Beef Stroganoff

So, I was really happy to snag some ground beef at work that BeeJay had just marked down.  A pound and a quarter of Angus ground chuck for just $1.  The only reason I managed to snag the bargain is because Libby wasn't there yet!  Libby will understand that comment.

Then I had to figure out what to do with the ground meat.  We had burgers about a week ago and that is, honestly, the only thing I ever do with ground meat.  I wandered the store trying to get ideas.  Then I talked to Roxy and she saved the day by suggesting I make Beef Stroganoff.  I was like, "With ground chuck?"  Yup.  Went upstairs and found a basic Stroganoff recipe that Roxy had used before.  Tweaked the recipe a bit and it was surprisingly good, especially since I'm not a big fan of ground meat.

Instead of using regular beef broth, I sprang for the More Than Gourmet concentrated stock.  That pretty much made up for the $5 I saved on the meat, but what the heck, that stuff is good!

 

1-1/4 lbs. ground beef or Italian sausage (used sausage another night and it was good!)

1 medium sweet yellow onion, peeled, cut in half and then sliced thin

8-10 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean* and sliced 

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t. fresh thyme (or 1/2 t. dried)

2 T. olive oil

1 T. butter

1 T. tomato paste

3 T. Marsala wine

1/4 cup flour

3 cups beef broth, heated (used CM beef broth the second time around and it was just as good as the concentrated stock, but that might be cause I used Italian sausages instead of chuck)

1 t. Dijon mustard

4 oz. low fat sour cream or 0% Greek yogurt (I like Fage)

½ cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Egg noodles (12 oz. package) or mashed potatoes

In a large pan, brown the meat.  Drain well and set aside.  Wipe the pan clean and add the olive oil and butter.  Add the mushrooms and sauté until moisture has evaporated, about 8-10 minutes.  Add the onion slices and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add the garlic, thyme, and tomato paste.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the Marsala wine and cook until evaporated, about 2 minutes. 

Sprinkle mixture with the flour and stir until combined.  Add the heated broth, bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  When your noodles are cooked (or your mashed potatoes are ready), add the cooked meat, Dijon and sour cream.  Add the parsley and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.  I don't normally season at this point since the broth has plenty of salt.

*To clean mushrooms, wet a few paper towels and squeeze dry.  Use the paper towels to wipe the mushrooms clean.  Never rinse mushrooms in water as they will just soak the water up and become more water logged than they already are!

We had plenty leftover for another dinner, so I combined the Stroganoff and noodles in the pan and refrigerated it.  To reheat, I added a cup of heated broth and then slowly brought the dish to a boil.