Growing up, when my mom did not feel like cooking during those hot days in New England, or if work was just bogging her down, she would whip this meal up in less than thirty minutes and dinner would be on the table in no time. What’s great about this meal is that cooking pasta is pretty hands free and cooking beef is also pretty hands free, with the occasional stir, so this meal is not too involved. Additionally, this is another meal where leftovers should be anticipated, unless you are cooking for a family of five (being an only child I could never understand cooking for that many people!).
For being such a simple meal to make I’m surprised I do not make this more often. Once you put the pasta and meat on the burner you're 90% done. The main thing about this meal is that it’s comfort food: something easy to make that produces a large output while tasting absolutely delicious. The fullness of each bite will have you thinking you are eating more than you actually are; I find egg noodles to have this affect one me, and quite honestly I’m one to make a dish solely due to its use of egg noodles!
This delectable comfort food balances hot and cold with its creamy, mushroom based sauce. What’s better is how hands free the cooking process is. So grab up a few ingredients and let’s start cooking!
Beef Stroganoff
Being one of the few dishes that I use cream of mushroom for I find myself having to go to the grocery store just to buy a can, so sometimes I have to plan when I want to make this dish. That being said, going to the grocery store allows me to purchase other items that I can make with Beef Stroganoff. For instance, what goes better with any pasta dish than rolls? If you haven’t figured this out by now I am a huge fan of rolls, so much so that I like to indulge in one... or five during Thanksgiving. All judgments aside, I find wheat rolls to pair well this dish because of its bold flavor. A plain roll may be too plain in this case. Also, having a nice Caesar salad on the side will set the stage for a fo-traditional Italian meal (anything with pasta is Italian, right?). Above all else, don’t feel like you have to add a little something extra when having Beef Stroganoff. It’s just one of those meals where you can have only it and a lot of it at that!
Are you sick of always having spaghetti? What about penne? Spice up your pasta norm with Beef Stroganoff which boasts the use of egg noodles! Not only is it different, but I haven’t come across a person yet who dislikes them. Furthermore, kids love them, and aren’t we all kids at heart when you really boil it down? I feel like in the United States there are way too many options for food items at the grocery store. For example, why are there five different types of cheddar cheese? I never could find out the difference between sharp, extra sharp, extra-extra sharp, yellow cheddar and white cheddar cheese; I even came across a chocolate cheddar cheese once. That’s just for one brand too! They have all these options for three or four brands, which I find to be completely unnecessary. I guess what I’m trying to say is that adding a little variety of pasta in your life is a good thing, just try not to become overwhelmed by the ten plus types they have for the four or five brands out there.
Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
1 lb ground beef
4 oz sour cream
1 (10.5oz) can cream of mushroom
Adobo
Parsley
Oregano
Salt and pepper
Milk (Whole, 1% or 2%)
1 lb egg noodles
Directions
1. Boil a large pot of water and cook egg noodles according to package directions.
2. In a large skillet, brown ground beef over medium to medium/high heat. Season with adobo, oregano, salt and pepper.
3. After the beef has browned, drain the fat and stir in the sour cream making sure it is evenly mixed with the meat.
4. Thin the beef with milk to desired consistency (0.5-1 cup). Any type of milk will do. Just remember: More Fat = More Flavor!
4. After plating top with parsley.
5.Serve and Enjoy!
Posted by Efrain on: 6/22/14
Making this with a vegetarian? Skip the meat for them, and cook up some fresh vegetables instead as a side!