Beef Stroganoff, A Winter Time Favorite

Beef Stroganoff is one of my favorite comfort foods, and it is a fairly simple dish to prepare.  Even better, the recipe is very forgiving, so you can add or subtract amounts and ingredients to achieve your desired taste.  Below is my rendition of this classic dish.  The flavors are mild and satisfying, perfect for a cold winter night; and you’ll have enough to share… not that you’ll want to!

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

¼ Cup – Olive Oil

2 lbs. – Sirloin Steak, thinly sliced

1 Medium Size White Onion, sliced

8 oz. – Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp. – Garlic Powder

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Cans – Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 Cup – Sour Cream

4 oz. – Cream Cheese, softened

1 to 1½ Cups – Milk

Preparation

• In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat
• Add steak, onions, mushrooms, garlic powder, and salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until all ingredients are well done.
• Pour contents into strainer and let drain
• In the same skillet over medium low to medium heat, combine mushroom soup, sour cream, cream cheese, and about 1 cup of milk.  Stir until ingredients are well blended and smooth.  Bring sauce to a slow boil, stirring constantly.
• Add steak mixture to sauce, cover and let simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.  Add more milk as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Serve

• Plate the stroganoff over extra wide egg noodles.
• Serve with your favorite green vegetables (I like Brussels Sprouts) and a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, or your favorite red wine.

Tips

• You may want to tenderize the meat with a marinade prior to preparation.  Sirloin can get tough, though simmering in the sauce does loosen it up considerably.
• When slicing the beef, do your best to slice across the grain and no more than ¼ of an inch thick.  This will help with the tenderness.
• I add a little more salt and pepper (more pepper than salt) to the pan after everything is combined, just to kick the flavor up a bit more.
• You can speed up the blending process by throwing the cream cheese in a food processor or blender with 3 or 4 tablespoons of milk.  Not necessary for a good mixture, but it will save you a little stirring.

Enjoy, and happy cooking!

Kate