"Cooking Without a Recipe: Ground Beef and Veggie Marinara Made Easy"

Hey there! Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite ways to cook: no recipes, no exact measurements, just a few basic ingredients and some good old-fashioned kitchen intuition. Cooking without a recipe can be freeing—it lets you work with whatever you have on hand, without the stress of following a strict formula. Plus, it’s a skill that just gets better over time!

This dish? It’s a super simple, go-with-the-flow ground beef and veggie marinara that’s versatile, tasty, and perfect for using up what you have in the fridge. Let’s get started!

Start with Ground Beef

Alright, first up is browning the ground beef. Use however much you want—whether you’re cooking for yourself, your family, or maybe even planning for some leftovers, it’s up to you! I only use Rabbit Ridge Farms ground beef because the flavor really stands out, and you can trust it is high-quality beef raised on a regenerative farm.

Once your beef is browned and cooked through, drain off any excess fat. This step is quick, but it’s amazing how that rich, meaty base makes everything else in the dish taste better. You’re off to a great start already!

Add the Veggies (Your Choice!)

Now here’s where things get fun: veggies! Today, I used mushrooms and zucchini because that’s what I had in the fridge, but really, you can use whatever you like. Bell peppers, onions, spinach, even a handful of cherry tomatoes would be fantastic. The key is just to pick a couple of veggies you enjoy. I enlisted some help from my granddaughter, Clarke. I love teaching her how to cook!!!

Toss them in the pan and sauté until they’re tender and slightly golden. There’s no wrong way to do it here—if you like them a bit crisp, go for it! If you’re after softer veggies, give them a bit more time. Just watch the colors and smell those amazing aromas as they start to cook.

Add Marinara Sauce

Now, it’s marinara time! Pour in your favorite marinara sauce. I used a homemade one (because, yes, we do a little sauce-making here at the farm), but a good-quality store-bought sauce works beautifully, too. Start with enough to coat the beef and veggies, and add more if you’re feeling saucy.

This is what brings it all together—warm, savory, and oh-so-satisfying.

Serve It Up – Your Way

And that’s it! Time to decide how you want to serve this delicious sauce. Here are some easy options:

• Classic Pasta: Spoon it over a big bowl of pasta for a classic comfort meal.
• Saucy Bowl: Skip the pasta and go straight to the good stuff—just the meat, sauce, and veggies. This is perfect if you’re looking for a low-carb option!
• Mix It Up: Or, go all out and add both pasta and veggies for a super hearty, flavor-packed bowl.

The best part? You’ve made a great meal from simple ingredients, without measuring or second-guessing. You’ve got tasty, homemade food on the table, and it’s totally customized to your taste.

Cooking Without a Recipe: Why It’s Worth It

Cooking without a recipe doesn’t mean your food is less flavorful or less balanced. It’s actually the opposite! It’s about tuning into your taste, adding a pinch of salt here, a sprinkle of herbs there, and adjusting things as you go. There’s no right or wrong here—just delicious food and the joy of creating something from scratch.

So, next time you’re wondering what to make, give yourself a little freedom. Take a look at what’s in your kitchen, trust yourself, and start cooking. Before you know it, you’ll be making dishes like this ground beef and veggie marinara without even thinking twice.

Happy cooking, and here’s to keeping it simple, flavorful, and totally your own!