Guest Post: Stroganoff Two Ways

Hello friends!  I hope all of you are having a fantastic day today, and I hope this recipe from Meghan at the Unintended Houswife makes your day a little bit brighter.

I first met Meghan when I countered a nasty comment someone had anonymously left her on one of her posts. (People say some mean things when they can hide behind their computers, no?), and have found her to be super sweet and down-to-earth. Her blog details her adventures living near D.C. with her husband and I just love her posts!

Today, she has agreed to share her recipe for Stroganoff Two Ways with you; enjoy!

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I went to Russia on my honeymoon; so Russian food will always have a special place in my heart. In fact, my favorite place we visited in Russia, other than the Hermitage was the Stroganov Palace. If you ever go to St. Petersburg, I highly recommend allotting several hours for the Stroganov Palace. It is spectacular. And yes, it really is where this dish was created.

Another reason I'm partial to this recipe is because it allows me to stretch a pound of beef to feed 6-8 people. Last year, my husband and I made the decision to only eat ethical, sustainably produced meat, eggs, and milk. However, grass-fed, free-range animals are much more expensive than conventionally raised meat. To help us stay within our grocery budget, I try to always get 6-8 servings from each pound of meat.

You could also make this recipe without meat. To do so, substitute the pound of beef for two more pounds of mushrooms. You'll need more mushrooms to replace an equivalent amount of meat because the mushrooms cook down so much. If I was making a vegetarian stroganoff, I would use at least two different types of mushrooms for depth of flavor, but for beef stroganoff, I only use button mushrooms because 1) they're the cheapest and 2) they're my favorite type of mushroom. Any mild flavored mushroom works though. (Shitake, for example, would not work.)

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound of beef cut into strips*

1 pound of mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 medium onion, sliced thinly

1 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon mustard

½ cup wine

Butter

Salt & pepper

1 pound egg noodles, cooked

In a large skillet, brown the beef in butter, salting and peppering as it cooks. Remove the beef and set it aside. Add the mushrooms to the pan and brown them, using more butter if needed. Set the mushrooms aside and cook the onions in butter until they are soft and translucent.

Add the beef and mushrooms back into the pan with the onions. Deglaze with the wine. Turn down the heat on the skillet and add mustard and sour cream. Cover and cook on low for 10-15 minutes.

Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve over hot egg noodles.

*A note about the beef. I typically use Hearst Ranch fajita strips for this recipe. I receive their email newsletter, which often has discounts and coupons for free shipping, so I find it to be affordable and convenient. By all means though, if you can get a roast for cheaper, you can just cut it yourself. (I’m not compensated by Hearst Ranch at all.)

I made this beef stroganoff recipe and took a picture, but then my computer crashed with the picture on the now defunct hard drive. To be honest though, it wasn't that great of a picture and if you really need to see a picture of beef stroganoff in order to make it, you can just google it. 

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Thanks, Meghan! You are making my mouth water even without a picture!  Happy Wednesday everyone.