Add lentils to ground beef or turkey

This kitchen tip to add lentils to ground beef or turkey will help you stretch your grocery budget while adding nutrition to favorite recipes.  

Food costs continue to climb and we’re feeling the pinch in the grocery store. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food prices are anticipated to increase by 3.5 percent this year. You may be clipping coupons, shopping sales, cutting back on take out, and trying other cost-saving measures, but here’s one you absolutely should do: Add cooked lentils with ground beef or turkey.

This hack isn’t new, but holy smokes, it’s effective! Not only will it stretch a pound of ground meat — beef or turkey — to help feed a larger family or get multiple meals for a one- or two-person household, you will add important nutrients to your favorite recipes. Did you know ½ cup of green lentils has 32 percent of recommended daily fiber and 12 grams of protein? Lentils are also a good source of iron and folate (a type of vitamin B). 

If you want to follow the example of our vegan friends, lentils can be a great substitute for ground beef. But if you're not ready for meatless tacos yet, try incorporating cooked lentils into some of your recipes like chili, pasta sauce or casseroles.

Doritos® Taco Salad is a favorite family recipe.

Recently, I bought a pound of ground turkey to make Mom’s Doritos Taco Salad. Because the ground turkey (or beef) is crumbled, I decided to test the lentil addition. Not only did I get enough ground turkey for the salad — which fed my two-person household dinner and lunch for me the next day — I had enough of the turkey/lentil mixture to make a simple red pasta sauce the next day. That pot of sauce provided us with two additional pasta meals. The cooked lentils blended well with the ground turkey, din't impart a strong flavor to the dish, and added a pleasant chew.

Let’s crunch the numbers. A pound of ground turkey in my area averages $5; lean ground is $7.70. A one-pound bag of green (also called French) lentils is $2 and there are 13 servings (¼ cup) per package, which breaks down to about 15 cents per serving.

Not only are lentils inexpensive, they will last up to a year if kept in an air-tight container and stored in a cool, dry spot.

I thought ¼ cup was a little scant for the pound of turkey, so I cooked 1/3 cup. So, for around 20 cents, I effectively doubled the pound of ground meat to use in two recipes! Now, I’m not great at math, but even I see the value of this! Why I'm late to this lentil+ground meat party I don't know, but I've been converted.

If you want to try this kitchen tip, here’s all you do:

• Place lentils in colander and pick through them, removing any shriveled lentils. Rinse well.

• Add 1/3 cup lentils to a medium saucepan and cover with 1 cup water. If desired, add a bay leaf for flavoring.

• Bring water to a rapid boil over medium-high heat then reduce to medium and cook uncovered 15 minutes. Test periodically to ensure the lentils are getting tender but not mushy.

• Drain, return lentils to the pot and stir in a pinch of kosher salt; do not salt before the lentils are finished cooking because this will make them tough.

Meanwhile, brown your turkey (or beef) as you normally would. When the meat is just about finished cooking, stir in the lentils to combine.

The turkey-lentil mixture on the left was used in our taco salad. The mixture in the bowl was reserved to make red pasta sauce the next day.

I separated the turkey-lentil mixture before adding the taco seasoning for our salad. Cooked onion was also an ingredient, but that extra flavor was perfect for the pasta sauce.

The ground meat-lentil mixture is a good to make in batches, too. Use some of the mixture in a recipe now and freeze some for later in a zip-top bag. Thaw at a later date and use in Mom's Hot Dish casserole, Lightened Up Taco Salad or Beefy Greek-inspired Pitas.

More money-saving recipes and tips will be coming! Do you have a tip or recipe for home cooks to help us stretch the food budget? Share your idea and I'll feature it in a future post!

About the blog

Three Women in the Kitchen is an award-winning food blog offering today’s home cooks comforting, hearty recipes with a personal touch. The website also pays tribute to Deborah’s mother, Katie Reinhardt, and paternal grandmother, Dorothy Reinhardt (the “three women” in the kitchen). Whether you’re an experienced or a novice cook, you’ll find inspiration here to feed your families and warm your heart. Subscribe today so you won’t miss a single delicious detail.