Beef stroganoff means different things to different people.
In its home country of Russia, beef stroganoff means pieces of saucy steak served over potatoes. In America, you’re more likely to find stroganoff made with ground beef, served over egg noodles, swimming in cream of mushroom soup. The only thing everyone seems to agree on is that mushrooms should somehow be involved, and the sauce should include sour cream.
When it comes to food, I think authenticity is kind of overrated. I’m happy to try a dish the way it’s made in the old country (or the new one!), but I have no qualms about tweaking that recipe to make it easier, healthier, or just yummier (IMHO).
Why Noodles Win
With that introduction, don’t expect this dish to resemble the classic beef stroganoff your Russian grandmother used to make. My recipe calls for ground beef since it’s cheaper and harder to overcook. I also serve beef stroganoff over noodles, because they’re easier to cook than potatoes and my kids like them better.
Another reason I make this dish with pasta is that it’s a gateway ingredient that persuades my kids to eat mushrooms. In fact, my picky preschooler astounded me the other day by asking for a second helping of beef stroganoff, then announcing that he loves mushrooms.
Mustard and . . . Yogurt???
So yeah, I go American-style when it comes to ground beef and pasta. I skip the cream of mushroom soup, though. It’s so easy to make a delicious, savory sauce from a few simple ingredients, so why bother with squishy stuff from a can?
I also take a cue from the Russians and add a couple dashes of ground mustard to my beef stroganoff. I’m not ordinarily a big fan of mustard, but I like the subtle tang it gives the sauce. You could also add a little bit of brown mustard, or skip this ingredient entirely. I won’t tell Babushka.
Last but not least, I sometimes throw both culinary traditions clean out the window and use plain yogurt instead of sour cream. Am I a rebel? A probiotic-loving foodie? Nope. I’m just more likely to have yogurt on hand, and it makes a good substitute when I’m out of sour cream (which is most of the time).
I hope you’ll enjoy making (or tweaking!) this recipe for semi-Russian comfort food. It’s always a winner at our house. 🙂
More Recipes with Oodles of Noodles:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 pound ground beef
- 8 ounces wide egg noodles
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups water
- 1½ teaspoons beef bouillon
- heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 dashes ground mustard (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (or 2 tablespoons flour)
- ⅔ cup light sour cream (or plain low-fat yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and brown the mushrooms. Meanwhile, mince the garlic, and add it to the skillet while the mushrooms are cooking.
- Once mushrooms are tender, remove them to a bowl and set aside.
- Add ground beef to skillet and brown, then drain. Bring heat back to medium-high, then add the mushrooms, noodles, milk, water, bouillon, salt, pepper, paprika, and optional mustard.
- Mix the cornstarch or flour with an additional ¼ cup of water, then stir into the stroganoff and cover. Lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are cooked through.
- Remove from heat, then stir in the sour cream or yogurt. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
