Simple Stroganoff

If your like me you don't have a ton of time to make meals, so simple but flavorful is your destination. Anything to keep from spending money on low quality food that only offers convenience right?
This stroganoff recipe is an adaptation of my mothers stroganoff that she made after coming home from work. She literally walked in the door and changed her clothes only to spend the next 2 hours cooking. I would rather be baking bread or painting so I adapted the recipe to fit my lifestyle. The key to this recipe is the slow cooker. If you don't have one you really should invest. It is the very best invention ever made for the kitchen, next to the Kitchenaid stand mixer and the food processor. ( I miss my mixer , it is a dull ache that is constantly revisited every time I do ANYTHING in the kitchen) So here we go, time to assemble the team of players.

1 6qt slow cooker
2 lb of stewing beef cut up
1 pkg of brown gravy mix or dry beef and onion soup mix.* ( yes its a cheater but hey use the tools you have if they are good.) Caveat at the bottom. For you purists.
1 medium -large sliced onion
4qts water*
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbs garlic
1 1lb tub of full fat sour cream , Baby!
3 tbs butter or margarine
2lb cooked elbow noodles. Or other sturdy noodle.

Now to start the game. This is so easy it's shamefull. Add meat, gravy mix, onion, water , salt and pepper and garlic into the pool. Add water. Put the lid on and put on high for 6 hrs. Walk away. Don't stir , Don't taste. Don't even think about it. *tick tock tick tock* Ding!
-6 hours later-
Open the slow cooker and stir in butter and sour cream. Add in noodles and serve not so piping hot. Make sure to turn your cooker to warm because if you continue to leave it on high the sour cream will curdle.
My family loves this recipe and it has become a staple that the kids clamor for. Onto to the purist method.

When I have time I do not use the gravy mix, it has a lot of salt and I prefer to control the salt in my recipes. For the gravy mix substitute I use :

4tbs onion flakes
3-4 Tbs beef bullion granules
2tbs tyme
2tbs sage
salt and pepper to taste.

4qts beef stock ( low salt) instead of water.

It should be noted that I often have to thicken the gravy with a cornstarch slurry (which can be tricky in a slow cooker) before adding the sour cream . I like the way the purist method tastes better however if I am honest, the beef gravy mix just makes my life easier.
give it a try and let me know .

Until next time
Mrs. F.