10 5-Ingredient Ground Beef Dinners for Busy Weeknights

It is 6pm, there is a pack of ground beef in the fridge, and everyone is already asking what dinner is. This post turns that one pack into ten different weeknight dinners, and every single one uses exactly five counted ingredients. There are skillets where pasta and rice cook in the sauce, bakes that finish in the oven in the same pan, a proper chilli, meatballs, and sloppy Joes for the night nobody wants a fork. Every recipe feeds four, states its honest total time including chopping, and gives its cost per serving. Most land between about $1.70 and $2.50 a serving, and everything cooks in one large deep oven-safe skillet — about 12-inch — so the washing up stays at one pan. Pick the one that matches what is already in your cupboard, and start browning.

Quick Facts

• Prep time: 10–15 minutes per recipe
• Cook time: 15–40 minutes per recipe, depending on the recipe
• Total time: 25–55 minutes per recipe — honest total time, prep included, stated on every recipe below
• Servings: Each recipe feeds 4
• Cost per serving: About $1.70–$2.50 per serving, depending on the recipe — based on standard supermarket prices, October 2026; yours will vary
• Equipment: One large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm) — that is the one equipment angle for the whole post. A board and a knife are assumed
• Best for: Busy weeknights when there is ground beef to use up

Why This Works on a Weeknight

• Exactly five counted ingredients, every time. Salt, pepper, oil and water are pantry staples — they are declared under every recipe and never counted, so the five on the list are the five you actually shop for.
• One skillet from start to finish. Brown the beef, build the sauce, cook the pasta or rice, and finish bakes under the grill or in the oven — all in the same pan.
• One pack of beef, ten different dinners. Tomato, BBQ, soy and chilli take the same base ingredient in completely different directions, so nobody feels they are eating the same dinner on repeat.
• Costs and times you can plan around. Every recipe states its honest total time including prep and its cost per serving, dated October 2026.

These dinners sit in the same five-ingredient lane as our 12 Easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Dinners — those are hands-off in the slow cooker, these are faster in a skillet on the stove. If chicken is what you have instead, our 11 5-Ingredient Chicken Dinners keep exactly the same five-ingredient promise with a different protein.

The 10 Ground Beef Dinners

1. One-Pan Beef & Macaroni Skillet — 30 mins · about $2.10 per serving · feeds 4
2. Beef Taco Rice Skillet — 35 mins · about $1.95 per serving · feeds 4
3. Cheesy Beef & Potato Bake — 50 mins · about $2.25 per serving · feeds 4
4. Beef & Bean Chilli — 40 mins · about $1.85 per serving · feeds 4
5. Italian Beef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce — 35 mins · about $2.40 per serving · feeds 4
6. Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry with Rice — 25 mins · about $2.30 per serving · feeds 4
7. Beef Shepherd’s-Style Pie — 55 mins · about $2.15 per serving · feeds 4
8. Beef & Black Bean Tortilla Bake — 40 mins · about $2.50 per serving · feeds 4
9. Beef & Cabbage Skillet — 35 mins · about $1.70 per serving · feeds 4
10. BBQ Beef Sloppy Joes — 25 mins · about $2.05 per serving · feeds 4

The rule that applies to every recipe below: exactly five counted ingredients. Pantry staples — salt, black pepper, cooking oil and water — are listed separately under every recipe and are never counted toward the five. Everything cooks in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), including the bakes and the pie, which finish in the oven in that same skillet.

1. One-Pan Beef & Macaroni Skillet

Ready in: 30 mins · About $2.10 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 12 oz (340 g) elbow macaroni, dried
• 2½ cups (600 ml / 600 g) tomato passata
• 1½ cups (170 g) grated cheddar
• 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
2. Add the tomato passata and 2½ cups (600 ml) water. Stir well, scraping up any bits from the bottom, and bring to a gentle boil.
3. Stir in the dried macaroni. Reduce to a steady simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring twice, until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
4. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for 2 minutes more, until heated through.
5. Turn the heat off. Scatter the cheddar over the top, replace the lid, and rest for 2 minutes until melted, then serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

The weeknight version of a boxed pasta dinner, cooked properly in one pan. The macaroni cooks in the passata and water, so there is no separate pot to drain.

2. Beef Taco Rice Skillet

Ready in: 35 mins · About $1.95 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1½ cups (285 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 1½ cups (225 g) frozen sweetcorn
• 1 cup (115 g) grated cheddar

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
2. Add the rinsed rice and stir for 1 minute so the grains are coated in the pan juices.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice and 2 cups (480 ml) water. Stir once and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce to the lowest steady simmer, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
5. Turn the heat off, scatter the frozen sweetcorn over the top, replace the lid, and rest for 5 minutes.
6. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir the sweetcorn through. Scatter the cheddar over the top, replace the lid for 2 minutes until melted, then serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

All the flavours of a taco night in one rice skillet, with no shells to fill and no table full of little bowls. The resting step is where the rice finishes, so do not skip it.

3. Cheesy Beef & Potato Bake

Ready in: 50 mins · About $2.25 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 2 lb (900 g) potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced, about ⅛ in (3 mm)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 1½ cups (170 g) grated cheddar

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6–7 minutes, breaking the beef up, until browned and the onion has softened. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
2. Stir in the chopped tomatoes with their juice, bring to a simmer, and cook for 3 minutes. Spoon about half the beef mixture out to a bowl for now.
3. Arrange half the potato slices in an even layer over the beef left in the skillet, season lightly, then spoon the reserved beef back over the top. Finish with the remaining potato slices in an even layer.
4. Cover the skillet with a lid or foil and bake for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
5. Remove the lid or foil, scatter the cheddar over the top, and bake for 8–10 minutes more, uncovered, until golden and bubbling. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Slicing the potatoes thin is the whole timing trick here — thick slices will still be firm when the cheese is ready. A knife should slide through the top layer with no resistance before the cheddar goes on.

4. Beef & Bean Chilli

Ready in: 40 mins · About $1.85 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp chilli powder (the mild US blend)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6–7 minutes, breaking the beef up, until browned and the onion has softened. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
2. Add the chilli powder and stir for 30 seconds, until it coats the beef.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juice, the drained kidney beans and 1 cup (240 ml) water. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Reduce to a steady simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 22–25 minutes, stirring twice, until the sauce has thickened.
5. Rest off the heat for 2 minutes, then serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

The beans stretch one pound of beef across four generous bowls, which is a large part of why this is one of the cheapest dinners in the post. It is also the one that tastes even better reheated the next day.

5. Italian Beef Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Ready in: 35 mins · About $2.40 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1½ lb (680 g) ground beef
• ½ cup (60 g) fine dried breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg
• 2½ cups (600 ml / 600 g) tomato passata
• 4 oz (115 g) mozzarella, torn or sliced

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Put the ground beef, breadcrumbs and egg in a large bowl, season well with salt and pepper, and mix with your hands just until combined — do not overwork it. Roll into about 16 meatballs, roughly the size of a golf ball.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning carefully, until browned on most sides. They will finish cooking in the sauce.
3. Pour the tomato passata around the meatballs, add ½ cup (120 ml) water, and stir gently so the sauce reaches the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a gentle boil.
4. Reduce to a steady simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook for 12–15 minutes, turning the meatballs once halfway, until cooked through.
5. Lay the mozzarella over the top, replace the lid, and cook for 2 minutes more until melted, then serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C) — check the largest meatball in the centre. Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Browning the meatballs before the sauce goes in is worth the few minutes — it is where most of the flavour comes from. Serve them as they are, or spooned over any pasta or crusty bread you already have.

6. Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry with Rice

Ready in: 25 mins · About $2.30 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 4 cups (340 g) broccoli florets, fresh or frozen
• 1½ cups (285 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
• ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, minced

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Put the rinsed rice in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), with 2½ cups (600 ml) water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle boil, cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce to the lowest steady simmer, and cook for 12 minutes. Turn the heat off and rest, covered, while you cook the beef — spoon the rice out to a warm bowl when it is ready, and wipe the skillet dry.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef, season with pepper, and cook for 4–5 minutes, breaking it into bite-size pieces, until browned and crisp at the edges. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
3. Add the garlic and broccoli florets and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until the broccoli is bright green and just tender. If using frozen broccoli, cook for 4–5 minutes, until heated through.
4. Pour in the soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water, stir for 1 minute until glossy, then return the rice to the skillet and toss everything together for 1 minute. Serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and reheat rice until steaming hot throughout.

The fastest dinner in the post. Cooking the rice first in the same skillet keeps this a one-pan recipe in spirit and in washing up — it just asks for a bowl to hold the rice for ten minutes.

7. Beef Shepherd’s-Style Pie

Ready in: 55 mins · About $2.15 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 2 lb (900 g) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) chunks
• 2 cups (300 g) frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup (115 g) grated cheddar

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Put the potato chunks in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 15–18 minutes, until completely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain, return the potatoes to the warm skillet off the heat for 1 minute to dry, then tip them into a large bowl, mash with a fork or masher and a splash of the hot cooking water, and season with salt and pepper. Wipe the skillet dry.
2. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6–7 minutes, breaking the beef up, until browned. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
3. Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables and ½ cup (120 ml) water. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, until the vegetables are heated through and most of the liquid has reduced. Spread the beef mixture in an even layer.
4. Spoon the mashed potato over the top and spread it to the edges, roughing the surface up with a fork. Scatter the cheddar over the top.
5. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the filling is bubbling at the edges and the top is golden. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

It is called shepherd’s-style because real shepherd’s pie is made with lamb — this is the beef version, in the cottage pie tradition, under a cheddar mash. The fork ridges on top are what catch and crisp in the oven.

8. Beef & Black Bean Tortilla Bake

Ready in: 40 mins · About $2.50 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 6 large flour tortillas (about 10 in / 25 cm)
• 2 cups (480 ml / 480 g) tomato passata
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups (170 g) grated cheddar

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
2. Stir in the drained black beans and half the tomato passata. Simmer for 3 minutes, then spoon the beef mixture out to a bowl.
3. Spoon a thin layer of the remaining passata over the base of the same skillet. Lay in 2 tortillas, overlapping to cover the base, then spoon over a third of the beef mixture and scatter over a third of the cheddar.
4. Repeat the layers twice more — tortillas, beef mixture, cheddar — finishing with cheddar on top.
5. Bake for 18–20 minutes, until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges and serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

A lasagne method with tortillas instead of pasta sheets, so there is nothing to pre-cook. The five-minute rest matters — it is what lets the wedges hold together when you cut them.

9. Beef & Cabbage Skillet

Ready in: 35 mins · About $1.70 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 small green cabbage (about 1½ lb / 680 g), cored and shredded
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 can (14 oz / 400 g) chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 1 cup (190 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5–6 minutes, breaking the beef up, until browned. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
2. Add the shredded cabbage in two handfuls, stirring after each, and cook for 4–5 minutes, until it has wilted down enough to fit comfortably in the skillet.
3. Stir in the rinsed rice, the chopped tomatoes with their juice and 1½ cups (360 ml) water. Stir well and bring to a gentle boil.
4. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce to the lowest steady simmer, and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid, until the rice is tender and the cabbage is soft.
5. Rest, covered, off the heat for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve straight from the skillet.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and reheat rice until steaming hot throughout.

The cheapest dinner in the post at about $1.70 a serving — cabbage and rice do the stretching here, and the cabbage sweetens as it softens into the tomato sauce.

10. BBQ Beef Sloppy Joes

Ready in: 25 mins · About $2.05 per serving · Feeds 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 4 burger buns, split
• ¾ cup (180 ml) BBQ sauce
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 cheddar slices

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted toward the five ingredients.

Method

1. Heat one large deep oven-safe skillet, about 12-inch (30 cm), over medium heat. Toast the split burger buns, cut sides down, in the dry skillet for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 6–7 minutes, breaking the beef up, until browned and the onion has softened. Drain off excess fat if there is a lot in the pan.
3. Stir in the BBQ sauce and ¼ cup (60 ml) water. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring once or twice, until thick and glossy.
4. Lay the cheddar slices over the beef, cover with a lid, and cook for 1 minute off the heat until melted.
5. Spoon the BBQ beef generously into the toasted buns and serve straight away.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

The dinner for the night nobody wants to use a knife and fork. Toasting the buns in the same skillet first stops them going soggy under the saucy beef.

What It Costs

Every dinner here lands between about $1.70 and $2.50 per serving, so a dinner for four usually costs roughly $6.80 to $10.00 all in. The Beef & Cabbage Skillet is the cheapest at about $1.70 a serving, followed by the Beef & Bean Chilli at about $1.85, the Beef Taco Rice Skillet at about $1.95 and the BBQ Beef Sloppy Joes at about $2.05. The One-Pan Beef & Macaroni Skillet is about $2.10, the Shepherd’s-Style Pie about $2.15, the Cheesy Beef & Potato Bake about $2.25 and the Beef & Broccoli Stir-Fry about $2.30. At the top of the range, the Italian Beef Meatballs are about $2.40 and the Beef & Black Bean Tortilla Bake is about $2.50 — still five ingredients, just a larger pack of beef and more cheese. Based on prices checked in October 2026 at a large US supermarket. Your cost will vary by store and season — the point is the ballpark, not the penny.

Storage & Reheating

• Fridge: Cool leftovers quickly, store in a covered container, and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Eat ground beef leftovers within 3–4 days. Keep sloppy Joe beef separate from the buns, and keep tortilla bake wedges covered so they do not dry out.
• Freezer: The chilli, taco rice, cabbage skillet, meatballs in sauce, shepherd’s-style filling and sloppy Joe beef freeze well for up to 2–3 months — thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The potato bake and tortilla bake freeze acceptably but are best fresh; cooked rice in the broccoli stir-fry is better eaten on the night or refrigerated and eaten the next day.
• Reheating: Reheat leftovers until steaming hot throughout, reaching 165°F (74°C). On the stove, add a splash of water to skillets, chilli and rice dishes, cover, and heat over medium-low, stirring once or twice, until steaming. In the oven, reheat the bakes and the pie in the oven-safe skillet at 375°F (190°C) for 12–15 minutes, covered with foil for the first half. In the microwave, cover, stir halfway, and check the middle is steaming before serving.
• Rice note: Cool rice leftovers as quickly as you can, refrigerate straight away, eat within 1 day if you can, and only reheat rice once — always until steaming hot throughout.

Easy Swaps & Variations

• Swap the cheese: Grated mozzarella, Red Leicester or any good melting cheese can replace cheddar in recipes 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8. Pre-grated and block cheese both work — block cheese melts a little more smoothly if you have the choice.
• Change the beans and vegetables: Black beans and kidney beans trade places in recipes 4 and 8. Frozen peas, sweetcorn and mixed vegetables trade freely in recipes 1, 2 and 7 — add them in the last stretch of cooking so they heat through without going dull.
• Make it spicy or keep it mild: Add a pinch of chilli flakes, a spoon of hot sauce or a spicier BBQ sauce in recipes 2, 4 and 10 for more heat. The chilli powder in the chilli is the mild US blend as written — use a hot blend only if everyone at the table wants it.
• Ground turkey or chicken instead: Ground turkey or ground chicken can replace the beef in any recipe here, cooked the same way — but cook ground poultry to 165°F (74°C) instead of 160°F (71°C), and check with a food thermometer.
• Smaller or bigger batch: Every recipe halves cleanly in the same skillet. To double, brown the beef in two batches in the same skillet so it browns instead of steaming, then continue as written — the bakes and the pie will need a few extra minutes in the oven.

FAQs

Do the pantry staples really not count toward the five ingredients?

Really — and the post says so on the page so the count stays honest. Salt, black pepper, cooking oil and water are listed separately under every recipe as pantry staples you probably have, and they are never counted. The five counted ingredients in each recipe are the five items in its ingredient list, and those are the only five you need to shop for beyond the staples.

Can I use a different skillet if mine is not oven-safe?

For the seven stovetop recipes, any large deep skillet with a lid works — about 12-inch (30 cm). For the three oven finishes — the potato bake, the shepherd’s-style pie and the tortilla bake — you do need an oven-safe skillet, or you can transfer the mixture to an oven dish at the baking step. That adds one dish to wash, but the recipe itself does not change.

How do I stop the ground beef steaming instead of browning?

Use the large skillet stated, get it properly hot before the beef goes in, and do not stir for the first minute or two so the underside can colour. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, drain off the excess fat partway through. One pound (450 g) fits the 12-inch skillet in a single layer; if you are doubling a recipe, brown the beef in two batches.

Can I make any of these ahead or freeze them?

Yes. The chilli, the meatballs in sauce and the sloppy Joe beef are the best make-aheads — they keep 3–4 days in the fridge and freeze for up to 2–3 months, and the chilli honestly improves overnight. The bakes and the pie can be assembled in the skillet, covered and refrigerated for up to a day, then baked as written with 5 extra minutes. Reheat all leftovers until steaming hot throughout, reaching 165°F (74°C).

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