I love beef stroganoff with its moist, slow-cooked beef, flavorful dark gravy, and homemade egg noodles. My great Aunt Christina could make the best beef stroganoff you could imagine. She spent hours in the kitchen preparing this dish. And let me tell you, it was mm-mmm!
This is not that recipe. This is easy beef stroganoff, as in ground beef, cream of chicken soup, and store-bought egg noodles. As in “whip-it-all-together-at-the-last-minute-because-you-forgot-all-about-dinner-but-dog-gone it-all those-people-living-in-your-house-still-want-to-eat-a-homecooked-meal” easy.
In fact, my family has a different name for this easy beef stroganoff recipe. They call it “hamburger helper, Mommy style.” You know what? I’m okay with that, because some days, you just need to brown some ground beef, add some milk, cream of chicken soup, and cooked egg noodles, throw it all in a casserole dish and be done with it.
This is that kind of recipe, and I’ll be making it on Wednesday, March 27, while my parents are visiting. What can I say? I just don’t want to spend all afternoon in the kitchen!
Because this easy beef stroganoff recipe is a) super simple to make with ingredients I keep stocked in my kitchen cupboards (plus beef from the freezer), b) relatively inexpensive, and c) enjoyed (or at least tolerated!) by everyone in my family, it earns a top spot in my busy, frugal mom favorite recipe category. [Applause!]
Here’s how to make it.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 can cream of chicken soup (Note: you can substitute cream of mushroom soup if desired.)
½ cup milk
¼ tsp. ground pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 cups cooked egg noodles
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 2-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Brown ground beef in a large skillet and drain excess fat. Stir in cream of chicken soup, milk, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and noodles. Mix well.
3. Pour beef mixture into prepared dish and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
4. Top with Cheddar cheese. Serve warm.