Food and Recipes Dinner 40 Sunday Dinner Ideas With Ground Beef That'll Have Everyone Asking For Seconds If you're looking for a stress-free way to get Sunday dinner on the table, these ground beef recipes are affordable and easy to make. By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is a Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 14, 2024 Close Photo: Photographer: Jennifer Causey Food Stylist: Melissa Gray Prop Stylist: Christina Daley Sunday dinner is one of the best times for families to come together and share a meal. Before another five hectic weekdays, you can relax, catch up on weekend stories, and enjoy a comforting meal. Ground beef is one of the easiest and most budget-friendly options for family dinner recipes, and ground beef recipes are famously kid-friendly (we're looking at you, burgers and tacos). If you're having the in-laws or neighbors over for Sunday dinner and need fancier presentation, look no further than easy ground beef recipes like stuffed squash, mini meatloaves, or our extra-easy lasagna. If you're feeding a crowd of kids, sheet pan nachos, beef calzones, and chili mac are all no-fail options. Sunday dinner is a time to recharge and reset before another busy week, so you shouldn't be worked up over preparing and serving it. If you're looking for a stress-free way to get Sunday dinner on the table, these ground beef recipes are affordable and easy to make. 01 of 40 Slow-Cooker Tomato-Basil Meatloaf Victor Protasio This meatloaf recipe is a slightly elevated version of the classic, and it's made easier with help from your slow cooker. Get The Recipe 02 of 40 Deb Wise's Tamale Pie Mix-Up Hector Sanchez You'll want to "mix up" every Sunday dinner with this Tex-Mex casserole favorite. Get The Recipe 03 of 40 West Texas Chili Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Everything's bigger in Texas, including the flavor bursting from this traditional Texas chili recipe. If your family likes bold flavors with heat, try this recipe out this Sunday. Get The Recipe 04 of 40 Stuffed Pattypan Squash with Beef and Feta Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Torie Cox This stuffed veggie recipe is pretty, healthy, and customizable. Swap beef for ground chicken or turkey, pattypan squash for zucchini or yellow squash, and white rice for brown rice, quinoa, barley, or faro. Get The Recipe 05 of 40 Mini Meatloaves with Potatoes, Leeks, and Brussels Sprouts Hector Manuel Sanchez This sheet-pan dinner feels way fancier than the 15 minutes of hands-on time it requires. Get The Recipe 06 of 40 Chunky Vegetable Beef Soup Southern Living You don't have to wait through hours of simmering to enjoy a warm, comforting bowl of soup. This classic recipe is on the table in just 45 minutes. Make two batches and freeze one for unplanned nights ahead. Get The Recipe 07 of 40 Sloppy Joe Casserole Southern Living The kids will request this hearty casserole recipe week after week, and it's so easy to make that you won't mind. Get The Recipe 08 of 40 Beef Calzones Instead of ordering pizza, try homemade calzones stuffed with all your favorite toppings instead. Get The Recipe 09 of 40 Sheet Pan Nachos Greg DuPree Loaded with ground chuck and pinto beans, these hearty nachos can work as an appetizer for a crowd or a dinner for a family. Don't skip the fresh toppings like avocado and cilantro. Get The Recipe 10 of 40 Greek Stuffed Peppers Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall These stuffed peppers are a low-carb, healthful option after a long weekend of eating out. Plus, they're pretty enough for company. Get The Recipe 11 of 40 Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero Start the week with a veggie-packed main dish. Loaded with flavorful ingredients like ground chuck, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, this is a 20-minute supper your family won't soon forget. Get The Recipe 12 of 40 Greek Meatballs with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce and Rice Greg DuPree Meatballs are great for freezing to save for later, so don't hesitate to make an extra batch or two. Plus, these Greek meatballs, along with the yogurt sauce and rice, would be delicious stuffed in pitas for brown bag lunches during the week. Get The Recipe 13 of 40 Extra Easy Lasagna Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Lasagna is the king of Sunday dinners, and this recipe is the least stressful way to get it on the table. Seriously, you don't even have to cook the noodles. Get The Recipe 14 of 40 Cowboy Casserole Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Requiring just 25 minutes of hands-on time, it's hard to imagine a more comforting Sunday supper than a casserole topped with tater tots. Get The Recipe 15 of 40 Homestyle Ground Beef Casserole Will Dickey Make this family-friendly casserole on Sunday night, and you'll be set with leftovers everyone will actually want to eat on a busy weeknight a few days later. Get The Recipe 16 of 40 Instant Pot Chili Mac Photography and Styling: Caitlin Bensel Put your Instant Pot to work with this family staple that sure to have everyone asking for seconds. Get The Recipe 17 of 40 Sloppy Joe Casserole with Dinner Rolls Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck As one editor put it, "Southerners will always have a soft spot for King's Hawaiian rolls." This one-skillet supper is a hearty new way to serve them to your family. Get The Recipe 18 of 40 Old-Fashioned Cabbage Rolls Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood We Southern-ized the Polish-inspired recipe with the addition of a bit of Creole seasoning and the “holy trinity” of Creole and Cajun cooking, bell pepper, onion, and celery. Get The Recipe 19 of 40 Ground Beef Vegetable Soup with Gnocchi Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Maggie Ruggiero One five-star reviewer said that even her “super picky family loved” this soup recipe that takes 30 minutes from start to finish. Get The Recipe 20 of 40 Fire-Roasted Tomato-and-Beef Ragù Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Our Test Kitchen created this recipe with a future busy version of you in mind. It’s super easy to double and freeze to enjoy later. Get The Recipe 21 of 40 Beefy Nacho Casserole Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Rishon Hanners, Prop Stylist Heather Chadduck The problem with nachos is that the chips on the top get all the toppings, and you’re left with a platter of plain tortilla chips. This fun casserole solves that issue, and everyone gets their own serving, so there’s no fighting over the best chips. Get The Recipe 22 of 40 Shepherd's Pie with Potato Crust Greg Dupree In our Shepherd’s Pie makeover, we swap ground lamb for ground beef and create a stunning crust of sliced potatoes rather than mashed. Get The Recipe 23 of 40 Hamburger Stew Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Kay E. Clarke; Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey “This really does remind me of my childhood comforting beef and vegetable soup. If you remember that from your childhood, you will definitely love this recipe,” says Test Kitchen Pro Ivy Odom. “I love the addition of the hamburger bun croutons. How fun is that?” Get The Recipe 24 of 40 Beefy Skillet Lasagna Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn A jar of marinara sauce and your cast-iron skillet help get this classic comfort food dinner on the table with so much less hassle. Get The Recipe 25 of 40 Beef Tamale Pie Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall A golden corn muffin crust studded with jalapeno slices makes for beautiful presentation with this easy skillet supper. Get The Recipe 26 of 40 Beef Stew with Cheddar Biscuits Linda Pugliese; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Torie Cox This new take on beef stew utilizes ground beef instead of stew meat. The real treat is the topping of homemade cheesy biscuits. Get The Recipe 27 of 40 Instant Pot Baked Ziti Photographer: Antonis Achilleos, Prop Stylist: Christine Kelly Food Stylist: Ali Ramee We love when our Instant Pot can recreate old-school favorites in less time, like this meaty, comforting pasta supper. Get The Recipe 28 of 40 Meatloaf Casserole Micah A. Leal Like a Southern twist on Shepherd’s Pie, this oh-so-cozy casserole was made for easy, slow Sunday suppers. Get The Recipe 29 of 40 Muffin Tin Meatloaf Photographer Victor Protasio, Food Stylist Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist Prissy Lee The original Sunday dinner got the cutest makeover with this recipe that’s easy to serve and will liven up the kids’ plates. Get The Recipe 30 of 40 Lasagna Soup Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox We combined an old pasta night favorite with the coziness of a soup in this new classic recipe. “Solid soup will be a regular in my rotation,” wrote one five-star reviewer. “Great with a nice, toasty baguette!” Get The Recipe 31 of 40 Sweet Potato-Topped Southwestern Cottage Pie Photographer: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall This isn’t your usual cottage pie. A mashed sweet potato topping and the addition of ingredients like peppers, chiles, salsa, and more up the flavor ante on this dish. Get The Recipe 32 of 40 Slow-Cooker Salisbury Steak Jennifer Causey; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley If there’s one dinner that will remind you of Sundays at Grandma’s, it’s Salisbury Steak. Paired with a heaping serving of buttery mashed potatoes, this supper is comfort on a plate. Get The Recipe 33 of 40 Tamale Casserole Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless Our Test Kitchen pros gave this easy casserole recipe high praise: "This is basically chili baked with cornbread on top, which is the best thing ever." Get The Recipe 34 of 40 Easy Pastitsio Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Stylist: Christina Daley We made the preparation for this “Greek lasagna” even easier than traditional recipes with the Southern casserole treatment. Get The Recipe 35 of 40 Swedish Meatballs Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely This oh-so-comforting recipe is delicious served over egg noodles for a hearty dinner. Add a simple side salad for a complete meal. Get The Recipe 36 of 40 Church Supper Spaghetti Jen Causey; Food Stylist: Ana Kelly; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless The name really says it all here: If the recipe is good enough for the church ladies, it’s good enough for us. Get The Recipe 37 of 40 Mini Meatloaves Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely We included our easy Buttery Peas recipe along with these quick Mini Meatloaves for a full, filling dinner. Get The Recipe 38 of 40 Husband’s Delight Fred Hardy, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke This vintage recipe with a cheeky name just might become Sunday tradition in your family. Get The Recipe 39 of 40 Million Dollar Spaghetti Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Reviewers can’t get enough of this creamy spaghetti casserole. “Loved it. The cream cheese and ricotta made this exceptional,” wrote one five-star reviewer. “Definitely a keeper!” Get The Recipe 40 of 40 Southern Meatloaf Photographer: Stacy Allen; Food Stylist : Karen Rankin; Prop Stylist: Lindsey Lower We added diced pimientos to your usual meatloaf recipe to give it a bit of Southern flair. Then, we upgraded the traditional ketchup sauce on top to reflect more of a Southern barbecue sauce. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit