Beef Stroganoff

 

Stroganoff is such a delicious, creamy, amazing dish; you have to have at least one good recipe to be able to throw together for family night. There is so much flavor in this recipe that it really tastes like something you would find in a restaurant, and really takes about 30 minutes to throw together once you have made it a time or two. I like to add extra veggies to it, because tossed in that creamy sauce, no one seems to even notice them. Enjoy!

 

 

1 pound of pasta (preferably egg noodles, or at least small pasta)
4 ounces spinach (if desired)
1 lb steak (any kind; I use stew meat)
3 Tbl butter
2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 cup Flour Mixture (flour, seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder)
Worcestershire (if desired)
1 cup diced onions
1 cup re-hydrated dried mushrooms, reserving the liquid (you can use fresh or jarred mushrooms, but these add a TON of flavor!)
*if you don’t use re-hydrated, you will need a beef broth or white wine here for the sauce
1/4 cup diced red bell peppers (I like using jarred roasted red bells)
1 Tbl minced garlic
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp nutmeg
green onion or scallions, for garnish

Begin your boiling water for pasta, and cook pasta during the steps below. If you are adding spinach to your stroganoff (delicious and easy way to throw more veggies in!), place the raw spinach on the base of your colander. When you strain the pasta, the boiling water will perfectly cook the spinach while draining. If you are using frozen spinach, you can just thaw (make sure to squeeze the water out), and throw into the finished sauce.

Thinly slice your steak (no thicker than 1/4″). The easiest way to do this is to pop it in the freezer (probably 30 minutes), and then slice. Coat with flour mixture. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and then add your steak to the HOT pan. Cook the meat for a couple of minutes, until you can’t see pink anymore (add a dash of Worcestershire sauce for extra flavor here!), set aside on a plate. This will go back in later, so don’t worry if it is not totally done. Don’t overcook.

Add another tablespoon of butter to the pan, and add your diced onions and chopped mushrooms (reserve the liquid). Stir these, and allow to cook until translucent. Add diced red pepper (add this with the onions if raw. If jarred, add after the onions have cooked), minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add the 1 cup of reserved mushroom liquid (if you didn’t use dried mushrooms, beef broth or even white wine would be fine here). Use the liquid to remove everything from the bottom of the pan. Add sour cream and nutmeg, and stir to combine.

Add the steak back into the pot, and let simmer for a few minutes. The sauce will thicken with the flour on the steak and that you brought up from the bottom of the pan. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Combine the sauce and the pasta, and enjoy!