Stroganoff

The Date: 27 October 2011

The Occasion: I finally felt well enough to cook a meal after being sick all week and mostly eating broth.

The Recipe: From this cookbook, with the cream of mushroom soup from the recipe substituted for this homemade version. 

How it Went:
Great, as usual. This is a favorite meal in our house and tonight did not disappoint. I loved not using a canned cream soup this time. The meal felt more wholesome without adding a gloppy cylinder of beige mush. Don't forget to cook a green vegetable with this. I made zucchini because I forgot to cook a veggie until the whole thing was done and sauteing some zucch's was the easiest option. Normally, though, it's great with steamed broccoli on the side.

What You Need:
ground turkey or beef
cooked bacon or real bacon bits
mushrooms (optional)
onion
garlic, fresh or dried and minced
flour
beef broth
milk
butter
Worcestershire sauce
pepper
salt
paprika
egg noodles
sour cream
shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

Your Turn:
Cook 1 lb ground beef or turkey in a large skillet. While it's cooking, add 5 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (or a few tablespoons of REAL bacon bits). Add 1 cup mushrooms, if you're into eating fungus, 1 medium onion, chopped, and either a minced fresh garlic clove or a few dashes of dried minced garlic. Cook until meat is done.

In the meantime, melt 1 T butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add 3 T flour, slowly, until smooth. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 C of beef broth and 1/2 C of milk, slowly, while stirring. Return to medium low heat and stir while bringing it to a gentle boil. Continue to stir until mixture thickens. Stir in a few dashes of black pepper.

When meat mixture is done, drain grease. Stir in 2 T flour until blended. Add the flour/broth mixture you made and stir. Also add

• 1 can (14.5 oz) beef broth
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp paprika

Bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, cook 6 cups of egg noodles and drain when done.

Just before serving, stir 1 cup of sour cream into the Stroganoff. Don't let it come to a boil again, just make sure it's still hot through after adding the cream.

Serve over egg noodles and sprinkle each serving with shredded cheddar cheese.