Sometimes I wonder if you all think we eat very, um, fancy on a nightly basis. Maybe you think our weekly menus always include beef bourguignon, lobster mac and cheese and the like. The reality of the situation is that we eat fairly normal. The only likely exceptional thing that occurs at our house versus most is that we eat at home at the table a lot. And most of the time it is homemade. I probably make dinner at home 5-6 times a week.
Because our priority is to be around our table as a family, sometimes (a lot of the time) the food needs to be easy… otherwise, we’d end up eating out every night. Beef Stroganoff is one of our quick-to-the-table, comfort-food-favorites. It is basically homemade hamburger helper. And it is delicious. Emma cleans her plate, I clean my plate… and Mike always has seconds. It is made in one pan + one pot of water to cook the noodles and comes together in about 20 minutes start to finish.
I shared the dressed up version of this a couple years ago that has sliced filet of beef, shitake mushrooms with a shallot cream sauce (recipe, here) . It is good, too, and great for company. But, this version with ground beef is our weeknight favorite and something Mike and I both grew up having at home.
Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 pound of ground beef
mushrooms, sliced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dijon
1 cup of beef broth
1 cup of sour cream
egg noodles
Brown beef in a large saute pan. Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water to cook the noodles in. When beef is browned, add onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook on medium until soft. Add the can of cream of mushroom soup. Add worcestershire, dijon and beef broth. Cook on low until bubbling. Add the sour cream just before serving. Cook on low until heated through. Cook noodles according to directions. You can serve tossed with the sauce, or poured over top.
*In the past, I have made a roux from scratch instead of using the soup. I do that by melting 1 tablespoon butter in a small pan, then whisk in 1 tablespoon of flour. I cook that until bubbly, then add 1 cup of milk. Whisk until mixture holds to the back of a spoon. If you are comfortable making a roux, then go for it. We actually prefer the can around here ; )
**My Aunt Lisa recently introduced me to Better Than Bouillon. It is a very rich, condensed bouillon/broth paste. It keeps in the refrigerator for ever. Stock is something I’m always out of and this has been a lifesaver. I buy both Chicken and Beef. You find it in the pantry aisle at the grocery store.
Beef, onions and mushrooms sautéed.
After adding the cream of mushroom soup.