Budget Friendly Beef Stroganoff

My mother used to call this "Poor Man's Stroganoff", but with the cost of food these days, I don't think there are too many types of meat that I'd call a bargain anymore. I swear that even though it's just the two of us now, our grocery budget climbs higher every week! That being said, this dish is quite a bit more budget friendly than the original 1950's Russian dish that it's derived from. The classic version was usually made with more expensive cuts of beef, like tenderloin and top sirloin.

As is usually the case with so many of my mom's recipes, I do make this a bit differently than she did. She never used any of the extra seasonings that I do and the mushrooms were a definite no-go for this (or any other) dish. Now, it wasn't in any way because the majority of our family wouldn't have liked it that way. But as I've noted quite often before, when I've shared my versions of my mother's recipes, my wonderful, yet oh SO picky Daddy never cared for "extras" like the ingredients that I tend to add to dishes like this one.

No matter what little extras I might add to it, or how differently I season it, this is one of those true comfort food style meals, that's easy to prepare and to have on the dinner table in a hurry if needed. And the icing on the proverbial cake, is that this is exactly the type of food that always brings back happy and comforting childhood memories for me. And you know what we call a recipe that does all of that around here, right? Yup... We call that, a Win/Win!!

Budget Friendly Beef Stroganoff
(aka Poor Man's Stroganoff)

• 1 & 1/2 Lbs Lean Ground Beef
• 8 oz Button Mushrooms, thickly sliced or quartered
• 1 Envelope Onion Soup Mix
• 1 Cup Water
• 1 10.5oz Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1/4 Cup Dry White Wine or Vermouth
• 1 Tbls Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 Cup Half & Half (possibly more)
• 1/2 Tbls Beef Base (*Better Than Bouillon)
• 6 Tbls Butter, melted
• 2 Tbls Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tsp Onion Powder
• 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 Tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper (or to taste)
• 1-2 Cups Sour Cream
• 1 12oz to 14oz Pkg Extra Wide Egg Noodles

In a heavy skillet over medium high heat, add the ground beef, a bit of salt and pepper and cook the meat until it's nicely browned, breaking it up a bit with a spatula or a spoon as it cooks.

Getting some nice brown color on the beef, will give the dish added richness and flavor, too.

Sprinkle in the package of French onion soup mix.

Unless you end up with a whole lot of grease left in the pan after browning, you shouldn't need to drain it. A bit of juice/fat from browned meats like ground beef or pork sausage, will add to the flavor of the finished dish. I had almost zero fat left behind using what turned out to be a very lean ground beef, so I didn't drain mine, but I'll leave that choice up to you.

Pour in the cup of water and stir it well to incorporate.

If you have an open bottle of dry white wine, by all means, use it in place of the vermouth. But just as an FYI, you'll almost always see me using dry vermouth in place of white wine in pretty much any recipe that calls for it. It is THE perfect substitute, because it's actually white wine that's been fortified and will keep ten times longer sitting on the kitchen counter, than any white drinking wine would after it's been opened - and do it without turning into vinegar. Any unfortified wine, will go sour, eventually, even if it's been in the refrigerator. Plus, dry vermouth is just plain old good to have around, for use in the occasional (not so dry) martini.

Add the vermouth/wine to the pan and turn the burner up a squidge, so that it will reduce to a slightly syrupy consistency. This will 1) burn off (evaporate) the alcohol and 2) in this more concentrated form, give a subtle yet important depth to the finished dish, that wouldn't be there without it.

Obviously, if you just don't want to use any alcohol, or if you prefer not to go out and purchase a bottle of something that you'll probably never use again, you can leave it out entirely.

Once the vermouth has reduced, add in the mushrooms and stir well to distribute them in the pan.

At this point, I add a pinch more salt and pepper. If you've been around here for a while and are at all familiar with my recipes, you'll know that I always season in layers, or during intervals of the cooking process. Remember: each ingredient deserves to get it's own fair share of these staple flavor enhancers too!

Now, it's time to add the balsamic vinegar. Two tablespoons might not seem like much but trust me... this sweet and tangy delight is already highly concentrated and it will add just the right touch to compliment and balance out the tang of the sour cream that we're going to be adding later.

Give the meat another stir to distribute the vinegar, but there's no need to do any more reducing at this point. As I stated above, Balsamic Vinegar is already reduced quite a bit during the aging process.

Once you have all of those savory seasonings in the pan, it's time to start adding the ingredients that will make this rich and creamy.

In a small bowl, add the cream of mushroom soup, Worcestershire and the half & half and use a whisk or a large fork to incorporate them thoroughly.

Add all of the remaining seasonings to the soup mixture and stir it all up with your whisk.

If this combination of meat and sauce is a bit too thick at this stage, you can thin it out a bit with a little more half & half or milk.

(I'd forgotten to add in the beef base earlier, so I stirred it right into the 2/3 cup of half & half before pouring it in. If you've read through this recipe before starting to cook, you can add it into the meat mixture at the same time you add in your balsamic vinegar.)

It turned out that my sauce was a bit too thick at this stage, so I went with 2/3 Cup of additional half & half to thin it out a bit. I did this by eyeballing it. I've been cooking this dish for so long now, that type of thing just comes naturally. If you're more of a newbie to the process, never fear. You can start out with smaller amounts of liquid and add it in a bit at a time, until you feel like the sauce is at a "pourable" consistency. If you end up adding a bit too much, it's not a big deal either... it will reduce or evaporate on it's own with just a bit more cooking time.

These "soup base" versions of bouillon will dissolve quite easily, even in liquid that isn't very hot. I prefer this style so much more over those old crumbly, uber salty cubes and packets of powder and I honestly don't know how I lived without it in the past! There are a few of these paste style bases on the market now, so I'm sure you can find one pretty easily in most grocery stores.

The reason I felt that my sauce needed to be a bit thinner, was because I wanted it to pour/ladle nicely over the cooked, buttered noodles. It's just not the same if the sauce mixture just sits on top of your noodles. You really want to be able to mix it all up together as you eat and if it's too thick, that just doesn't happen as easily.

When you're done mixing the soup and other ingredients, put on a big pot of water and bring it to a boil for your noodles. I think that most people have cooked a pot of some type of pasta or noodles by the time they try out a more complex cooking experience, but just in case you haven't done it before, all you have to do is to follow the directions on the package and you're good to go. I start testing my noodles about 2 minutes before the instructions say that they should be done, because mushy pasta (of any kind) is a major no-no in our house! The Hubbs does not like even slightly overdone pasta! LOL

I like the "no yolk" extra wide egg noodles for their firm texture, but you can use your favorite brand.

I know I say this all the time, but whenever you are cooking pasta of ANY kind, whether it's spaghetti, egg noodles, macaroni, etc. ALWAYS make sure that your water is properly (which in this case means liberally) salted. As any true Italian chef will tell you, it should taste like sea water. OK. Don't be scared. I'll explain.

You see, pasta on it's own (especially dried, store bought pasta) is very bland and the only opportunity that you're gonna have to add flavor to it, is during the cooking process. We're working with very bland ingredients when we make pasta dough, so even if it seems like a lot of salt, the pasta is not going to absorb the salt to a point where it will taste overly salty or do you any harm. I promise. This is also one of the reasons why you should never rinse pasta after draining it. Believe it or not, by rinsing, you'll actually remove a fair amount of the flavor that you just infused with the salted water... not to mention you'll be removing all of the starch, which is what helps any sauce that you are using, cling to your pasta, instead of sliding off and being left behind on the plate.

What I do to keep my noodles from sticking together, is to toss in a little butter. OK... So it's more like a lot of butter. I mean... what's a li'l ole stick of butter between friends anyway? Besides, this IS for an entire bag of noodles ya know... Plus, it's gonna feed a whole bunch of people! Hmm, I hope that was convincing enough. Uh... it was? Phew! That's a relief! ;)

In all seriousness, I like to toss about half of the butter right into the empty pot because the residual heat left over from the cooking process helps to melt it more quickly and that way, it doesn't cool the noodles down as fast either! (So, have I justified it enough yet? LOL)

I add in the rest of the butter in tablespoons, as I add the drained noodles back to the pot, giving it all a good stir as I go. This way, all of the noodles are coated well and nothing sticks together.

Now comes decision making time...

You can do a couple of things here, depending on your personal preference or needs. You can either:

1) Dump all of the sauce right into the the noodle pot, add in a heaping cup (or two) of sour cream, mix it all together and serve it immediately in a lovely bowl, garnished with a bit of fresh chopped parsley. Or,

2) Put your hot buttered noodles in a pretty serving dish with a cover, (to keep them hot) place the meat and sauce mixture in another covered serving bowl and place that on the table as well, then pass a pretty little condiment bowl filled with sour cream at the table so that people can add what they want to the food on their plates. (This is what we do, as you can see in the photos below)

As you can see, we use option number two in our house, but my methods might not be what work best for you. Only you know the taste and preferences of your own families, so that's why I try to give you the option to choose for yourselves in the recipes I post here. You might even have a third or fourth option that you'd prefer to use. If so, please do share your ideas in the comments, because I know that I'd love to hear them and I'm sure that other readers would as well!

Just as an FYI, there are specific reasons that I serve this dish in the manner that I do. They are:

1) The sauce reheats much better when the sour cream has not been added to it. I've found that sour cream tends to create a sauce that in the reheating of any leftovers, will separate and turn a bit oily or greasy in the microwave. Uh, yeah. Yuck!

2) My family members all have different preferences when it comes to the sour cream itself and also to the proportion of "sauce to noodles" on their plate. Some like a bit more sour cream than others and some prefer to have fewer noodles and more sauce mixed together. This way, everyone at the table can "customize" their own Stroganoff! And the best reason of them all... I don't get any complaints! Now that's certainly reason enough for me!

Enjoy!

Mary



Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!

You Can Have New Posts From Go Ahead Take A Bite Delivered Right To Your Inbox! Just Enter Your Email Address Here:


Delivered by FeedBurner
We will never send any advertising or provide your email address to any other blogs or businesses.

Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the "Print Friendly" button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!

Nana's Apple Pie (The Last Apple Pie Recipe You'll Ever Need!)

There's a bit of a story behind the title of this post. You certainly don't have to read it. You can skip on ahead to the recipe instead and that's perfectly fine with me. You see, the "recipe" for this pie is not technically my own. It is my tried and tested interpretation of how I believe my grandmother (aka, Nana) made her apple pies. So, if you've decided that you want to learn the "behind the scenes" about the title of this post, then please read on.

My Nana (my dad's mom) made the best apple pie I've ever tasted. Honestly, there wasn't much that I can recall, that she didn't cook well. Her chicken and biscuits was to die for and her roast pork dinner with all of the "fixins", was just heavenly. Sadly, she was already quite elderly and had pretty much stopped making that type of "Sunday dinner" style food, by the time I was old enough to really take an interest in cooking. Although I never had the opportunity to sit in her kitchen and watch as she prepared those incredible meals, I did learn quite a bit from listening to my mother, aunts and cousins through the years, when they'd talk about what they had learned from her.

For instance... when I make chicken and dumplings, I cook my chicken the same way that Nana did when she made chicken and biscuits. I "fricassee" it, which is really just a fancy way of saying that I cook it low and slow. Instead of boiling it in water or broth, I pan fry or saute it over a medium low flame, until it's a rich (and tender) deep golden brown. Now, this method might take a little longer, but believe me... it's worth every second of any extra time that it takes and I honestly couldn't imagine cooking it any other way.

OK, what does chicken fricassee have to do with apple pie, you ask? Well, it's not so much about the dishes... it's about the woman who prepared them and it's about her cooking philosophy. She didn't use recipes and she didn't follow trends. She was the wife and mother of hard working, dairy farming men and she cooked the food that she knew would make her husband and three sons happy. Food that would keep them nourished and their stomachs full, as they worked all day and well into the night, to keep the family farm running. She cooked what they loved ...with love.

Her apple pie was no exception. My grandfather, my dad and his brothers liked their pie sweet and with lots of cinnamon and spices. Now, my Mom - God rest her - wasn't much of a baker, so she usually bought the "par-baked" Mrs. Smith's pies from the grocery store that you finished baking before serving. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with doing that.

But... (you knew that but was coming, right?) My Dad was a very picky eater. He was very much used to the way his mother cooked and I know he would have liked to see my mother follow in her mother-in-law's footsteps. He never openly shared his opinion about the store bought pies. He loved my mom and always appreciated what she did to keep the household running. He just wasn't one to openly criticize anyone. He did, however, have a, ahem... subtle way of making his feelings known about the pie.

He'd quietly go to the cupboard and get the sugar bowl and the cinnamon shaker. Then, when he got back to the table, he'd gently lift the top crust on the slice of pie on his plate and he'd sprinkle liberal amounts of both, all over the filling inside. When he was satisfied with the amount that he'd "enhanced" the pie's sweetness and the cinnamon content, he'd place the crust back on top and start eating his dessert. Of course my mother saw it, but she never got angry or upset about it. She never said a word at all. She knew that the last thing my Dad ever wanted to do was hurt her feelings. So, she'd just turn a blind eye and act as if nothing had happened and we'd all go on, happily eating our pie.

Anyone who knows me well, is aware that I was and always will be a bona fide, card carrying member of the DGS (Daddy's Girl Society). My Dad was (and still is) my hero, so when I started cooking in my early teens, the person who's praise I sought out the most and who I tried my hardest to make happy with the food that I cooked, was my Dad. So naturally, when I took on the challenge of making my first apple pie, I remembered that sugar bowl and cinnamon shaker and I set out to make an apple pie that my Dad would never need to quietly "doctor" up... ever again. What follows is the result of that mission - **with one little change.

I hope that you enjoy it, as much as he always did. :)

Nana's Apple Pie
(makes two 9 inch pies)

• 10 Large Cortland, McIntosh or Empire Apples (I use a mixture)
• 1 & 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar (yes, that's the right amount)
• 1 & 1/2 Tbls Ground Cinnamon (yes, that's right too!)
• 1/2 Tsp Ground Allspice
• 1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
• 1/4 Tsp Grated Nutmeg (fresh, if you have it)
• 1/8 Tsp Ground Cloves
• 4 Tbls Butter, (one half stick - sliced/cubed into eighths)
• 2 Pkgs of 2-count refrigerated pie crusts** (or your own homemade)

** When I have the time, I will make my own pie crust dough. But let's face it... at Thanksgiving time, I have so many other dishes to prepare, that I need every extra second I can spare. And after several years of stressing over it, I eventually turned to the refrigerated pie crusts. (sorry, Nana!) I always use the brand shown in the ingredients photo above, so I can't vouch for any of the others out there. But I can say that this one comes pretty darned close to the real deal and to be honest, I've never had a single complaint. Not even from my very picky, very vocal husband!

If you'd like to make your own pie crust, I use (and highly recommend) Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee recipe. It's tender and flaky and it's easy to make! You can find it by clicking HERE! Just remember that you'll need to double the recipe for two 9" double crust pies.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.

OK, let's begin! Wash and peel your apples and set them aside. I always peel all of the apples first and then core and slice them. Once I get started, I'm pretty quick with this part of the process, but if you end up with a bit of oxidation (the browning that occurs when peeled apples are exposed to the air) it won't matter in the finished pies. You'll never see it once the cinnamon and other spices are added to the filling and the apples cook down in the pie.

I can't recall ever making apple pies with a single type of apple. I like to use a mixture of two, or even three, different apple varieties. We have dozens and dozens of wonderful orchards here in the Northeast and the predominant apple varieties that you'll find at roadside stands and in grocery stores here in upstate NY are generally Cortland, McIntosh and Empire, so it's usually a combination of those apples.

What you want are apples that are sweet, juicy and will cook down easily. Now, you don't want to end up with applesauce in your pie, (there is actually such a thing though) but if there's anything that drives me nuts, it's an apple pie with undercooked or chewy apples in it. I understand that this is a personal preference and you might like to have a bit of bite left to the apples in your finished pie, but if you want to recreate this exact recipe, I'd recommend you use a combination of the apple varieties that I mentioned in this post.

If you can't find these particular varieties where you live, just ask a local produce professional which apple varieties are native to your area and would be best for making pies and they'll let you know just what to look for.

I start by making four cuts around the perimeter of the apple, getting as close as I can to the core, without picking up bits of the seeds or hard membrane that exists around it. You'll know if you've cut too close to the core because you'll see and feel the rigid membrane when you lightly run your finger over the cut side. If you do feel it, just take a very sharp knife and scrape the area, until you no longer feel it there. It shouldn't take much.

After you have the "meat" of the apple off, you can either toss the cores in your compost pile or give them to someone who has one. Or, you can put them in your freezer in zip-top bags to be used at a later time to make fragrant "simmer-pots" that will make your house smell like you've been baking, even when you don't have time! The aroma of apples, mixed with whole spices and maybe a bit of citrus peel, placed in a pot of barely simmering water on your stove top, can be a lovely thing to experience throughout the Fall and Winter seasons! Ahhhh...

When the apple is peeled and the larger pieces removed, lay those pieces, cut side down, on your cutting board and slice them into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. They don't have to match exactly. You just want to keep them all relatively close to the same thickness.

Once all of the apples are sliced, place them in a large mixing bowl that has plenty of room to stir them without the apples flying out of the bowl. lol

*Before adding the sugar and spices to your apples, prepare your pie plates by adding the bottom crusts to each one, so they'll be all ready for the filling and the top crusts.*

Add your sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and cloves and give it all a good toss, making sure that all of the apple slices are well coated with the mixture.

Yes... I really do use that much cinnamon! Trust me.... it makes a wonderful pie!

When the spices are stirred in, sprinkle your AP flour over the top as evenly as you can. I don't add the flour with the sugar and spices because I find it has a tendency to clump up that way. Trust me... you do not want any big chunks of dry flour in your pies.

Add the pinch of salt (1/4 tsp?) and stir it all again to incorporate the flour and salt evenly. You'll find as you're stirring, that the apples will begin to exude some of their juice. This is a good thing. A small amount of juice, mixed with the sugar and spices and the flour, will help the apples cook down and will create a nice thick coating of sweet, cinnamon-y goodness throughout your pies.

On the flip-side, too much juice can result in a very thin runny filling that will pool up in the pan when you cut it later for serving - plus it can make the crust soggy. Now, that just isn't good pie. The key to making sure this doesn't happen, is to not let the mixture sit for too long before adding the filling to the pans. Not more than a couple of minutes, really.

Quickly (and as evenly as possible) pour your apples into your two prepared pie plates, mounding the filling ever so slightly, then dot the tops of each pie with 1/2 each of the butter slices/cubes.

With the refrigerated crusts, there's usually just enough extra that hangs over a 9" pie plate for me to tuck the top crust underneath the bottom and then pinch them gently together to seal it all up.

I then use my left thumb, placed in between my right thumb and index finger to flute the edges.

(I couldn't hold a camera and do this at the same time, so in case you've never done this before, I found the photo below at Eating Well's website. It's a single crust pie, but it's the same technique. Mine never looks quite this perfect, but remember... practice doesn't always make perfect and that's OK! Hope it helps!)

Photo Source: Eating Well

Then, using a sharp knife, I poke a hole in the center and make 4 slices at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, starting about 1/2 inch from the center hole and ending about 1/2 inch from the fluted edge. I then sometimes make shorter slits in between those. This is functional (by letting excess steam escape from the  filling) and it's also decorative.

Place the pies in your 425 degree preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes. I always put a sheet pan lined with foil on the bottom rack, to catch any juices that bubble over. Trust me... apple pie spillover is full of sugar and can be pretty nasty!

(Please excuse my very dirty oven - these photos were from last Thanksgiving and there had been 2 massive & very spattery - is that a word? - turkeys cooked in them just a short time before.)

Allow the pies to cool for at least 15 to 20 minutes before serving. This will allow the filling to set up a bit so that it doesn't run out all over the place when you cut a slice.

Slice up your pie as needed and serve on it's own - or with your favorite apple pie topping. Some like whipped cream, some like a big slice of cheddar cheese. Our absolute must around here is, hands down, a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!


Enjoy!

Mary

Don't Forget To Follow Me On Social Media! I Post Blog Updates, Ideas For Kitchen "How To's", Restaurant Recommendations And Reviews And Always Lots Of Photos!

You Can Have New Posts From Go Ahead Take A Bite Delivered Right To Your Inbox! Just Enter Your Email Address Here:


Delivered by FeedBurner
We will never send any advertising or provide your email address to any other blogs or businesses.

Don't forget that you can print this (or any) recipe using the "Print Friendly" button at the foot of each post. It's a great little feature that allows you to remove any pictures (or any text that isn't relevant to the recipe) before printing. That can save on ink and paper & in today's economy, who doesn't want to save a little cash when you can?!