Challenge Ingredient: Ground beef

'Tis the season for grilling! This week's challenge is ground beef, be that in the form of hamburger patties that you season yourself, a new meatloaf, some casserole dish, or any other way you can think of (Shepherd's Pie, anyone?).

I like to buy 10-15 pounds of ground beef at a time, cook up about 3/4 of it, and freeze it all in about 1 pound increments in freezer bags. It cuts down on so much preparation later. I usually sauté chopped onions and green and red bell peppers, and a little garlic, then crumble the meat into the skillet. I season it with salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, chili powder, and a little basil. When I put it in the bags, I squeeze all the air out and then flatten them. They freeze faster and thaw faster when they're flat, plus they store easier.

I won't give you a picture or any fast facts because if you look too long or read too long about ground beef, you'll never want to eat it again.

(For those keeping track, this would normally be Jillian's week to post a challenge ingredient, but she is still MIA with moving and getting settled in her new house, and has no internet yet.)

Please post by Sunday night!