Looking for a filler for ground beef...?

Question

I have a dish I want to make, but I need about a half pound more meat. Is there anything that I can mix with the meat to bulk it up? I'm thinking perhaps beans (which would work with the recipe), but do I cook them, or mash them, or what? Are there any other foods that I can use?

Thanks for your answers!

Answer 1

Well there is one thing I use most, I read the other fillers other readers suggested and have tried them but they seem to take away from the flavor of the hamburger and most of them add a lot of salt to your food.
I use All Bran cereal, I find that 1 1/2 cups is about equal to one pound of hamburger. Not only does it bulk up you hamburger it adds fiber and will absorb the juices of the hamburger keeping the flavor in tact.
I have found that if you use this in things that you need the hamburger to stay together like in a meat loaf you would want to add 1 egg for ever 2 eggs the original calls for, in other words if it calls for 2 eggs and you choose to use the All Bran you would need 3 eggs instead.
I like this method because the All Bran has a very similar texture to hamburger and adds a very nice full flavor to the hamburger without changing the taste like adding veggies and such would do.

Answer 2

You can use tofu to fill up the remainder. It will take on the flavoring of any spices and sauces used in the recipe. Also, ground turkey but it depends what you're making. In anything like a burger or meat loaf, the ground turkey cooks up very soggy. It's ok for ground meat in spaghetti sauce or chili though. Just add a beef boullion cube and Worcestershire sauce to make it beefy.

Answer 3

Bread crumbs are the best alternative and as long they are fine(commercial kind) and not too much, you don't notice and the meat remains juicy. Add some fat to it(chop up the bacon), finely chopped onion, chopped peppers, some spices, tomato puree. Depending on what you intentions are you could mash potatoes, flavor them and add them to the meat.

Answer 4

Ground Turkey or ground pork, rice works excellent as a filler I would not recommend adding beans

Answer 5

Sure, mash the beans up. Try putting them in your food processors and pulse them. Unless you could put them in whole for the recipe. You could also try using breadcrumbs, oatmeal, etc..... or just run to the store :)

Answer 6

You can use mashed beans, pureed potatoes or soy. In Italy we add shredded carrot to our meat sauce, too.

Answer 7

bread crumbs, rolled oats, onions, mushrooms or rice

hopefully one of those will work. or just cut your recipe down a bit to allow for the meat you do have on hand.

Answer 8

Try an egg, beaten and mixxed with oats.
Or cracker or bread crumbs are good.

Answer 9

depending on what you are making, you can add, eggs, oatmeal, cracker crumbs, corn flakes, rice. You can also add veggies, onions,peppers,carrots,etc. It all depends on what type of finished meal you will have.

Answer 10

yes i would say beans if there canned then just add them the way they are.