Flavorful, wholesome, and super easy to make, these Ground Beef Butternut Squash Meal Prep Bowls are 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, 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 have 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 hurriedly 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 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
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 than 2-3 minutes.
Add in Everything Else
- Add ground beef to 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 seasonings, and red chili flakes.
Cover and Continue to Cook
- Cover the skillet and cook until the butternut squash is 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 cook the butternut squash.
- Cook for about 7 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Place an even amount of ground beef and butternut squash into 4 different glass containers and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Tips and Notes
- 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
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 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 in 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 the top of the container to keep the ground beef meal prep 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
Ground Beef Butternut Squash Bowls
Video
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.
- Then, reduce the heat to medium and add onions and garlic. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Then, add red bell pepper and cook for more 2-3 minutes. Don't forget to stir frequently.
- 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.
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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What other veggies could I use besides Brussels sprouts ?
It would work very well with cabbage.
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.
That’s awesome! Happy to know that 😉
Can I freeze this dish?
Yes you can!
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!
THat’s great!
Garlic should not be added that early. It burns quickly.
Everything else looks decent, going to try this recipe shortly.
Absolutely! Garlic is sensitive to high heat and can easily burn. I’d recommend following the recipe’s suggestion to reduce the heat to medium. Stirring frequently will also prevent it from burning. Enjoy cooking!
Served this meal to two men for our after church Sunday Dinner. They went back for more! Very flavorful
That’s awesome! So happy to heat that!
Is there something else to substitute for brussel sprouts??
You can use Broccoli and/or asparagus!
Do I need to thaw frozen butternut squash or can I cook with hamburger??
Making this for supper tonight, looks delicious !!
Yes you need to thaw frozen the butternut squash.