Whole30 Beef Puffs was a budget-friendly meal my mom has made since I was a little kid. It’s a fantastic protein-dense recipe to help stretch ground beef with the use of eggs.

It combines two of the less expensive forms of protein – ground beef and eggs to create patties that can fill you up without hurting the bank. Some affectionately call it a “poor man’s hamburger.” I’ll be real, it’s not a fancy one that you might make for company.

But, I love it’s thrifty nature and my kids love these! They are kind of like a fluffy hamburger. It’s a fantastic way to get more milage out of your ground beef, whether you are using the organic grass-fed, or just the “what I could afford” stuff.

Ingredients

These ingredients are SIMPLE on purpose. If you have ground beef on hand and a few basic spices, you will be able to make this protein-rich main dish!

• Eggs – Eggs are essential in this dish. The egg whites add the “rise” to the beef puffs and the egg yolks add healthy fat and flavor. They stretch the ground beef with a cheaper protein, making this dish extra budget-friendly. I do not have a egg-free substitution for this recipe (sorry friend!)
• Ground beef – I usually use 85/15 or 93/7 leanness for this dish. If you use something with a higher fat content, let me know how it turns out for you!
• Dried minced onion – This is a basic spice that can be found in most spice aisles. You can see an example of a cheap one at Walmart here. This gives you the flavor of onion without any chopping or sautéing the onion!
• Dried parsley – Another basic spice found at most grocery stores. Here is an example of what you are looking for from Walmart. 
• Salt and pepper – Just basic table salt and ground black pepper here.

Instructions

• Beat egg whites (setting aside yolks) until stiff straight peaks form.
• Without washing the beater, beat the yolks in a separate bowl until thickened and lemon-colored. Stir the beef, onion, parsley, salt, and pepper into the beaten egg yolks until combined. Gently fold the egg whites into the beef mixture. 
• Spray a skillet over moderate heat with cooking oil and drop a heaping ¼ cup of the mixture onto the pan. When browned (in about 3-4 minutes), flip and brown the other side.
• Serve warm with a side of your favorite dipping sauce.