Alfredo Sauce, spaghetti noodles and ground Beef

[rockey_f_squirrell]

I know that Alfredo sauce is normally used with chicken or seafood. We have an extra jar of Alfredo sauce, Brand name in a Jar, and as a low budget family we cant always get a hold of chicken breast or seafood.

We do seem to always have ground beef on hand. And we get spaghetti quite often (again as a low budget family, we sometimes have to depend on food pantries)

Is there any popular, or tested dishes that can use ground beef with alfredo sauce. My wife is weary of me taking creative risks, so I am really looking for any known recipes that have been tried out, that can use ground beef with Alfredo sauce. (Pretend you are in a culinary school and you have an instructor that is going to grade you, what would you come up with)

If nothing with ground beef, is there any other thing I can do with a meatless Alfredo/Spaghetti mixture? Maybe I can afford just one kind of cheese to add to it (store-bought alfredo sauce) that would be a 'magic ingredient' to make something memorable?

Thanks

 

[jennyema]

Im not a huge fan of jarred alfredo but why not just make fettuccine alfredo ?

 

[Andy M.]

The original Alfredo was pasta in a butter and cheese sauce. No meat at all.

If you want to brown some ground beef and add it to alfredo sauce, that could work.

Parmesan cheese is a natural add to boost the flavor of pre-made alfredo.

 

[Addie]

If you sauté the beef, make sure you drain it well. And season it while it is cooking. Why not make burgers and use the Alfredo as a gravy over it. Add some frozen peas or other green veggie to the Alfredo, hamburgers and mashed potatoes. You have a balanced meal. Check with your supermarket Deli Manager and ask if they sell the cheese ends at a reduced price. See if they have a day old bread section or produce that is still edible but not as pretty as the first day. My supermarket has a large cart with trays that has all kinds of produce that is reduced only because they may have a small bruise or other mark on it. Just cut it out and use it. I know all the tricks of living on a low budget for a family. You really have to hunt for those bargains and cook with your imagination. Good luck.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Adding mushrooms to your alfredo sauce, along with browned ground beef, and served over egg noodles would work well. Add granulated garlic to it as well. Now, you've turned you jar of Alfredo into a kind of stroganoff dish.

Alternately, you can add combine your sauce with a can of mushroom soup, and add some chopped onion to it. Ground beef can either be served as patties, with the sauce over top, and potatoes on the side, or it can be browned and mixed into the sauce, and served over noodles, or toast points.

Add milk to your sauce, with a bit of sage, and ground beef, and turn it into a soup. Sliced celery and onion would go great in that, and even sliced carrots can be added.

Just a few ideas for you.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the north

 

[no mayonnaise]

Doesn't sound TOO far off from the idea of Greek pastitsio
Personally I'd broil or grillsome skirt steak medium and slice it thin, fan it out around some fettuccine Alfredo and hit it with some parsley at the end. A lot less risk of "monoflavor" which I think you're risking with the ground beef idea. If you gotta add ground beef I'd definitely add some mushrooms too for balance and texture.

 

[GotGarlic]

Watch the sales Right now, at one store near me, ground beef is on sale at $2.49/lb. while boneless, skinless chicken breast is on sale for $1.99/lb.

You could make sort of an Alfredo primavera as a side dish. Saute or steam onions, bell peppers, broccoli, etc., and add to spaghetti and the Alfredo sauce. Serve with bunless burgers.

 

[Zhizara]

Alfredo sauce works quite well with browned crumbled hamburger. You can just serve it over the cooked spaghetti.

I made some last week using egg noodles. It was easy and delicious.

 

[Oldvine]

In your kitchen, you're the boss. Cooked hamburger added to Alfreda sauce will probably resemble hamburger gravy over noodles. Your family might like your version. .

 

[bbobson]

Browned ground with alfredo over egg noodles or toast is a great way to go, a number of good suggestions to give it variety have already been posted. How about meatballs?

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I only ever used jarred alfredo sauce once. Mostly because if I want this sauce, it is pretty easy to make. I would recommend if you have a package of frozen mixed veggies, preferably bite size, as opposed to little square carrots and peas, that you make Pasta Primavera with the spaghetti noodles. Use the burger for another dish.

Pasta with an alfredo sauce is a rich tasting dish on its own. Served as a side, it can be a main dish as well.

If you decide to add the burger, either cooked and crumbled or meatballs, will add extra flavor to the dish. Depending on the fat to lean ratio, I am not too in favor of heavily draining when you cook the burger. If you can separate just the fat element out, fine. The drippings will add to the flavor.

Things I would add, if they are on hand, garlic powder, a little dried herbs such as basil or oregano and some extra parmesan cheese to sprinkle across the top.

The jarred sauce I used (brand?) was quite thick, so I poured a little milk in the jar, shook it and thinned the sauce to what I like.

Regardless, I hope dinner tastes good.

 

[Zhizara]

The jarred Alfredo is mild, and can be jazzed up to a more piquant version by adding/melting in cream cheese, parmessan, blue cheese crumbles, or gorgonzola crumbles. Any one or combination adds a lot of pizazz.