Depending on the context, texture vegetable protein (TVP for short) is an option for things like pasta sauce that you want to add a ground beef alternative too. I'm sure there's many other ways to use it, but that's one we regularly use in our house.
A really good tip is anchovies and black olives, grounded. It honestly approaches ground beef in pasta sauce (Especially the cheap, student-living kind).
http://www.bobsredmill.com/tvp-textured-veg-protein.html