2 Easy & Money-Saving Leftover Burger Recipes

1. Baked ziti

I had a tub of ricotta cheese in the fridge, so I decided to make baked ziti. I started by cooking a box of pasta from the pantry.

While I got a pot boiling for the pasta, I got my sauce completely ready. I made a fresh pot of sauce with some vegetables. I like to sneak some veggies into my pasta sauce so my kids get some nutrients.

Then I took out my food processor. I took my burgers, crumbled them up, and put them in the food processor. Once I had my beef all ground up, and while the pasta water was boiling, I started making my cheese sauce.

For the cheese sauce, I put two and a half cups of ricotta cheese in a bowl. I also added an egg. some salt, pepper, and a handful of parsley. Then I whisked that all up. Once that was ready, I took a block of cheese and shredded it. 

I also added a pinch of black pepper and some salt. Then I mixed it up and shredded some mozzarella cheese. I left a bit of extra ricotta cheese out to snack on it while I cooked. I love snacking on ingredients while I cook. Do you guys do that too?

Once the mozzarella was shredded, the ground beef and cheese sauce were both ready, and the pasta was in the colander, I was ready to mix everything together.

Instead of using a mixing bowl and creating more dirty dishes, I just poured all the ingredients into the pan and mixed everything in there. I used a rubber spatula because I wanted to get every ounce of cheese into this mix. This way I’m not wasting anything.

I gave everything a good mix so that all the ingredients were evenly distributed. I put some aluminum foil on top and put it in the oven at 375 degrees. I left it in until the sauce was bubbly, and the cheese was completely melted. 

Meanwhile, I still had all this leftover grated mozzarella cheese when I was finished. I also had a pound of seasoned, cooked ground beef left over. Both were prepped and ready for another meal. This will save me time later on in the week when I prepare another meal with it.

2. Tacos

I had a really hectic day before getting to the second meal with the leftovers. I got stuck working a little late, and my husband was still working when I started dinner.

Instead of making a big meal that would take me half an hour to forty minutes to prepare, I needed something that I could make in a snap. I always plan one of these meals throughout the week. 

I decided to use the leftover ground beef and shredded cheese to make tacos. Tacos are great because they’re so simple. I reheated the beef and cooked up a little bit more because we're a family of five and the leftover meat was not going to be enough.

I cut up some tomatoes. Then I put some sour cream on the side and kept everything as simple as possible. I took the pound of ground beef that I already cooked up, and added the leftover ground beef and then added my seasoning.

My taco seasoning could not be any easier. To make it, I add equal amounts of onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin to the recipe. If you're cooking with less than two pounds of ground beef, add one tablespoon of each. Then add two tablespoons of paprika. 

If you're making a big batch of tacos for a large crowd, just remember the measurements; it's one part onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin, and two parts paprika. You will not even believe what delicious taco seasoning that makes.

There is no salt needed in this recipe which I like because I try to control the amount of salt we eat in my family. If you want, you can add salt and pepper. 

This meal came out so delicious. I love these tacos because they are a quick, healthy, and delicious meal that you can make in minutes. It was a huge hit with the family.

Leftover burger recipes

I hope you enjoyed reading and got inspired to create easy meals with your leftovers. Repurposing leftovers is always a great way to save money, time, and energy.

There’s no need to let perfectly good food go to waste. If you guys give these recipes a try, please leave a comment in the comments section and let me know how they came out. You know I always love to hear from you.