Every item on this page was chosen by The Pioneer Woman team. The site may earn a commission on some products.

Filling and flavorful, but still light. It's a win-win!

"I don't want to eat a burger if it's not going to be a good burger," Ree Drummond has been known to say. And truthfully, we feel the same. Unless we've already got the ingredients for the most delicious, over-the-top meal, or it's a special occasion, or we're celebrating something wonderful... we'd prefer to keep it lean and somewhat light. Really! It's our opinion that easy dinners should be filling and comforting, but not too heavy. That'd get old fast.

Ahead, we've rounded up our all-time favorite healthy ground beef recipes that strike the perfect balance between "satisfying" and "healthful." We've got beef-centric 30-minute meals, veggie-forward family meals like a stuffed cabbage casserole, a better-for-you homemade hamburger helper, and even a Mediterranean ground beef stir-fry that's so good, your family will ask you to make it the Sunday dinner entrée for the next few weeks (or years). The key to making any ground beef recipe healthier, in our opinion, is to dial down the fat content and dial up the flavor in the surrounding ingredients, whether that means including more seasonal vegetables, a mouthwatering side, or—we'll just come right out and say it—cheese. Cheese helps a lot. Try one of these healthy ground beef recipes and get cooking!

Line a casserole pan with these cabbage rolls, top with a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce, then bake and enjoy. If you'd rather not keep things too light, you can always serve them with a side of mashed potatoes.

Get the Stuffed Cabbage Casserole recipe.

Think Hamburger Helper can't be beat? Think again. This nostalgia-inducing alternative is just as delicious—and it's a one-pot dish, too.

Get the Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe.

Tex-Mex for the win! This dreamy casserole is comforting, loaded with protein, and quick to make—the ideal last-minute dinner.

Get Ree's Beef Enchilada Casserole recipe.

Taco night, but make it autumnal. 💁‍♀️ This flavorful recipe features an entire layer of tortilla chips (!)—but it's also loaded with nutritious sweet potatoes.

Get the Cheesy Beef and Sweet Potato Taco Casserole recipe.

Deconstruct the classic stuffed peppers to recreate this indulgent-but-healthy dish right at home. It's a one-pot meal that'll yield plenty of leftovers for the rest of the week.

Get the Stuffed Pepper Casserole recipe at Well Plated by Erin.

Eggplant parm is about to become your family's new favorite weeknight meal. A meaty, hearty sauce adds to the appeal in a big way.

Get the Eggplant Parmesan recipe at Mantitlement.

Who says casserole dishes have to be heavy—or reserved for special occasions? This weeknight-friendly variety is loaded with ground beef, kale, and butternut squash.

Get the Spicy Southwestern Butternut Squash Casserole recipe at Jar of Lemons.

Don't have flank steak in your fridge? Not to worry! Thanks to this recipe, you can recreate this classic dish using ground beef.

Get the Ground Beef and Broccoli recipe at Five Heart Home.

Cauliflower rice means way less carbs—but don't worry, this casserole is still incredibly filling. It's made with lean ground beef, fresh spinach, and lots of cheese.

Get the Cheesy Ground Beef and Cauliflower Rice Casserole recipe at Diethood.

Satisfying and so flavorful, your kids won't be able to get enough of this skillet dinner. Use a combination of red and green peppers to keep things ultra-colorful.

Get the Stuffed Pepper Skillet recipe at Valerie's Kitchen.

Prepare to put this one on repeat! It's an easy-to-make, protein-heavy dish that'll change the way you feel about cauliflower.

Get the Cauliflower Ground Beef Skillet recipe at A Taste of Madness.

Busy weeknights are no match for this creamy, tomato-based skillet dish. Ground beef and mozzarella cheese give your favorite pasta dish a run for its money.

Get the Italian Ground Beef and Cauliflower Skillet recipe at Delicious Little Bites.

In just 40 minutes, you can have this Mexican-inspired skillet dish on the table. It's the faster, healthier alternative to your typical taco night fare.

Get the Mexican Ground Beef Skillet recipe at Fit Foodie Finds.

Forget regular spaghetti! With this spaghetti squash recipe in your back pocket, you won't be looking back anytime soon.

Get the Spaghetti Squash Casserole recipe at Spend with Pennies.

Tossed with corn, ground beef, and rice, this cheesy dish is guaranteed to be a hit. Be warned, though: Your family will be asking for it on a weekly basis.

Get the Cheesy Tomato Ground Beef and Rice recipe at This Is Not Diet Food.

We love a good stuffed pepper around here, and this recipe is a must-try. Use a variety of peppers in different colors to create a "rainbow" in your serving dish.

Get the at Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Beef recipe at Foodie Crush.

Inside-out tacos? Yes, please. These loaded avocados are so good, you'll hardly miss the taco shell.

Get the Taco Stuffed Avocados recipe at Half Baked Harvest.

How good does that look? This recipe calls for ground turkey, but the blogger who created it wholeheartedly endorses ground beef substitutions.

Get the Mac and Cheese Stuffed Acorn Squash recipe at Jar of Lemons.

Pro tip: Use reduced-sodium soy sauce to really capitalize on the health benefits here, and serve the beef with a side of cauliflower rice.

Get the Korean Ground Beef recipe at Healthy Recipes Blog.

Tasty and filling, you'll quickly fall in love with this chili recipe. It's the perfect way to use ground beef and put those seasonal flavors to work.

Get the Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Chili recipe at The Clean Eating Couple.

Lean ground beef and quinoa give this skillet dinner a lighter, healthier feel.

Get the Ground Beef Skillet recipe at Her Highness Hungry Me.

A plethora of veggies and Mediterranean seasonings give this stir-fry dish a ton of flavor. No sauce needed!

Get the Mediterranean Ground Beef Stir-Fry recipe at Downshiftology.

With lean ground beef, rice, and black beans, you'll be full after just one serving of this skillet dinner. (But nobody's stopping you from grabbing seconds!)

Get the Beef Taco Skillet recipe at Well Plated.