Happy Monday! Is it just me or are Sunday’s after a long weekend the saddest? I mean, Monday will inevitably roll around, and it’ll be full of all the Monday things. The thought makes me feel all gloomy. And so for days like today, I love making a one-pot dinner recipe. Today’s ground beef stroganoff happens to be a family favorite. I love it because it requires just one pot to make and minimal chopping and prep work. I’m lazy, so I buy my mushrooms pre-sliced, so all I’m chopping is an onion. It also happens to be hubby’s favorite because he’s a meat and potatoes kind of guy. But also because he does the dinner dishes and there isn’t that much to clean with this on the table. Ground beef stroganoff has everything you love about the regular recipe but it takes a lot less presswork and cooking time. It’s also made in one pot – noodles and all. And when I say 30 minutes, I mean prepping, searing, cooking, boiling, simmering and finishing it off with parsley, like you’re salt bae (remember him?)
Over the years (7 to be exact,) I’ve learned that Anees has a soft spot for things like my beef tips with mushroom gravy, Swedish meatballs, and beef stroganoff. So when he found out I turned one of his favorites into a one-pot recipe complete with noodles, he was stoked. It’s creamy from the noodles being cooked right in the same pan, finished with sour cream for a hint of tang, and since we’re using ground beef instead of steak, the beef gets into all the swoops of the egg noodles, and you get a little bit of it in every bite. It’s also a whole lot more economical than using steak, so if you’re feeding a crowd, ground beef stroganoff is the way to go!
What is stroganoff?
Invented by the Russians, beef stroganoff is a dish that typically uses steak cut into thin strips that are seared and simmered in a brown sauce that is flavored with sour cream or creme fraiche. Now, of course, over the years we have certainly Americanized it quite a bit. And I’ll admit, my ground beef stroganoff is quite a loose interpretation of stroganoff, where it’s all done in one pot. More authentic takes on stroganoff are made with a red-brown sauce and the sour cream is served alongside so the person eating it can stir it in themselves.
What do you need to make skillet ground beef stroganoff?
Butter: you could swap this with olive oil if you’d like Mushrooms: Pre-sliced mushrooms work great here. If you slice them yourself, I suggest slicing them thick so that they can stand up to longer simmer time with the noodles and ground beef. Diced onions: I use a yellow onion here, but even a white onion would do. If you don’t like the harshness bite of onions, don’t worry, it cooks right out! Ground beef: I prefer to use lean ground beef for this recipe, something like 90% lean or even 95% lean ground beef. If you use anything with more fat, you might want to drain most of the grease after you cook the meat, so the dish doesn’t taste greasy at the end. You could also skip the tablespoon of butter used to brown the beef if you use something with higher fat content. Beef stock: I suggest using low sodium stock for this recipe. We’ll be using both Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce (umami!) so using a low sodium stock will prevent it from becoming too salty. Seasonings: We use a little smoked paprika (it is stroganoff after all!), thyme, and garlic powder. One other ingredient that I highly suggest is Umami seasoning from Trader Joe’s or even mushroom powder. It’s optional, but this little ingredient packs a flavor punch! All-Purpose flour: to help us thicken the stroganoff Egg noodles: see below for substitutes Sour cream: or creme fraiche. Both work equally well for this recipe. We add this at the end to make it creamy and just to tie the whole thing together in a neat package!
Can I use something other than egg noodles for this?
If you’re just not that into egg noodles or don’t happen to have any on hand, I’ve found that replacing the egg noodles with equal parts dry rotini pasta works pretty well here too. Just be sure that your pasta isn’t the quick-cooking kind, and it will take just a bit longer than the egg noodles to soften, maybe in the ballpark of 10-15 minutes. It will definitely not be the 30-minute recipe I intended to make but again, it does work just as well.
Can I use something other than sour cream for the sauce?
I’m confident that greek yogurt would work in place of the sour cream. I won’t have that same creamy flavor that stroganoff is known for, but it does make a decent substitute if you’re trying to watch the calories!
How to make skillet ground beef stroganoff:
How long can you store leftovers?
Yes, you can store any leftover stroganoff in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It should come back to the normal consistency when you reheat it. You could also add a couple of tablespoons of water or stock to loosen things up if you prefer it a bit more saucy.
Other one-pot recipes to try:
one skillet chicken with lemon garlic cream sauce balsamic tomato baked chicken with mozzarella one pot cheesy chicken broccoli rice casserole one pot greek chicken and rice pilaf cheesy baked bbq chicken
