We have the lovely Susan, one of my long time Simple Meal Plans students to thank for this recipe.
Years ago she shared her recipe for ‘skid row’ stroganoff using ground (minced) beef. Without that spark of inspiration I would never have even thought to dip my toes into the stroganoff waters.
I’m not sure why it took me years to create this. Possibly boarding school food associations.
But I LOVE mushrooms and I love sour cream. So I shouldn’t be surprised how much I LOVE this dish!
Better late than never 🙂
Best Ever Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 500 g ground (minced) beef
- 1/4 t salt
- 500 g mushrooms
- 3 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce OR 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sour cream + extra to serve
- 1 bag baby spinach
Instructions
- Slice mushrooms lengthwise into 3-4 slices. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan on a medium high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring every now and then until the mushrooms are soft, shrunken and starting to brown. Will take about 8 minutes.
- Transfer cooked mushies to a clean plate.
- Return the pan to the heat. Add a little more oil. Cook the beef and salt, stirring to break up the large chunks until the beef is starting to brown and is no longer pink.
- Return the mushies to the pan. Add the smoked paprika, Worcestershire sauce (or soy) and sour cream. Stir to combine and bring back to a simmer.
- Remove from the heat. Taste and season with extra salt if needed.
- Divide baby spinach between 2 plates. Top with stroganoff and serve with extra sour cream passed separately.
Nutrition
Variations & Substitutions
short on time – cook the mushrooms and beef at the same time using 2 pans.
vegetarian – OMG lentil stroganoff! I’m going to have to try that. Or chickpeas.
dairy-free – replace sour cream with tomato passata / puree. And serve with roast sliced almonds or pine nuts.
nightshade-free – skip the paprika.
more substantial (carb lovers) – serve over almond pasta or other cooked pasta.
more substantial (low carb) – roast almonds or walnuts, extra sour cream.
Low FODMAP – use canned champignons (better than no mushrooms) and don’t have extra sour cream (sorry!)
different vegetables – mushrooms are essential for stroganoff but you can easily use zucchini, bell peppers (capsicum) or eggplant instead. And onion will add lovely complexity. You can serve with any cooked green or other salad instead of the baby spinach.
different protein – it’s more traditional to use eye fillet or steak – just slice into strips across the grain and cook until just browned.
more fancy / for entertaining – serve with a reliable cabbage salad or big bistro kale salad.
Waste Avoidance Strategy
ground (minced) beef – freeze it.
salt / smoked paprika / Worcestershire sauce / soy sauce – keep them in the pantry.
mushrooms – keep in the fridge in a brown paper bag. Once cooked will keep for weeks. And can be frozen raw or cooked.
sour cream – keeps for weeks in the fridge.
baby spinach – either freeze or wilt down in a pan with a little oil and then keep in the fridge for weeks.
Problem Solving Guide
bland –Â more salt! More Worcestershire sauce or soy.
too oily –Â Â next time use leaner beef.
Prepare Ahead
Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the baby spinach and extra sour cream separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or can be frozen. Bring back to a gentle simmer and serve as per the recipe.
Add to my Old Favourite Recipes
I made this exactly as per the recipe but served with steamed brussel sprouts and green beans. I avoided the temptation to add onion and garlic and wasn’t disappointed. Such a great mid week supper! I think next time I’ll use soy sauce instead of the Worcestershire sauce – because I love that flavour combo in your Magnificent Mince recipe.
ooh good call on the Brussels Sprouts Nicola 🙂
Quick and very tasty ! I added garlic and onion and serve it with broccoli. Yummy ! And I did not find sour cream, I put soja cream. Merci Jules
Fantastic Emilie! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
My last meal plan for the week. As a vegetarian, I tried it with a mixture of chickpeas and lentils. It took just 12 minutes and it was devoured in 5 minutes. I, especially, like the Worcestershire sauce with sour cream flavour. Something I haven’t tried before but will experiment more in the future.
oh yum Saira – great idea to do chickpeas and lentils 🙂
Approved in this household. Yum!
Yay Heather!
Seriously, I could eat this every day! If there were more than 5 stars…this would be deserving.
So glad you enjoyed Joan!
Happy Happy joy joy Jules.
…the slavic know a thing or two about simple flavours and simple preservation.
Absolutely Narelle!
I need to work on my goulash next 🙂
So interesting to see your take on my recipe. I may just have to try your version… When I do I will NOT tell my husband what it is, and we’ll see how he likes it. I’m sure I would add an onion, just because that’s what I’m used to. What will be really interesting is seeing what it tastes like sans garlic.
Oh that would be so fun Susan! Let me know if you do 🙂
Jules, I regret to say that I will not be trying this version of the stroganoff, after the total disaster of the Addictive Thai Mushroom Soup – when we got to the leftover servings, I could not eat mine due to zero taste and awful texture. My husband described it as “yucky” but still ate his. Mushrooms in quantity just don’t work for us, and much as I’d like to try your version of the stroganoff, I can’t do that to either of us again. ?
Oh Susan – yes sounds like that’s a good idea. Thanks for reporting back!
Although you are making me wonder what vegetables would work instead of the mushrooms? – I’m thinking a cabbage Stroganoff has possibilities.
Jules, I found this again going through my old emails from you, and two things occurred to me: one, I could make just half the recipe since your recipe for 2 feeds the two of us twice; and two, I could try your cabbage stroganoff idea. Better yet, I could do the first half of the meat with mushrooms and the second half with cabbage! It’s kind of nice that time can work on our creativity and bring us to solutions.
Well, I finally got around to trying this, making the full recipe but using half the mushrooms specified. And guess what? IT WORKED!! My taste buds aren’t working very well, but my husband thought it was good. He made the comment without my asking. He would be willing to try it with more mushrooms, but I think I’ll leave it as I made it, because it works that way. Even sans onion and garlic. I have not told him, and will not tell him, that it’s a riff on the recipe he likes so much. It should, and will, just stand on its own. Definitely a keeper.
So glad it worked with less mushrooms Susan! I had it last night with EXTRA mushies.
I waited until I had this as leftovers to properly assess it, after the flavours had properly blended. I used lentils instead of beef, so bought extra mushrooms, and added extra soy (actually kecap manis), some anchovies and a couple of tsp of Vegemite for extra umami. I cooked an onion and a capsicum before the mushrooms, and thought that I had again not given the later the chance to brown properly, but they turned out well. Good.
wow mushroom, anchovies AND vegemite – that must have been delicious Mark. I love me some umami 🙂
This really is the best ever stroganoff!
Glad you think so Alysha 🙂
Loved this Jules, so quick, easy and tasty and no having to chop strips of meat.
Thanks for this recipe.
Isn’t it great Kath! I’m all about the mince 🙂