Warm Up This Winter With A Classic Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

In winter, there’s something about entering a warm home with a cook in the kitchen.

You’re outside in the elements – maybe it’s snowing or it’s windy – and as you open the front door, the aroma of a hot, welcoming meal wafts your way. It’s as if to say, “We’re glad you’re here. Stay awhile.”

As you remove your coat, hat and boots to settle in, you can be reminded of family meals gone by and the people at the table who made these dinners memorable.

For me, the cook in the kitchen was always my mother, June. She’d make hearty, traditional meals in my childhood home in suburban Pittsburgh all winter long. This always kept my father and the three children satiated and happy.

She died many years ago and my family of origin often remakes her old recipes as a way to keep her memory warm in our hearts. We enjoy telling each other (in the family group text) about when we prepare these famous family meals. And we know that the food will be delicious, no matter who’s in charge of the kitchen.

Recipe: Beef Stroganoff

This beef stroganoff recipe is hearty – clearly from an older generation – but it’s fantastic and filling. It’s a great home-cooked meal on a cold day, but don’t be counting calories when you’ve finished.

This is not that kind of meal!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds beef chuck roast

• ? cup butter

• 2 tablespoons flour

• 2 (10.5 ounces) cans of condensed beef broth

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms

• ? c chopped onion

• 1 bag egg noodles

• ? cup sour cream

• Splash of wine (optional)

• Salt, ground black pepper, parsley to taste

Instructions:

Step 1:

Combine three pats of butter and flour in a saucepan on medium heat.

Step 2:

Add cans of beef broth and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Step 3:

Slice chuck roast into small pieces.

Step 4:

Brown meat in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saute pan.

Step 5:

Add mushrooms, onions, salt, pepper, parsley and simmer until vegetables are soft.

Step 6:

Add gravy, tomato paste and wine (optional) to the saute pan with meat and simmer for a few minutes.

Step 7:

Prepare egg noodles as described on the package.

Step 8:

Let meat and gravy rest for a short time. Gently mix in a few dollops of sour cream and serve hot with noodles.