Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff

First of all, thank you so much for all of your kind words and love that you gave me yesterday for my birthday and for our big news!  I’ll be posting later today with more details 🙂

 

But for now, let’s talk options.

Well, first let’s talk about how mushroom and/or beef stroganoff was always one of those dishes growing up that we’d have on a Sunday morning after church and that I dreaded every time.  I didn’t like egg noodles.  I swore up and down and sideways that I didn’t like sour cream.  And my sister and I both proclaimed that we hated beef and there was no way we’d eat it.

 

NO WAY MAN!

 

And then we were threatened with having to watch Sunday afternoon football or GOLF with no chance of Nickelodeon at all.  Let’s just say there’s a reason bribery works guys.  Those parents, man, they’re smart!

But as time moved along I learned to love stroganoff and mushrooms and beef and sour cream.  I learned the history behind food, how to cook it properly, and how to savor.  And then I decided that egg noodles?  They’re not so bad.  Sure, maybe they have a weird name and all but that’s nothing to hold against them!  Boil ’em up in salted water, cover in sauce, and let them do their thing!

However, I’m rambling on and on and on about liking and disliking things and how I think it’s OK to bribe children once in a while when it’s good for them, and not talking about options at all.  So here we go:  options.  I like them.  I like having to make decisions as long as it’s not where Nate and I should go out to eat for our date nights.  I think that by the time date night rolls around I’m probably rendered incapable of making decisions due to tiredness and cravings for pizza.  Unfortunately Nate suffers the same misfortune.

 

ANYWAY, what I’m trying to say is that there are options when making this.  You can stir in sour cream at the end and eliminate the sherry (unless you just really love tangy cream sauces and want a little extra).  You can use a slurry of cornstarch and milk if you’re keeping everything healthy.  Or you can go all out (ahem) and stir in a little lot of cream at the end.  Three whole options just for this one dish!

 

And the reason for the options?  I just want you to make this…and as soon as possible.  We all need a little comfort and this is one dish that delivers!  So grab a book, a couple pints of mushrooms, and let’s get moving!

CREAMY MUSHROOM STROGANOFF

• 2 pints of baby bella mushrooms, caps wiped off and sliced
• 1 whole red onion, sliced in 1/2 inch slices
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 2 1/2 cups water OR low-sodium vegetable stock
• 3/4 cup of cream OR 8 oz sour cream OR 1 cup milk with 1 Tbsp cornstarch whisked in til there are no lumps remaining
• egg noodles, cooked according to package directions

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and stir to coat, cooking until tender and translucent, about 6-7 minutes.  Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for another 3-4 minutes.  Sprinkle in the thyme, salt, and pepper and stir until combined.  Add the sherry and let cook for 1-2 minutes (at this point the liquid in the pot should be boiling).  Add the water or stock, keep the heat on medium, and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until almost all of the liquid is evaporated; you should have about 3/4 of a cup of liquid left in the pot.  If using the cream method, stream in the cream and stir, letting the sauce cook another 4-5 minutes to thicken.  You don’t want it to be super thick, but just thicker than the consistency of the cream.  If using the milk method, slowly stir in the milk/cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened slightly.  If using the sour cream method, remove from the heat and then stir in the sour cream…no need to cook this one longer!

 

Serve over hot egg noodles with a little parmesan and black pepper sprinkled on top.  Enjoy!

Just promise me that you won’t try to eat the whole pot in one sitting.  Trust me, you’ll be sorry!