I like to cook teh ground beef first, seasoned simply with salt. I cover the pan and allow the meat juices accumulate in the pan rather than steaming off. After about ten minutes, the meat is cooked through and I have the makings of a wonderful broth that I pur into a bowl and put in the fridge. I then brown the meat and add veggies and mushroom pieces, with a little more salt. When the veggies are semi-tender, I remove teh broth from the fridge and remove the solidified fat. I pour the wonderfully flavored beef broth back into the pan, and add diced tomato and tomato puree, if needed (depends on what I'm making). You now have a great base for American Goulash (also known as slum gullion, American cop suey, and other regional names), any number of great soups, stews, chowders, or even pasties or meat pies/pot pies.
If you want, add some cilantro, a little bit of jalapeno, and after it's all cooked, chill it until it's cold and serve up as gazpacho. Of course you might want to add more veggies.
Just some ideas.
Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North