Beef recipes are sure to occupy a couple of spots when you plan your weekly menus. The cost is doubtless a concern for your budget while your family surely enjoys beef. A simple burger meal can put a big dent in the food budget. How can you make your beef recipes stretch your food dollar and still satisfy your family’s taste? How many ways can you disguise the illustrious burger? Let’s see.

Burgers are the all-American standby. You form the beef into patties, then fry or grill them. Yep, that’s good, but, served too often, it gets old. It’s time to think outside the box. Slice a tomato, onion and lay on a slice of cheese for the standard burger. Here are a few tasty variations on this ho-hum dinner.

Make very thin patties and layer thinly sliced mushrooms between the two patties. Toss a bit of stale beer in to your burger mix. Beer makes for a juicy burger. Add some minced, fresh garlic and some sauteed onions. Top off the mushrooms with grated smoked cheddar. The most expensive element in this dish is the Cognac . You don’t need to have a whole bottle on hand. Mushrooms are the key ingredient. In a heavy frying pan, over high heat, saute a pound of mushrooms and a large sweet onion. Just a few tablespoons, available in the tiny mini-bottles, suffice.

A cheap top round steak can become a gourmet treat, when imbued with a good marinade. Walk away in the morning and come home to a delicious, ready to eat beef recipe in the evening.

Beef casseroles are yet another method to have beef recipes in an reasonable way. Dress this gourmet burger with a liquid smoke preparation and grill. Meatloaf is another economical pillar of the American menu. When you return home in the evening, cook a batch of rice. Ladle the meat mix over the rice and serve. How about a grilled steak? Less expensive cuts of beef respond well to a marinade. Do you like teriyaki sauce? Mesquite flavors?

Dress your beef recipes with all of the flavors you enjoy. Pot roast recipes are equally versatile. Here, the slow cooker is your friend! Pile a bunch of veggies, such as potatoes, carrots and peas, into the slow cooker and lay your roast on top. Sprinkle the roast with garlic, thyme and a minced onion. Pile the meat on top of the veggies and walk away.

Beef recipes for meatloaf range from layers of pickles to ketchup. Make your meatloaf beef recipe a standout. Marinades infuse the meat with flavor, while stretching the beef in a mix of rice, pasta, veggies and a sauce. Beef bourguignon, the dish of French renown, is actually an economical beef recipe. Shop the sales and stock up on roast beef when it’s on sale. Load that sandwich up with sprouts, onions, Jalapeno peppers and sweet bell peppers. Add the cognac.

Layer this into the bottom of the slow cooker. Sear a pound and a half of beef stew meat until the edges are browned. Marinades tenderize and taste the meat. The Hoagie sandwich is an often overlooked beef recipe. This makes an outstanding lunch, for both kids and adults. So, what’s for dinner? Beef recipes are a good choice.