Ashley Wulf from the Beef Council shows us some healthy, protein packed meals made with beef.

*Protein is necessary to build and maintain muscle. Whether you’re looking to reach new fitness goals or simply up your protein intake, we have beef recipes that can do just that. Plus, we have a NEW 2-week plan starting Monday, April 15^th with workouts created by Minnesota influencer, Nourish Move Love and recipes from the Real Food Dietitians FREE for you to use! Just visit mnbeef.org/nutrition or click HERE to get the details. We have this plan amongst several others for you to try!

Beef Skillet Enchiladas

*This recipe was created in partnership with the Real Food Dietitians and is part of the aforementioned 2-week meal plans

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1 lb. lean Ground Beef
1 small red bell pepper, diced small
1 medium zucchini, diced small
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups (15-16 oz) jarred or canned red enchilada sauce
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn (fire roasted or regular)
8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas, cut into 6 wedges
1 ½ cups shredded Mexican blend cheese, divided
For garnish: fresh cilantro, sour cream, diced tomatoes, lime wedges, sliced avocado

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425℉. Place a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot, spray with cooking spray then add oil and swirl to coat. Add the ground beef, bell pepper, zucchini, and green onions (white/light green part). Break up the meat using a spatula and cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is no longer pink and the zucchini is tender.
2. Turn off heat. Add the chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, enchilada sauce, black beans, corn, and ½ cup shredded cheese. Stir well to combine.
3. Gently fold in the corn or flour tortilla wedges so that the tortillas are well coated with sauce and are dispersed evenly throughout the meat mixture.
4. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup shredded cheese and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove skillet from the oven and sprinkle with sliced green onions (dark parts), cilantro, tomatoes, and avocado. Serve with dollops of sour cream, if desired.
   Ashley’s/RFD’s Tips:
6. This is an easy, one-pan recipe that doesn’t take long to make!
7. One serving contains 31g of protein.
8. If you need to make this recipe gluten free, use corn tortillas instead of flour.
9. Feel free to substitute green enchilada sauce in place of the red if you choose.

One Pot Lasagna Pasta

Less muss and less fuss, but still oh-so-satisfying. Blend all the basics—Ground Beef, zucchini, pasta, sauce and cheese—in a single pot, then finish in the oven. Recipe developed by Oh Sweet Basil and The Beef Checkoff

Ingredients:
1 pound Ground Beef (93% lean or leaner)
1 medium zucchini, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
1 jar (24 to 26 ounces) garden-style pasta sauce
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 ounces uncooked mini bow tie (farfalle) pasta (about 2-1/8 cups)
2/3 cup reduced-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
Thinly sliced or chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat ovenproof 5 to 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add Ground Beef and zucchini; cook 8 to 10 minutes, breaking beef into small crumbles and stirring occasionally.
2. Stir in pasta sauce, water and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta. Spoon heaping teaspoons ricotta cheese over top of sauce. Slightly swirl ricotta into sauce, not mixing in completely.
3. Cover & bake in 375°F oven 10 minutes. Uncover. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 7-10 minutes or until pasta is tender. Let stand 5 min. Sprinkle with basil before serving.

Skillet-Stovetop Method: Prepare recipe as directed above using 12-inch nonstick skillet and adding uncooked pasta with pasta sauce, water and pepper in step 2. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; cover and cook on stovetop 8 to 11 minutes (13 to 15 minutes for regular bow tie pasta) or until pasta is tender, stirring once. Remove from heat. Swirl ricotta into sauce as directed in step 2. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand 5 minutes or until mozzarella cheese is melted.

Ashley’s Tips:
1. One serving contains a whopping 45g of protein!
2. This recipe calls for bowtie noodles, but you may use any noodle of your choice. Just ensure noodles are cooked based on package times.
3. Mix it up and use any pasta sauce of your choosing!

Garlic & Herb Steak Salad

The key to this protein-packed salad is coating lean Top Sirloin with a seasoned herb blend before grilling. Serve steak slices over spinach with grilled onions, tomatoes and eggs.

Ingredients:
1 beef Top Sirloin Steak Boneless, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 pound)
1 tablespoon garlic & herb or onion & herb no-salt seasoning
1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
6 cups fresh baby spinach
1 medium tomato, cut into wedges
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
Dressing:
2 tablespoons honey mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons garlic & herb or onion & herb no-salt seasoning
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Directions:

1. Combine Dressing ingredients in small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup dressing for salad. Brush remaining dressing on onion slices.
2. Press 1 tablespoon seasoning blend evenly onto beef Top Sirloin Steak Boneless. Place steak in center of grid over medium, ash-covered coals; arrange onion slices around steak. Grill steak, covered, 7 to 11 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 8 to 13 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally. Grill onion 10 to 12 minutes (gas grill times remain the same) or until tender, turning occasionally.
3. Carve beef into slices. Divide spinach evenly among four plates. Top with steak slices, tomatoes, onions and eggs. Drizzle evenly with reserved 1/4 cup dressing.
   Cook’s Tip: To hard-boil eggs, place eggs in pan and fill with enough water to cover eggs by one inch. Heat just to boiling; cover pan and let eggs stand for 15 minutes. Immediately run cold water over eggs or place them in ice water until completely cooled.
   Ashley’s Tips:
4. Feel free to use any cut of steak that you prefer.
5. Insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally from the side so it penetrates the thickest part or center of the steak not touching bone or fat.
6. This recipe calls for spinach, but use any salad mix you prefer.
7. One serving contains 31g of protein in just 300 calories.