Food for Thought – July 25, 2017

By NANCY ZAMBELL

For The Vista

In my search of casseroles, I ran across this recipe. However, I did adapt it rather severely.

It began with round steak instead of ground beef, but I’m not a big steak eater, so I used ground beef instead.

I also added more mushrooms than called for, about another 2oz.

Additionally, you can use a different kind of cheese for the topping, instead of Swiss.

The original recipe called for Swiss or Gruyere, but you could also use cheddar, if that is your preference.

The following recipe is how I prepared it, and I have to admit, I thought it was the best Beef Stroganoff I’ve ever eaten.

Try it–I hope you’ll love it too!

French Onion

Beef Stroganoff

1/4 c unsalted butter

3 onions, French-cut

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1 T olive oil

1.5 lbs ground beef

black pepper

2 T all-purpose flour

1/4 c red wine

1 1/2 c beef broth

1/2 T Worcestershire sauce

3 c egg noodles

2/3 c sour cream

1- 1 1/2 c grated Swiss cheese

Parsley, to top

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, sprig of thyme, and a sprinkle of pepper and cook until the onions are soft and nearly caramelized, about 20 minutes.

Add in the mushrooms (with a little more butter, if necessary), and sauté until the mushrooms are soft and slightly browned and the onions have caramelized, about 5 more minutes.

Discard the bay leaf and thyme and remove the onions and mushrooms to a bowl.

Add flour to the ground beef and cook the mixture until browned. Drain the beef and add it to the bowl with the mushrooms and onions.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add in 1 1/2 c beef broth and 1/2 T Worcestershire sauce and bring to a low simmer.

Add back in the beef, mushrooms, and onions and let simmer, covered, until the broth reduces slightly, about 8 minutes.

As you wait for the broth to reduce, cook the egg noodles according to the package. Drain and set aside.

Remove the beef mixture from the heat and add in the sour cream, stirring well. Mix in the cooked egg noodles.

Put into a 9×13 glass casserole dish. Top with cheese.

Put under the oven broiler until cheese melts.