four 1 pound servings and two ½ pound servings. I wasn’t sure what I was going to make but I figured as my kids are usually good about my “experiments” I would just try to wing it. Using my well stocked pantry for additions, I came up with a chunky red sauce served on pasta.
The younger kids weren’t too thrilled with seeing chunks of broccoli in spaghetti sauce but once they tasted it, things were on a roll. Several of the kids also added grated cheese on top for flavor.
The kids (17, 15, 13, 12, 10, 8 ) gobbled it down and even came back for seconds. The meat flavored satisfied the older kids (who are on team sports and are burning calories) and the beans added fullness that kept them filled for the night. Other than a candy cane later in the night (my reward to them for trying this recipe) there was no snacking.
Comments on the meal:
• Hey this is really good
• This is so thick, you could serve it with chips like chili
• This would be good on a baked potato
• Not bad, not bad at all
Used meat to date: ½ pound
Number of meals: 1
Spaghetti and Meat/Vegetable Red Sauce
To a crock pot add:
• Browned 1/2 pound of ground beef (apx 1.00 worth of beef) –drain most of the fat but leave a little
• 1 jar of Red Sauce
• 1 can of Canneli beans, washed and mashed with a fork
• ½ bag of frozen broccoli
• 1 clove of garlic using a garlic press
Heat for at least one hour to let the flavors meld.
Serve over spaghetti.
Note: The cost of ground beef is based on 5 pounds at 10.78.
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