During the cold months of winter, there is nothing better than comfort food. Packaged and processed foods make an easy shortcut to satisfy cravings, but the results are not worth it. All of the chemicals and additives contain unwanted fat and calories that can make for a sluggish and tired feeling.
Basic ingredients are more wholesome and healthy. It is hard to cook for one, or sometimes two because many healthy recipes seem like they are personalized for stay-at-home moms cooking for their family of five that have all day to prepare a meal.
Today we put an interesting and homemade spin on a popular comfort food that is also quick, easy, and inexpensive: beef stroganoff. The Hamburger Helper brand is quick and easy, but the cooking time of this recipe is exactly the same and it uses basic, healthy ingredients.
The recipe takes about 25 minutes and is based on a four serving meal which is just enough for a dinner for two with added leftovers for lunch the next day. The average cost for this recipe is $1.50 per serving. Compare that to an average takeout cost of about $10 per meal and see how much you can save.
Ingredients:
3 cups dry wide egg noodles, uncooked
2 beef sirloin steaks
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 8 oz. can of mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and ground black pepper, season to taste
To make this recipe, three cups of uncooked wide egg noodles, two beef sirloin steaks, ½ cup of sour cream, and 1 cup of beef broth are used. Beef sirloin is a great alternative to other types of steak when combining with other ingredients because of how inexpensive it is.
First, cut the beef sirloin steaks into bite sized pieces. Even though beef sirloin is cheaper than other types of steaks, it can sometimes be tough or chewy. Always add meat tenderizer to the steaks before browning in order to keep them tender and juicy. Any meat tenderizer can be used. Some have added seasoning flavors while others only contain salt.
Second, pour egg noodles into a pot and cover completely with water. Boil until tender or about 7 minutes. While the noodles boil, pour one tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil into a pan and brown steak bites until bites are cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Since the steak pieces are small, they will cook quickly, so be careful not to overcook them. Even with the meat tenderizer, overcooking these steaks will make them unappetizing and hard to eat.
Once steak is browned, put the pieces to the side on a plate. Once the noodles are cooked until tender, drain and return them to the pot.
After being returned to the pot, add beef broth, steak bites and drained mushrooms to the cooked noodles and stir. If a thicker sauce is desired, add ½ cup of turkey or beef gravy. In this recipe, ½ cup of turkey gravy is added to the mixture. Bring the noodle mixture to a boil.
Once noodle mixture begins to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for five minutes.
Once the noodle mixture has simmered, mix again and place the mixture in the desired serving bowl or dish. Add sour cream and fold into mixture. Season with salt and pepper to desired taste.
You now have an easy, inexpensive homemade stroganoff dinner to satisfy comfort food cravings!
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