Call it controversial or a whack recipe, but today's Beef Stroganoff sans mushrooms and made with ground beef is a spinoff from what you probably consider a legit version and were expecting. There are plenty of people out there that dislike fungus in their food and sometimes, well, I like to go rogue and make a traditional recipe my own way far from its humble beginnings! That being said, once again I bring you a box helper knockoff recipe that tastes better than what you probably imagine and still leaves the option for all you fungus lovers out there to add in those mushrooms if you so wish. My version of Beef Stroganoff is quick and easy so Let's Get Cooking!
While it isn't absolutely necessary, I think Beef Stroganoff is best enjoyed over a bed of butter noodles so we will start today's recipe by preparing them first. Bring a pot of salted water up to a boil and cook the noodles for 9 minutes. Transfer the noodles to a colander and drain. Be sure to rinse them with cold water to prevent them from any further residual cooking. We want the noodles to be al dente and have enough "bite" to them so they stand up to the heavier Beef Stroganoff. You could also enjoy this meal with mashed potatoes or just about any other bite-sized noodle so use whatever starch you have in the pantry. Hell, skip the noodles all together and make it more KETO-friendly. I'm not here to judge your specific dietary restrictions!
Anyway, now that we have our "bedding" for the stroganoff, we need to prepare the beef. While traditionally you would probably use a roast and break it down into stew meat cuts or similar, we are aiming for that box helper knockoff version so today we are using regular ground beef! However, rather than using cooking oil we will use butter, which will not only help add flavor to the beef itself, but also help us develop that creamy rich sauce vital to making a delicious stroganoff! Melt some butter in a pan over medium to medium-high heat and add the ground beef. Sauté the beef for 5 or 6 minutes to start the cooking process. Once you can begin to break it apart into crumbles, season the ground beef with some Worcestershire Sauce and salt/pepper. We want to build the layers of flavor through this entire dish so don't forget to season throughout the entire cooking process!
Let the beef continue to cook and add some diced onion. Spend a minute on prep and be sure to cut your onion well. We want to know and feel it is in this dish without it being overwhelmingly large in a single bite so keep your pieces on the smaller 1/4" size or so. Continue sauteing everything for a couple minutes until the onions begin to become translucent.
Once the beef is essentially browned completely on the outside and the onions are starting to become translucent, sprinkle some AP Flour over the beef and stir to incorporate. This will begin to soak up some of the extra grease from the beef and combine with the butter to form a roux for sauce thickening.
Continue cooking the ground beef and slowly add some beef stock. That roux we just made in the pan should help the stock thicken almost immediately and form a beef gravy looking mixture. Let it all come together and simmer for about 5 minutes. Once everything looks thick and delicious, add a packet of onion soup mix and stir to combine. Yes, we already added fresh onion so why add the dry onion soup mix? Well, to put it simply, the mix contains some additional magic seasonings so just trust me and the process! Let this continue to simmer for a couple minutes then remove the entire pan from the heat of the stove.
After the dry onion soup mix is well incorporated and mixed throughout, we are going to finish the sauce. Like I said previously, remove the pan from the heat as we don't need to cook anything any further at this point. Simply add the sour cream and stir to mix it into the ground beef mixture. It will transform almost immediately from dull and dreary to that magic perfect stroganoff sauce we all recognize! The heat of the beef mixture alone should be sufficient to warm the sour cream without causing it to break down or separate.
The final sauce should tighten up just a bit as it sets up and that is pretty much it for this Beef Stroganoff! If you are a fungus lover, now would be the time to add some fresh sliced mushrooms so they at least maintain some "bite integrity/texture" and don't turn to complete mushy grossness. Honestly, I just don't think the recipe needs them to begin with so I left them out. I will admit, though, I'm also just not a huge fan of mushrooms so feel free to ruin your own stroganoff with all the fungus you desire! Otherwise, serve up this delicious Beef Stroganoff over those butter noodles we made earlier and enjoy! It's a relatively quick, easy, and inexpensive weeknight dinner even the kids should enjoy so make it for yourself and let me know what your family had to say about it. At least give me a good, valid argument as to why you think mushrooms are necessary in the recipe or if you agree to leave the fungus aside! As always, get in the kitchen and make delicious meals for your friends and family....Just Keep Cooking!
BEEF STROGANOFF
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