Ground Beef Stroganoff is a hearty and comforting 30-minute skillet meal. Egg noodles, mushrooms, and ground beef are coated in a creamy sauce and made in a single pan.
Skillet meals are a favorite dinner for busy weeknights. This ground beef stroganoff comes together in a single sauté pan, and is made with a handful of easy to find ingredients.
If you grew up on hamburger helper, this dish may be nostalgic for you. While the classic beef stroganoff (originating in Russia) is made with cubed beef and sour cream, this budget-friendly skillet meal is reminiscent of the classic American hamburger helper from a box.
The great part about this recipe is that it is made entirely from scratch, so you can rest easy knowing exactly what is going into your dinner. Egg noodles, mushrooms, onions, and ground beef are coated in a creamy and flavorful sour cream sauce.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Unsalted butter - can be substituted with olive oil.
- Onion
- Mushrooms
- Ground beef - I make this recipe with 85/15 ground beef, but 90/10 ground beef would also work. If using a ground beef with a higher fat content, some grease may need to be drained from the pan after browning, before adding other ingredients.
- Garlic cloves - Two cloves can be substituted with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- All-purpose flour - Helps thicken your sauce. It can be omitted, but your skillet meal will turn out on the thin side.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, and thyme. Thyme can be substituted with oregano or Italian seasoning.
- Beef broth - can be substituted with vegetable broth or chicken broth if needed. However, beef broth is highly recommended as it will add the best flavor to your skillet meal.
- Egg noodles - can be substituted with your favorite medium sized dried pasta (like penne, macaroni, or farfalle). Keep in mind that different pastas require different cooking times, so check your pasta's package cooking directions and adjust the recipe accordingly.
Skillet meal tips and tricks
Skillet meal tips and tricksThe great part about skillet meals is that your entire meal is made in a single saute pan. Here are a few of my favorite tips for success.
- For this recipe, you will need a 12 inch sauté pan, not a skillet. A sauté pan has a flat bottom and tall sides, like shown in the photos.
- It is important to accurately measure the liquid and pasta in this recipe. This recipe uses just enough liquid to properly cook your pasta through, leaving just enough leftover broth to make a sauce.
- Once you cover your skillet meal with a lid, reduce the heat to low. This ensures that no ingredients burn on the bottom of the pan. The steam trapped inside the skillet will cook your pasta.
- Sauce looking thin? Remove the lid and allow your skillet to set for up to five minutes before serving. The pasta in the pan will continue to absorb liquid as it sits.
What to serve with ground beef stroganoff
Since this is a hearty meal, I suggest serving beef stroganoff with a light, green side dish, like a salad or roasted veggies.
- Roasted Zucchini and Squash
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Winter Chopped Salad
- Kale Apple Slaw with Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
- Parmesan Asparagus with Lemon Butter
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion, diced
- 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 24 ounces beef broth
- 8 ounces egg noodles, uncooked
- ¾ cup sour cream
Instructions
- In a saute pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions and mushrooms and cook until onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add ground beef, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, breaking ground beef apart into small pieces. Cook until beef is browned and cooked through. Add flour and stir to coat beef, cooking for one minute.
- Add beef broth and scrape to deglaze bottom of pan. Add egg noodles. Bring broth to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Simmer until pasta is al dente (according to pasta's package directions). Most of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Add sour cream and stir until incorporated. Remove pan from heat and allow to set for 5 minutes to allow sauce to thicken before serving.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Pasta skillet meals will continue to thicken as they stand - the starch from the pasta will help thicken your sauce, and the pasta will continue to absorb liquid. If your sauce looks thin, allow it to set, uncovered, until your sauce has thickened.
- Optionally, garnish with fresh parsley for color.
- Leftovers reheat well the next day.
- Add more sour cream as desired for a creamier sauce.
I'll never go back to making Hamburger Helper again. This is so much better.