Beef Stroganoff – A Family Tradition
Beef Stroganoff has always been one of my favorite meals. For me, it is the ultimate in comfort food. I’ve found over the years that people make Stroganoff many different ways. This recipe evolved from the family recipe my mom taught me when I first started in the kitchen.
My Favorite Things
There are so many things I love about this meal. Here are a few:
- There is very little prep work. It is a set it and forget it meal.
- You can prepare it in the oven or the crock pot, although my preference is the oven.
- It serves a large crowd easily.
- This meal can stretch a buck! You can increase the mushrooms and reduce the meat or take the meat out altogether. The meal will be just as delicious, but take up less of your grocery budget.
Time to Prep
To start things off, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. My preference is to make Beef Stroganoff in a black enamel roasting pan. I purchased mine at my local Meijer. You are more likely to find black enamel pans in a grocery store, rather than a fancier home goods store. You can also use a Dutch oven.
Cut your meat into medium sized chunks. If you are using beef, you can use round steak or chuck roast. Since this meal slow cooks, it is perfect for less expensive cuts of meat, so anything goes. In our house, we are avid hunters and usually use Venison instead of beef. Depending on the success of the hunting season, I may or may not purchase any beef throughout the year, so most of my recipes use beef and venison interchangeable. After placing the meat in the pan, coat with flour. Add all your sliced mushrooms, stock, and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and stir to combine.
Set It and Forget It
Put the top on your roasting pan or Dutch Oven and place in the oven. You now have 2 hours to do as you please, or fold laundry and do dishes, whatever the case may be. I usually check on the dish at least once, about half way through and give it a stir. Occasionally, the sauce will thicken more than I planned and I will add a cup of water to thin things back out. More often than not the sauce is too thin at the end of the two hours, in which case I add cornstarch and water to thicken. Runny sauce all over your plate instead of on your noodles is just not fun.
Time for Noodles
About 30 minutes before the Beef Stroganoff is set to come out of the oven, prepare your egg noodles as directed on the package. I prefer extra wide egg noodles, but any kind will do. I also use rice, which is also delicious and makes the kiddo who does not like noodles happy. (Yes, I have a child who does not like noodles of any kind. I know. It’s strange.) At the end of the two hours, remove the pan from the oven, add sour cream and stir to combine. Spoon over egg noodles and serve.
Beef Stroganoff in the Crockpot
If you would like to use your crock pot to prepare this meal, the process is almost the same. Follow the same instructions, except add the cornstarch and water mixture with the rest of the liquid ingredients. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Add sour cream and serve. In my experience the sauce tends to be way too thin when prepared in a crock pot, so now I just add the cornstarch and water from the get go to ensure the sauce is the appropriate thickness when we are ready to serve.
Beef Stroganoff pairs nicely with a simple salad and rolls. It is also an excellent stand alone dish if you do not have vegetable friendly family members. Beef Stroganoff is a delicious dish, a perfect comfort food to feed the ones you love. Happy Cooking!
More Recipes you may enjoy:
Cheese and Mushroom Stuffed Meatloaf
Hearty Lentil Soup – Set it and Forget it!
Beef Stroganoff Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef or venison cut into chunks Round steak or chuck roast are good options
- ¼ cup flour
- 3 cups beef stock
- ½ cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 8 oz white button mushrooms sliced
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sour cream
- Prepared egg noodles or rice
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Cut 2 pounds of beef or Venison into larger bite sized pieces. Put meat into a black enamel roasting pan or Dutch Oven. Sprinkle flour over meat and stir to coat. Add sliced mushrooms to the pan. Pour beef stock and Worcestershire sauce into the pan and stir to combine. Cover pan and place into 350°F oven. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Mix together cornstarch and water. Add to pan and stir to combine 10 minutes before cooking time is complete. Remove from oven. Add sour cream and stir to combine. Serve over Egg Noodles or Rice.