Hamburger Saves the Day

Quick kitchen tip for the day: A stash of frozen hamburger can morph into dinner in 20 minutes flat. Here’s the game plan:

• Buy 93-percent-lean ground beef (or even leaner if you can find it) so you don’t have to stop and drain the fat from your skillet after browning.
• Divide the meat into one-pound portions and mash them flat so they’ll thaw quickly. Wrap well in plastic wrap first and then in foil (the double layer prevents freezer burn.) Label and date. A permanent market writes directly onto foil.
• Always wash your hands well after handling raw meat. Spray any surfaces the raw meat has touched with antibacterial spray.
• Defrosting choices: Place entire package in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Or, for skillet meals, run the frozen ground beef under hot tap water to remove the packaging. Place the meat on a microwave-safe plate. Zap in the microwave 3 minutes (depending on the power of your appliance), until the meat begins to defrost just enough so that it browns quickly in a skillet but doesn’t begin cooking in the microwave (except perhaps at the edges).
• Once the meat is in the skillet, keep scraping the browned meat from the block and turning it over to speed cooking.

We rely on frozen hamburger for all types of skillet meals, from simple spaghetti sauce to Mexican quesadilla and taco toppings to hamburger stroganoff. What are your favorite quick ideas for a pound of hamburger?