Easy, Speedy, ONE-POT Lighter Beef Stroganoff

 

Mom’s Easy Beef Stroganoff, LIGHTENED UP. As a child I was a big fan of Hamburger Helper’s Beef Stroganoff. But my mom ate clean before there was a word for it. So she made her own version and she made it often because we all loved it. She also made it often because she had lots of other things besides cooking to do. So casseroles like this was a life hack. She meal prepped her casserole in the morning and baked it off at dinnertime. My mom made motherhood look easy and I think part of the secret was simplifying life whenever possible.   

Back to this dish. Mom’s version required boiling the noodles separately. In today’s version, I’ve added another dinner hack for us: we cook the whole thing including the noodles in one pot! Using one pot makes this fast & easy to throw together on busy weeknights. Added bonus: there’s one pan to wash and the rest is loaded into the dishwasher. 

I LIGHTENED this up a bit but kept it EASY and flavorful. It’s also macro-friendly and gives us a HUGE portion. I made a half recipe and the serving size is half the pot. I’m totally serious. If you have any leftovers, this reheats really well because we’re using creme fraiche. Life is short, so pass me 1 pot, some ingredients and let’s get dinner done! 

SEASONING SUBSTITUTIONS

• If you don't have smoked paprika just double the sweet paprika.
• I like this a bit more peppery so I add black pepper also. You can also just use black pepper if you don't have white pepper.
• Heavy cream can be substituted for creme fraiche but stir it in last, at stage 4. 

NOODLES

• You are welcome to use egg noodles but I haven't tested the recipe with them. I used No-Yolk broad noodles. I recommend using the same. You get a huge portion and they cook up into something very silky but with enough chew to reheat well.

LEFTOVERS & MEAL PREP

• I love this dish leftover. It gets better as it sits. Since we use creme fraiche is stands up to the heat and reheating very well.
• If freezing, don't add the creme fraiche. Make the dish and stir it in once you have thawed it and just before reheating.

RECIPE

Serves 2 [recipe for 4 beneath]

Per serving: 430 cals/16g fat/38g carbs/31g protein

1/2 pound 90% lean ground beef

5 1/2 ounces cremini mushrooms cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/2 medium or 1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp kosher salt

6 ounces dried No Yolk Noodles

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp ketchup

1 1/4 tsp dijon mustard 

1 1/3 cup no sodium beef broth

1 tbs creme fraiche or heavy cream

1/4 cup parley, chopped and divided 

1 tbs pecorino-romano

1. Sauce mushrooms & onion in cooking spray on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or until tender. Add some droplets of water if things start sticking

2. Add ground beef through kosher salt. Break up the meat and brown in the pan for about 5 minutes or until beef is cooked through. 

3. Add noodles through creme fraiche, 1/3 of the parsley [if using heavy cream do not add now]. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Stir to combine the ingredients. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until the noodles are tender. 

4. Take of heat. Crack the lid and let the liquid get absorbed [10 minutes]. Add the remaining parsley and cheese. Stir and serve.

RECIPE FOR 4

1 pound 90% lean ground beef

11 ounces cremini mushrooms cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp sweet paprika

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/4 tsp white pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp kosher salt

12 ounces dried No Yolk Noodles

3 tsps Worcestershire sauce

2 tsps ketchup

2 1/2 tsps dijon mustard 

2 2/3 cup no sodium beef broth

2 tbss creme fraiche or heavy cream

1/2 cup parley, chopped and divided 

2 tbs pecorino-romano

Follow directions above.