Beef Stroganoff

To kick off this post, let's start with a few new introductions; life has changed a lot lately! First are my two new roommates, Cowgirl and Fun Size. They were both teammates of mine and are amazing Razorback athletes! They both keep me in touch with my slightly crazier side and are amazingly fun. Maybe by the time they move out (which I hope is no time soon!), I'll rub off on them a little bit and they'll be mini chefs!

Anyway, back to the Beef... Beef Strogranoff is an amazingly easy, classic dish. I've only ever met one person who didn't like Beef Stroganoff. There's got to be an exception to every rule, I guess. So unless you happen to be cooking for the one exception, I suggest you make this for your friends, family, or just you - if you're absolutely ravenous- and enjoy a lovely, comfortable classic. Cowgirl and Fun Size both agreed that this dish was very good and "much, much better than Hamburger Helper". That makes me very happy! Plus, it's about as simple as those little box meals, sans the ingredients that you have to take OChem to understand. Proof of how easy it is: I made this entire meal with a cast on my left foot - so think how easy it'll be for you!

This recipe comes from one by Paula Deen, with a few twists. You know it has to be good if it comes from the Queen of Butter and Oil (if you haven't seen the SNL skit, you definitely should). This is a creamy but tangy dish served over homey egg noodles. Yum.

Alright, enough of me blabbing, here's what you need to know...

Notes:

• If you prefer, this dish can be made with strips of round or chuck steak with a few changes. Toss the steak strips in flour seasoned with garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Melt the butter into the pan, add the olive oil, brown the steak strips on both sides, and then remove them from the pan. continue with the sauteing of the vegetables in the same pan and then once all the ingredients have been combined, place the steak back into the pan. Make sure to simmer this for 30 minutes, so that the steak cooks properly.
• If you're in a pinch then you can use canned mushrooms, but I think they have an odd texture...
• The seasonings in this recipe are all based on personal preference. If you are feeling a garlic day, go heavy; if you're serving this to a date, go light!

Beef Stroganoff

• 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
• Salt, for the water and seasoning as needed
• 1 t. flour
• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 T. butter
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can beef broth
• 1 can cream of mushroom
• 1 beef bouillon cube 
• 1 t. garlic salt
• 1/2 t. pepper
• 1 c. sour cream
• Egg Noodles

Place the ground beef and 1/4 of the onion into a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the burger, until there is no more pink. Once the burger is browned, drain the meat of any excess fat. Set the browned meat aside.

Put on a pot of boiling, salted water for your egg noodles. Once the water is boiling, add the noodles and cook per the package directions. Drain when cooked al dente. Set aside.

Into the same skillet that you browned the meat in, melt the butter and add the oil. Saute the onion and mushrooms for a few minutes, until the onion is translucent. Sprinkle the pan with 1 t. of flour, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth, bouillon cube, garlic salt, pepper, and mushroom soup. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Check that the sauce is seasoned correctly, adding salt or pepper if needed.

Toss the sauce, meat, and noodles and then serve.