Jiffy Meatball Stroganoff

This simple recipe needs no fancy ingredients. I use frozen Meatballs. If you prefer, you’ll find How to Make Meatballs in the Index.

Jiffy Meatball Stroganoff:

15-to-20 meatballs

1-1/4 c. (310 mL) broad noodles

1 medium onion, sliced in rings and then 2-in. (6 cm) pieces

1 tsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. (15 mL) butter or margarine

One 10-oz. (284 mL) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1-1/2 tsp. (7 mL) Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. (10 mL) beef-flavored extract

One 10-oz. (284 mL) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

2/3 c. (150 mL) sour cream or Greek-style yogurt

1 tbsp. (15 mL) sherry

Pre-cook meatballs, whether fresh or frozen. Fry fresh meatballs until center is cooked through. Do not thaw frozen meatballs; cook according to package instructions. A toaster oven is ideal for this. Cover and set aside cooked meatballs.

To large pot, add 4 c. (1L) salted water. Bring to a boil. Add noodles, cooking according to package instructions. Do all these steps as you prepare Stroganoff. 

In heavy skillet over medium heat, fry onion in oil and melted butter or margarine until soft. Add mushrooms until heated through. In small bowl, combine Worcestershire sauce, beef-flavored extract and undiluted soup. Stir into skillet. 

Reduce heat to simmer. Add meatballs, simmering just until heated through. Also in small bowl, combine sour cream and sherry. Gently stir into simmering Stroganoff mixture, heating through but not allowing to come to a boil.

Drain and rinse broad noodles. Transfer to casserole dish. Pour Stroganoff mixture over. Serve at once. Yields 3-to-4 servings.

Meatball Note: Homemade Meatballs won’t fall apart if they’re refrigerated 20 min. before serving and then quickly reheated in sauce.For more Stroganoff recipes, see One Click: Stroganoff.

Classic Beef Stroganoff

I recently found this recipe - once a family favorite - tucked away in my files. I’ve made it twice in the past few weeks, never quite quick enough to leap up and grab the camera. A couple of tips based on personal preference: 

Don’t substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream this recipe calls for. Yogurt has a slightly acidic under-taste - not the soft, creamy taste that makes Beef Stroganoff so delicious. Do use broad noodles and no other pasta. They feel exactly right on the palate for this dish. I like every type of pasta - but strongly prefer broad noodles in this recipe. 

And Dollinks … While you certainly can use dried parsley flakes, I greatly prefer garnishing this with fresh, chopped parsley for its color, taste, and micronutrients. Parsley is easy to grow inside or out. Read this and parsley will soon become your favorite herb! http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=100&tname=foodspice

Classic Beef Stroganoff:

1 medium onion, sliced

1 c. (250 mL) sliced mushrooms

1 large garlic clove, crushed

3 tbsp. (45 mL) butter or margarine, divided

1/2 lb. (250 g) boneless sirloin, divided (see Economy Note)

Seasoned flour, as needed

One 10-oz. (284 mL) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 tsp. (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce

1 c. (250 mL) dairy sour cream

Salt and pepper, to taste

Hot broad noodles, as needed, cooked and drained according to package directions 

Chopped fresh parsley, as garnish

In a deep skillet, sauté onion, mushrooms, and garlic until soft and golden in 1 tbsp. (15 mL) butter or margarine. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Cut sirloin into thin strips. In a plastic bag, shake meat together with seasoned flour. Brown in the remaining 2 tbsp. (30 mL) butter or margarine for about 5 min., turning often. Add soup, Worcestershire sauce, and reserved onion mixture. Simmer, covered, 7-to-10 min., or until meat is cooked through and tender.

Over low heat, blend in sour cream, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Season to taste. Pour over hot cooked noodles. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serves 6.

Economy Note: Or ... slice leftover roast beef into strips, cooking just until heated through.

Easy-Peasy Note: For more Stroganoff recipes, see One Click: Stroganoff.

Ground Beef Stroganoff

Quick and easy to make, this delicious microwave recipe is pure comfort food!

Ground Beef Stroganoff:

1 lb. (500 g) lean ground beef

½ c. (125 mL) finely chopped onion

2 tbsp. (25 mL) all-purpose flour

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) paprika

1 c. (250 mL) canned mushrooms, drained (or 1 c. (250 mL) fresh mushroom slices, lightly sautéed)

One 10-oz. (284 mL) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 c. (250 mL) dairy sour cream

Cook ground beef and onions in microwave-safe casserole 6 min. at high power, stirring every 2 min. (see Note). In small bowl, combine flour, salt, and paprika. Stir in to beef-and-onion mixture with soup. Cook 5 min., stirring halfway through cooking time. Add sour cream. Return to microwave for 2 min. at 50% power, stirring halfway through cooking time. 

Note: To use the cooked ground beef hot-water “rinsing” method I described in my Feb. 15, 2014 recipe for Bobotie, cook beef in microwave-safe casserole at high power for 6 min., stirring every 2 min. In sieve, rinse with hot water and blot dry. Return cooked beef to microwave-safe dish before adding onions and a squirt of oil in which to sauté them at high power for about 2 min. 

For more Stroganoff recipes, see One Click: Stroganoff.

Beef Tenderloin Stroganoff

This doesn’t happen often: A chunk of tenderloin in the freezer? I’d tucked it there after making Beef Wellington (see Dec. 19, 2011 post), and wondered what I might do with it. It’s winter in the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live, and winter demands comfort food! So I chose Beef Tenderloin Stroganoff. This was the first time I’d used tenderloin to make this dish, and wow! Was it successful! The two of us gobbled it down, with extras left over for another meal. From start to finish, this recipe took less than 15 minutes.

Beef Tenderloin Stroganoff:

4 oz. (125 g) fettucine or any broad noodle

3 tbsp. strained bacon fat or vegetable shortening

1 tbsp. butter or margarine

1 lb. beef tenderloin, sliced into 1-in. chunks

2 tbsp. all-purpose flour

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. coarse black pepper

10 large mushrooms, sliced lengthwise

1 tbsp. beef extract 

2 tbsp. ketchup

2 tsp. any commercial steak sauce such as A-1 or HP

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Boiling water

1 c. sour cream

¼ c. sherry or dealcoholyzed cooking sherry

Fresh parsley, finely chopped, or 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes, as garnish (Optional)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add fettucine and cook 10 min. As pasta cooks, melt bacon fat and butter (or their smarter substitutes) on high heat in a large skillet. In a plastic bag, shake together meat chunks and combined flour and seasonings. 

Add flour-coated meat to sizzling fat, stir-frying until seared on all sides, about 1 min. Remove from pan and set aside. Lower heat to medium and add mushrooms, turning frequently and cooking until tender. 

To glass measuring cup, add beef extract, ketchup, steak sauce, and flour with just enough cold water to combine. Top with boiling water to make 1 c. liquid. Return meat to skillet with mushrooms. Immediately stir in seasoned liquid, combining well. Cover and simmer 2 min. 

As meat and mushrooms simmer, combine sour cream and sherry. Reduce heat to low, adding sherried sour cream to mushrooms and meat in pan, just to heat through. Drain pasta; transfer to serving dish. Pour meat mixture over pasta, garnishing with parsley. Serves 4.

Add pasta to large pot of boiling water.

Sear seasoned, flour-coated beef over high heat.

Cook until browned on all sides. Remove from pan.

Lower heat to medium. Fry mushrooms until tender.

Return meat to skillet with seasoned liquids.

Combine sherry, sour cream.

Drain pasta.

Transfer pasta to serving dish.

Add sour cream to mushrooms and meat.

Combine well to heat through.

Pour over pasta.

Garnish with fresh or dried parsley.

Note: You’ll find other Stroganoff recipes indexed under One Click: Stroganoff.

Turkey Stroganoff with Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup

If you’re staring down a passel of poultry leftovers, here’s something you can do with it, Dollinks! This recipe works equally well with chicken … four thighs or a breast will do it.

Turkey Stroganoff with Condensed 

Cream of Chicken Soup:

2 c. (5oo mL) broad noodles or 4 oz. (125 g) other pasta such as fettucine

2 tbsp. (25 mL) butter or margarine

1 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, diced

2 c. (500 mL) fresh mushrooms, sliced

1-1/2 c. (375 mL) cooked, leftover turkey, chunked

1 - 10 oz. (284 mL) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1/2 soup can milk

1/4 c. (60 mL) fine, dry bread crumbs or crumbled, stale potato chips

Preheat oven to 300 deg. F. Boil 4 qt. (4 L) water in large pot. Salt lightly, stirring in noodles. Cook 10-to-12 min., stirring occasionally, until noodles are al dente (tender “to the tooth”). 

While noodles cook, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and celery , stirring until celery is soft and onion is translucent. Add mushrooms, stirring until tender. Stir in turkey until heated through. Combine condensed soup with milk, adding to mixture in skillet until well combined. 

Drain noodles, transferring to lightly greased 2 qt. casserole dish. Cover with turkey mixture and sprinkle with bread or potato chip crumbs. Bake 20 min., until golden. Serves 4.

Stir onion, celery and mushrooms over medium heat.

Transfer cooked noodles to lightly greased casserole.

Pour turkey mixture over noodles. Bake 20 min.

Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley flakes. 

Ready for the table!

For more Stroganoff recipes, see One Click: Stroganoff.