Flavourful, healthy, and super easy to make, these Ground Beef Butternut Squash Meal Prep Bowls is perfect for your next work lunch. Make a batch of this one pot ground beef meal prep this weekend and be covered for lunch all week!
Want more Ground Beef Meal Prep Recipes? Try my Egg Roll in a Bowl, Healthy Meatloaf Meal-Prep Bowls and Ground Beef Zucchini Sweet Potato Skillet.
It’s been a while since I’ve shared a meal prep with you but with life being so busy, meal prepping has been such a time-saver. These ground beef butternut squash meal prep bowls has been our recent go-to lunch and I’ve finally perfected it to share with you!
While many people have switched to work from home and meal prepping might fall wayside, I think that with WFH, meal prep is even more important! After doing zoom calls all morning, I’m sure the last thing you want to do is hurried think about what to make for lunch before rushing back to work. With meal prepping, you can just reheat your prepared meal and relax on your lunch break.
These ground beef meal prep bowls are made in one pot/pan, Whole30 friendly, paleo friendly, and gluten-free as well! Made with delicious butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, it is perfect to be made now as the vegetables are in-season and often on sale! Got extra ground beef? Try my Ground Beef Butternut Squash Kale Soup.
How to Make this Ground Beef Meal Prep Bowls
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onions — diced
- Garlic clove
- Red pepper — diced
- Organic extra-lean ground beef — or you also can use grass-fed ground beef if you prefer.
- Butternut squash — If you are unsure how to cut one, check out my tips down below!
- Brussels sprouts — cut in quarters
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Italian seasoning
- Red chili flakes
- Tomato sauce
- Beef broth
- Fresh parsley — for garnishing
Instructions
Cook the Aromatics
- In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Then, add red bell pepper and cook for more 2-3 minutes.
Add in Everything Else
- Add ground beef in the same skillet. Using a wooden spoon, break up the ground beef as it cooks. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, tomato sauce and beef broth. Mix all well.
- Season with salt, black pepper, Italian season and red chili flakes.
Cover and Continue to Cook
- Cover the skillet and cook until the butternut squash are tender. Don’t skip this part. When you close the lid, the steam will help to cook the butternut squash faster. Don’t forget to stir occasionally. If necessary, add a little bit of beef broth to help to cook the butternut squash.
- Cook for about 7 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Place an even amount of ground beef butternut squash into 4 different glass containers and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tips and Tricks for the Best Ground Beef Meal Prep Bowls
- If your beef was frozen beforehand, make sure it is fully thawed before using so it doesn’t cook unevenly.
- Make sure your butternut squash is all cut evenly as it makes for even cooking.
- Be sure to remove any outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts that are bruised or have black spots. The quickest way is by cutting the stem off the base of the sprout and the outer leaves will either naturally come off or can be easily peeled off.
- Butternut squash does come pre-cut in the cold section of the produce section if you want to save time dicing your squash.
How to Easily Cut Butternut Squash for these Ground Beef Meal Prep Bowls
If you’re confused about how to cut butternut squash for these ground beef meal prep bowls, here’s how to do it.
- Lay the butternut squash on its side and cut off the top and bottom 1/2 inch of the squash.
- Peel the skin off the squash with a vegetable peeler.
- Cut the butternut squash open in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp before dicing the two halves up into cubes.
You can also cut your butternut squash into quarters if you prefer. If it’s your first time cutting up a whole butternut squash, it might be easier for you to dice quarters than halves.
Got extra butternut squash? Try my Roasted Butternut Squash Cauliflower Salad, Roasted Butternut Squash Mash, or Rice with Roasted Butternut Squash and Dried Cranberries! They’re so easy to make and delicious!
Meal Prep Tips
- Make sure to store all your portions into an airtight container. I use glass containers has they don’t hold onto any smells and are easier to clean.
- Be sure to keep the meals refrigerated until you’re ready to eat.
- Microwave your meal prep with a damp paper towel over top the container to keep the ground beef meal prep bowls moist.
- This meal prep will last for up to 4 days when properly stored.
More Ground Beef Recipes You Might Like
- Ground Beef Zucchini Sweet Potato Skillet (Meal Prep)
- Healthy Ground Beef Meatloaf Recipe
- Ground Beef Veggie Skillet Recipe
Did you make a recipe? Tag @primaverakitchen on Instagram so we can find you!
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Ground Beef Butternut Squash Meal Prep Bowls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup onions diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic clove minced
- ½ cup red pepper diced
- 1 pound organic extra-lean ground beef (you also can use grass-fed ground beef)
- 2 cups butternut squash diced
- 2 cups brussels sprouts cut in quarters
- Salt and ground black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- Pinch A pinch of red chili flakes
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ½ cup beef broth
- Fresh parsley for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- In a cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Then, add red bell pepper and cook for more 2-3 minutes.
- Add ground beef in the same skillet. Using a wooden spoon, break up the ground beef as it cooks. Stir occasionally, and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
- Add butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, tomato sauce and beef broth. Mix all well.
- Season with salt, black pepper, Italian season and red chili flakes.
- Cover the skillet and cook until the butternut squash are tender. Don’t skip this part. When you close the lid, the steam will help to cook the butternut squash faster. Don’t forget to stir occasionally. If necessary, add a little bit of beef broth to help to cook the butternut squash.
- Cook for about 7 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Place an even amount of ground beef butternut squash into 4 different glass containers and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tips
- Make sure you thaw the beef fully if it was frozen prior. This makes sure the beef cooks evenly.
- Try to cut the butternut squash as evenly as possible. You can also buy them pre-cut.
- I love my cast iron skillet for this recipe but you can swap for a large non-stick skillet as well.
- To store: Store leftovers or meal prep for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- To reheat: Reheat leftovers in the microwave.
Video
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.
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Stephanie Garcia says
What other veggies could I use besides Brussels sprouts ?
Olivia says
It would work very well with cabbage.
Drea says
My go to work meal prep! I’m a flight attendant, and always looking for healthy meals that are easy and safe to travel with.
Olivia says
That’s awesome! Happy to know that 😉
Victoria says
Can I freeze this dish?
Olivia says
Yes you can!
Leslie says
It took longer than 7 minutes to cook the squash. I subed out the Brussel sprouts for cauliflower because that what I had on hand. It needed something so I sprinkled medium cheddar cheese on top. That made it perfect!
Olivia says
THat’s great!