Stroganoff

Ah, stroganoff. Ground beef and pasta in a creamy sauce makes one delightful dinner. I grew up on the stuff, and even though it was the box variety, I simply loved it. When I first got into cooking, I made a few versions of it, but all started out with some pre-made item like canned soup, and more than ever I've tried to get away from that kind of cooking. Sure, I am into baked goods and use my fair share of sugar, but I always prefer making items from scratch when possible. I know exactly what's in the dish and there's more pride in the end result.

Interestingly, I'd made this recipe before, but discovered only recently that I'd never actually shared this one. Now that's a problem, because this is one of my "staple" meals. I'd put this right along with chicken lo mein and gumbo as the common home dinners.

The best part about this is that it is simple and quick to make. Sometimes I make things like this and I think, why on earth are people using boxed versions? I can definitely grasp the shelf-stable concept and agree with keeping this kind of thing around for those times when you don't have fresh things in the fridge. But with some slight preparation, a fresh version of this is pretty simple to make.

Better yet, other than boiling the noodles, the magic happens in one pan. I browned the ground beef and of course chopped it into small pieces as I went to get started. As I was using pretty lean ground beef, I didn't have a bunch of fat to drain out, however if you have a good amount of liquid left I would suggest draining it. I tossed in the onions and garlic and let them cook with the meat.

Next, I added the beef broth, worcestershire, paprika, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, crushed red pepper, and mushrooms. I heated this to a simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Mushrooms don't take long to cook, and they soak up all the flavor, so simmering in the beef broth is wonderful. I then mixed the flour in a small bowl with a little bit of water; just enough to dissolve the flour in. I dumped that into the pan and stirred. After another 2-3 minutes, I lowered the heat.

Finally, I stirred in the sour cream and let it heat up for a couple of minutes. The sour cream is the final thickener, and if you prefer a thicker sauce you can add more. Lastly, in went the cook noodles. For a little bit of color, I topped it all off with some green onions. A star was born!

The green onions are totally optional but I'll tell ya, I really dug the flavor. This is a really creamy and filling dish, one that puts the boxed version to shame. Even better, if you want a creamier sauce, add more sour cream. If you want more mushrooms, add more mushrooms. You can tweak this to your heart's desire.

For a next level option, if you like venison, give this recipe a try with it. I made this one one with it and it was phenomenal. Alternatively, ground turkey works great as well, but I'd still suggest using the beef broth.

The best news about me sharing this is that I have my reference point; I go to my own blog all the time when I remake recipes, and love double checking when I'm not sure. It's my lil' online recipe collection!

Edit: I made this a few weeks later with steak strips (I used flank steak) and really dug the result, too. Highly suggest it!

Stroganoff Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic (or 1-2 crushed garlic cloves)
1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced (more if desired)
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
2 teaspoons djion mustard (optional)
2 tablespoons flour
1 container sour cream (8 ounces)
2 cups cooked egg noodles
1/2 cup chopped green onion, for garnishing

Instructions:

In a large skillet, cook ground beef until browned throughout. Add sliced onions and garlic while the meat cooks. Drain excess fat. In a separate pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Return to the skillet and add the beef broth, worcestershire, paprika, salt, pepper, dijon mustard, crushed red pepper, and mushrooms. Heat to a simmer and let cook for about 5 minutes. In a small bowl, mix flour and 1-2 tablespoons of water until flour is dissolved. Add the four mixture into the pan and stir. When the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes), lower heat. Stir in sour cream and cooked noodles. Topped with green onions if desired, then serve.