Bushel & a Pickle

Beef Stroganoff Classic and Versatile

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Beef Stroganoff in pyrex dish
Beef Stroganoff in pyrex dish ready for lunch

Classic beef stroganoff. Do you think this classic dish would be easy to make? It is. Do you think it would be afforable? It is. And the best of all? Totally delicious. PS. And makes for delicious leftovers too.

Origins of classic Russian dish

Red Wine Individual Bottles
Red Wine Individual Bottles

Though this dish’s recipes vary depending on regions and chefs two things are a must…beef and sour cream! And wine!

How is a classic dish based on the original from Russia has been adapted by different chefs and countries as its popularity spread across the globe? Through travelers, relocations and some media of the day! Some stories credit a French chef who worked in Russia or an aristocrat. All agree though it is based on an much older Russian dish made in many homes, not just palaces and resturants.

Many classic recipes many require many pots and pans and many ingredients and lots of time, this one does not! Noodle or non-trditioanal white rice is very affordable. Expensive wine isn’t necessary. I use the 4 pack red wine in plastic bottles for connivence. We first saw them in a tourist area. Small bottles for the holiday without waste. We don’t always have wine on hand when I decide to make certain dishes.

Why versatile? This classic recipe is wonderful for left overs! I don’t make my stroganoff with tomato paste like some do.

Affordable

I use precut stew meat or sirlion steaks on sale. Cheaper meats are key for me. Even if the meat is precut, I will make sure the cubes are trimmed and in bite size pieces I think it makes for a more tender taste. Some recipes call for the beef to be cut into strips but I prefer cubes.

Beef Stroganoff Prep brownng beef pieces in a skillet
Beef Stroganoff Prep

Why Flour and Butter?

Why coat the beef with flour? It serves as a base for the cream sauce and helps with the browning of the beef. Toss as you brown and don’t let it burn.

The recipes calls for butter. Butter can easily burn if unattended or cooked on too high heat. This can be prevented. Don’t leave it unattended while stirring and tossing constantly. Using butter (or margarine), not oil adds to the creamy flavor. However, a tiny touch of oil added can prevent the overbrowning or burn.

Continually toss and scrape the skillet bottom while cooking.

Cooking Flour Dusted Beef Pieces
Cooking Flour Dusted Beef Pieces

blend, stir and watch the heat

Add cut up mushrooms and onions with addtional butter. More stirring! The onions should be just shy of translucent and still a liitle crisp. Remove from skillet into a separate bowl. Start the sauce.

Ready to Add the Cooked Beef to Thickened Sauce
Ready to Add the Beef

Follow the steps below in the recipe. Again, take care to not burn the flour and butter. Stir in the broth with a whisk until smooth. No whisk? Stir vigorously as you add the broth to prevent lumping.

Sauce Slow Boil to Thickness
Slow Boil to Thickness

Bring to a soft boil. Test thickness if spatula or spoon is coated and slow to drip.

When thickened, turn down heat, add sour cream, stir then add wine.

Versatilty

Packed Lunch Beef Stroganoff
Packed Lunch Beef Stroganoff From Fridge

Some recipes use tomato or papricka. I don’t add these. I actually only add salt to the noodle when boiling. Letting the creamy sauce with beef flavored with mushrooms,onion and a bit of garlic stand alone is a wonderful full flavored dish.

That is one reason why this dish is so versatile. Varying indegredients is certainly one. It is not that you can serve it with rice instead of noodles.

For our family it is because the leftovers just taste so good!

Now, I am not found of leftovers at all. But this is an exception. There are only 4 of us in the house now so there are leftovers Our girls who are still at home work and like to take advantage of any leftovers to have instead ofthe usual sandwiches.

Packing lunch is a huge money saver. Jim and I also enjoy it for our lunch! You can freeze it too!

Beef Stroganoff for Lunch

Beef Stroganoff

3.14 from 138 votes
Easy to make classic beef stroganoff
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course: main dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound beef sirlion or stew meat cut into bite sized cubes
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 8 oz sliced white (button) mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
Sauce
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp flour
  • 1 1/2 cup unsalted beef broth or 1 10 1/2 oz can of condensed beef broth
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp red wine white wine option
Noodles
  • 1 pound bag of wide noodles white rice in lieu of noodles
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 teas salt

Equipment

  • heavy bottom skillet, knife, cutting board, spatula, whisk, pot for cooking pasta, strainer, bowl for cooked beef mixture

Method
 

  1. Cut beef into bite size cubes, trim as needed
  2. Coat beef with flour
  3. Chop enough white onion for 1/2 cup
  4. Rinse, slice and cut mushrooms
  5. Mince garlic clove
  6. Melt 2 tbsp butter and add flour coated beef and brown quickly on all sides. Add a touch of oil to prevent butter from burning if needed
  7. Add onions, minced garlic, mushrooms
  8. Cook until onion is crisp tender
  9. Removed cooked beef mix into a seperate bowl
  10. Melt 2 tbsp butter to pan drippings in the skillet
  11. Blend in 2 tbsp flour stirring throughly. Do not over cook.
  12. Stir in beef broth
  13. Whisk until flour is totally blended over med high heat, thickened and bubbly
  14. Reduce heat to medium low then add beef mixture
  15. Stir in sour cream
  16. Stir in red wine
  17. Continuing to stir occationally until heated throughly
  18. Prepare noodles according to the bag instructions
  19. Drain and toss with butter
  20. Serve over noodles

Notes

This makes for great leftovers to pack for lunch or grab out of the fridge to warm in the microwave.

Serve with a warm crusty bread and side salad to round this classic meal out!

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These items except the Calpahlon skillet which I love are similar to those I use.

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linda

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