When your arms are full, Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is a hearty lifesaver

It’s December, the month that caps off the year — which so many of us are ready to do. I have to say that it’s been a bizarre year filled with surprises I never dreamed of, including one that is a huge blessing.

About six months ago, a sweet little foster baby girl came to live with us. I’ll refer to her as “L” for her privacy. She’s now 21 months. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would happen, nor did I dream that cooking dinner would become a challenge.

Toddlers have a way of feeding parents humble pie. But I imagine most of you know that already. This feisty little one says, “Hold you” all the time, so I end up doing many things one-handed with said toddler on my hip. It’s a good thing she’s a tiny peanut.

Cooking extravagant meals has come to a halt around our house unless that’s the only task accomplished during nap time or if it’s a holiday. Insert slow cooker to save dinnertime.

You’ve probably read before in this column that the slow cooker gets used weekly in my house this time of year. There are few things in life more satisfying than quick prep in the morning and dinner being done hours later. And the smells that waft out from this appliance will have everyone drooling.

This week’s recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff is from a blog called Well Plated. Erin Clarke’s blog is full of healthy, simple recipes. One thing I loved about this recipe is that it did not use a can of cream of mushroom soup. Instead it uses fresh cremini mushrooms and Greek yogurt.

I did adapt the recipe a bit and changed the beef sirloin to beef chuck. I find that chuck has more marbling, and when you put it in the slow cooker, some sort of magic happens. If you make this recipe, make it with chuck. Usually you’ll have to purchase a chuck roast and cut it up yourself, although depending on what store you frequent, sometimes the butcher will cut it up for you.

If you read the column weekly, perhaps you’ve noticed that egg noodles are on consistent rotation lately. I used them in my Beef Bourguignon, in Thanksgiving week’s Turkey Tetrazzini and in this week’s recipe, too. The noodles make the perfect bed or ingredient for comfort foods. And little hands like to pick them up, too.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff

1 ½ pounds beef chuck stew meat

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

16 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 ½ cups low sodium beef broth, divided use

3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup cornstarch

1 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt

8 ounces whole wheat egg noodles

Fresh parsley or thyme, for garnish

Grease the bottom of a 6-quart or large slow cooker with nonstick spray. Add the beef, sprinkle with salt, dill, black pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Stir to coat the meat.

Add the mushrooms, 1 cup beef broth, Worcestershire and Dijon. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 5 to 7 hours, until the beef is cooked through and tender. (If you prefer firmer mushrooms, wait to add them until about halfway through the cook time.)

Stir in the cornstarch together with the remaining ½ cup broth to create a slurry. Stir the mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 20 minutes, and then stir in the Greek yogurt. Re-cover and cook on high for an additional 20 minutes.

While the stroganoff finishes cooking, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Stir into the slow cooker or pile separately into bowls and ladle the stroganoff over the top. Serve immediately, topped with fresh thyme or parsley as desired.

Adapted from WellPlated.com

This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 11:33 AM.