September 11, 2018

Sticky Sweet Ground Beef and Broccoli

Name: Sticky Sweet Ground Beef and Broccoli
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb Lean Ground Beef (macros with 93/7); 3/8 C (105g) Stubb's Sticky Sweet Barbecue Sauce; 3 Tbsp (45mL) Worcestershire Sauce; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 6 slices Precooked Bacon (or raw bacon, cooked); 1 lb Frozen, Steamable Broccoli Florets

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Let’s be honest, ground beef and broccoli on their own are kinda boring. However, this sticky sweet ground beef and broccoli recipe manages to combine the two with four other ingredients to create a simple meal that’s packed with flavor.

I say surprisingly because the ingredients are so simple. When I first tested the recipe, I felt like I needed to add more ingredients. Because, ya know, complex flavors and stuff. But the truth is, this recipe is amazing and if you’re familiar with my recipes, simplicity is key.

Long lists of ingredients you’ve never heard of? Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Nutrition Facts and Ingredients for Sticky Sweet Ground Beef and Broccoli

Even with a short ingredient list, there are lots of modification possibilities. Most of which will affect the nutrition facts more than flavor. If you make your ground beef and broccoli exactly as the recipe calls for, you’re looking at 1,138 calories, 118 grams of protein, 61 grams of carbs, and 48 grams of fat. Here are a few ideas for tweaks:

Ground Beef

I used 93/7 lean ground beef. Typically I use 96/4 which makes a bigger difference than you’d think in terms of fat and calorie content. If you can find a leaner beef, I would go that route. The difference between 90/10 and 96/4 ground beef, in my opinion, is nearly indistinguishable in recipes.

Bacon

The six slices of traditional precooked bacon I used have 180 calories, 12g of protein, 2g of carbs, and 16g of fat. You can see how replacing these with something like Al Fresco precooked chicken bacon (I find this at Walmart) could drastically reduce the fat. Six slices of chicken bacon, in this case, would cut the calories from bacon in half and reduce the fat by roughly 12 grams.

It’s worth mentioning that the bacon does provide a bit of flavor in the recipe. I love the chicken bacon I mentioned above, but there’s no replacement for real bacon.

If you’re using raw bacon, simply cook it before cooking the beef. I also have a guide on microwaving bacon on my second blog, Mugs for Muscles.

Barbecue Sauce

Inspiring the title, Sticky Sweet Ground Beef and Broccoli, Stubb’s Sticky Sweet barbecue sauce was my sauce of choice for this recipe. Stubb’s makes phenomenal barbecue sauces and marinades that are generally lower calorie than most sauces.

The three servings of Stubb’s Sticky Sweet this recipe calls for have (total) 150 calories and 39g of carbs. You could certainly reduce the carbs with a sauce like G Hughes sugar free barbecue or even Walden Farms barbecue sauce.

In my opinion, the 39 grams of carbs spread across the entire recipe are so worth the added flavor. Since the recipe makes at least six servings, that’s a little over six grams per serving. Not bad!

What to Serve with This Ground Beef and Broccoli Recipe

I love this recipe’s versatility. It’s perfect by itself, but you could pair it with all kinds of things for even higher volume meals. I’ll drop a few ideas below:

Rice or Cauliflower Rice (or cauliflower fried rice)
Stuffed Baked Potato
Over Hash Browns or Roasted Potatoes
Air Fryer Potato Chips
Spaghetti Squash or Pasta (how to cook spaghetti squash)
Microwavable Candied Carrots

Okay, you get the point. Just close your eyes and pick one—you’ll be happy. Before you save the recipe and head to the store, don’t forget to tag me in your eventual masterpiece on Instagram. I want to see what you come up with and what you pair your sticky sweet ground beef and broccoli with!

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