To all lovers of cold-weather comfort food, I’m dedicating my Homemade Beef Stroganoff in 30 Minutes recipe to you. If you think this is a complicated dish, think again! It's super-easy...even the homemade white sauce!
Homemade Beef Stroganoff in 30 Minutes
For this recipe, forget the slow-cooker and the oven…you don’t need them.
You can even use cooked beef for this recipe, or if you have uncooked beef, just slice it thin and sauté it to a lovely, medium-rare temperature in just a few minutes.
You can also use ground beef for this recipe. It's awesome either way!
I personally prefer to have one less cooking task when it’s time to throw down a busy weekday dinner. This is actually one of my secrets to make super-efficient weeknight meals.
The white sauce for this recipe is made entirely from scratch. Yeah, there are a few more steps involved in homemade white sauce, but do yourself a solid and skip the usual can of salty, mushroom soup often called for in stroganoff recipes. The homemade stuff happens fast, tastes spectacular, and is 100% worth the little effort required.
What's also cool is that once you know how to make a basic white sauce, you're on your way to any number of gravies, cheese sauces and creamy soups. Yum! And you're not required to use whole milk to make a white sauce. I always use 1% milk for mine.
Yes, we're substituting 1% milk for heavy cream...and it rocks!
Some may balk at the substitution, and I do love decadence, but I find 1% milk to be a healthier choice for a weeknight meal and the sauce still has a thick, rich consistency if cooked properly.
That said…are you in? I hope so! Here’s my recipe for homemade Beef Stroganoff. I will love to hear how yours turns out!
Homemade Beef Stroganoff in 30 Minutes
Ingredients
For the PASTA:
- 2 cups Penne Pasta
- 3 quarts Water
For the VEGGIES:
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 Onion, 1/4” slices
- 4 cloves Garlic, chopped small
- 2 cups Mushrooms, 1/4” slices
For the WHITE SAUCE:
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp All-purpose Flour
- 1 cup 1% Milk, warmed - hint…I microwave it for 1 minute
- 1 cup Reduced Sodium Beef Broth
- 2 tbsp Red Wine
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tsp Cracked Black Pepper
- 1 Bay Leaf
For the rest:
- 1/2 lb cooked Sirloin, thinly sliced into strips
- 1/4 cup fresh Oregano, chopped; reserve some for garnish
- 1/2 cup NonFat Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream, for garnish only
Recipe Instructions
- Gather ALL ingredients, measure, and implement prep steps (chop, dice, etc)
- Cook pasta according to package instructions (to al dente; i.e., slightly undercooked)
For the VEGGIES:
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat OLIVE OIL on medium heat until it shimmers (about 2 min)
- Add ONION and GARLIC; sauté until very soft (about 5 min); add MUSHROOMS; sauté until slightly soft (about 3 min); Remove all veggies from skillet and set aside (they’ll be added back later)
For the WHITE SAUCE:
- In the same skillet on medium heat, melt BUTTER; whisk in FLOUR to combine; continue whisking until it forms a paste and turns a golden brown color (2-3 minutes)
- Add the warmed MILK (about 1/4 cup at a time) and continue to whisk over medium heat until all milk is in the pan and sauce starts to thicken (about 3 min); stir in BEEF BROTH, RED WINE, SALT, PEPPER, BAY LEAF.
For the rest:
- Fold SIRLOIN into the sauce; cover and simmer about 5 minutes
- Stir in all cooked PASTA, sautéed VEGGIES, and OREGANO to the sauce, continuously (but gently) stirring until warm enough to serve (about 5 min). Remove bay leaf.
- To serve, top with NONFAT GREEK YOGURT or SOUR CREAM and parsley garnish.
- Note: If the sauce becomes too thick during the final stages of the cooking process, add more warm milk 1/2 cup at a time and no more than 1 cup.
You can always step up the white sauce in this recipe to a traditional Bechamel by adding a pinch of nutmeg at the same time you're adding the salt and pepper
One last note, if you're vegetarian, this recipe works terrific with any meat substitute.
Nutrition
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Amber says
I was searching for a stroganoff recipe that didn't call for sour cream or cream of mushroom soup, because I kept thinking you should be able to make it with a white sauce/milk gravy, and I just wanted to use what I have on hand. I wasn't having any luck, but I finally searched for "stroganoff made with milk" and found your recipe. Looks delicious, and I can't wait to try it!
Awesome, Amber... yep, I like the bit of creaminess milk adds to stroganoff without adding extra cream. Hope you love the recipe like we do 🙂
Tiffany says
I would recommend removing the bay leaf before serving.
Good call...just added that to the recipe instructions Thank you
Janice says
Love it & so easy to make..this is my new go to recipe...
So glad to hear it, Janice! Thanks for stopping by and letting me know 🙂
Jill Hildebrandt says
Made the Homemade Beef Stroganoff for my family, Tracey! Amazing! I even made a separate veggie brother version of the white sauce for me, the only vegetarian in my family of 4, and tossed it in the pasta before adding the meat! Delicious! All of my family loved it, including my mom who was over for dinner. We'll make this again, for sure. I bought the ingredients for several of your recipes. Making Arugula Pesto with whole wheat Penne pasta today, and the Vegetarian Cocounut Chickpea Curry tomorrow. Can't wait! Oh, this is Jill Hildebrandt, the redhead from our former Carbondale days. 🙂 Thank you for your awesome work. Big hugs from Minnesota!
Jill Hildebrandt says
Oops--meant "broth" version! 🙂
Traci Antonovich says
Jill, thanks so much for taking the time to post your thoughtful, enthusiastic comments. This is exactly why I blog about food 😉 So glad to know your taking action in your kitchen...thanks again!
Allie Ketcham says
We tried this for dinner tonight. The recipe was easy to follow and it turned out delicious. I will definitely be making this again!
Traci Antonovich says
Yes!!! I'm so glad you likey! Easy-to-follow recipes and "delicious" are my two main goals, so thank you for the comment, Allie 😉