Growing up every few months my extended family got together to celebrate birthdays and those who were celebrating got to choose the meal. Being the only summer baby, I always got to choose the meal all to myself and made the same request of my grandma – beef stroganoff. Now, my grandma made it with a pressure cooker, but my mom never did, she just slowed down the cooking. I followed in my mom’s footsteps because, let’s face it, a pressure cooker kind of freaks me out and I don’t own one.

This is not one of those quick weeknight meals in my family. This is a weekend or holiday meal that takes a few hours and some babysitting, but it is super easy. The problem with those “quick” stroganoff recipes is that they lack flavor. Slow cooking the meat over several hours let’s it really condense and brings out the best flavor. I can’t have stroganoff any other way!

Ingredients:

• 2.5lbs Top Round Beef Roast (or other similar beef, I choose whatever is on sale for stew meat)
• 2 cans beef consume
• 1 can beef broth
• 8 ounce pack sliced mushrooms
• 1 cup sour cream
• package of egg noodles (or rice)

Directions:

Cut beef into 1 inch strips of similar sizes. Heat skillet to medium high, place beef in and brown. Turn heat down to medium and add 1 can of beef consume.

Continue to simmer on medium stirring occasionally. After 1 hour, add mushrooms and another can of beef consume and resume simmering, stirring occasionally. After 1 more hour, add final can of beef broth. Simmer and stir occasionally for one final hour. Meanwhile boil water, cook and drain noodles. The liquid should have concentrated down to half. Add one cup of sour cream to pan and stir (the sour cream is really “to taste”. I like my stroganoff less creamy, more meaty, so I add less. I would add a little at a time and taste it to get it just right). Remove from heat. Add sauce to noodles. This is also really great with rice and you will see that in my family, most of us add peas to it.

note: This makes enough for about 4, I always double the recipe and make enough to feed an army so that we have left overs for a few days. If I am going to take the time to make it, I want it to last a while!