what to use as meat extender?!

[cjm]

I am now allergic to beans. Add this to my CD, plus the rice, soy, egg and milk allergies, and food is getting to be a pain.

What would be a good filler to add to ground meat, as an extender? I use to always add beans, but it's obviously not an option anymore. But I need to find something, as meat is getting expensive (we even raise our own!).

I've used diced beets, but it isn't quite the same.

[The Edifying Conscience]

I'm not sure why the meat needs to be extended. What if you just make smaller portions and fill the plates with more veggies/starches and fruit?

I recently made salisbury steak and it called for mushrooms and breadcrumbs both could be used as extenders. In addition quinoa might also work.

[Home-Based-Mom]

I add a mixture (half / half) of rice and dried potato flakes to meatloaf. I don't see why it wouldn't work with just the potato flakes.

Try it! You might like it!
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[heartofcooking]

You can start with sauteing 1/2 to a whole onion plus some garlic. This will give the meat more flavor. I think the mushrooms is a great idea.
It really depends on what you're making.

If you're making patties, you can saute the onions with some shredded carrots, celery and fresh herbs. Add to the ground meat, form into patties and then fry as usual.

If you're making meatloaf, you can do the same or with mushrooms as well as GF breadcrumbs or GF rolled oats.

I like putting ground beef, lamb, turkey or chicken on pizza. lately I've been added sliced zucchini to the meat as well and then putting the cooked meat and veggies on the pizza.

Good luck and have fun!
Sarah
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[mrsppmrxky]

We sometimes add GF oats to our ground beef to 'extend' it. You can also put buckwheat groats in there if you have a problem with oats. I sometimes would put rice in the hamburger and roll it up in a cabbage leaf. Since you can't have rice, you might could put some diced potato and let it cook in the sauce and meat.
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[HadassahSukkot]

I've used oats to extend it, and I've used organic GF pureed babyfood beef in the jar (12 month jar) to extend it.

I just put whatever measure of meat, usually 500g into a bowl, add in the jar of meat and whatever amount of oats I think won't make it not stick well together, and go from there. It just really depends on the type of ground meat we got (full on beef, or beef + lamb) from our local halal market. I found their meat to be much better than what is in the local supermarkets or meat market --- which are highly overpriced.
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