Easy Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

There's a family favorite I haven't made in a while.  Maybe because it still feels like summer around here and a creamy, cook all day comfort food like beef stroganoff really hits the spot more on a crisp fall day.  I had some extra stew meat in the freezer and thought lets take my relatively still new roasting oven/crock pot out for a spin and see how it does on a family classic.  This recipe is great because it is simple, it cooks all day so you can do other things, it smells fabulous, and it tastes so delicious you wouldn't think twice about serving it to company.

Cook all day beef stroganoff over egg noodles - an easy family favorite!

The best thing about this recipe is that it only has 4 ingredients:

2 lbs of stew meat
1 large can of cream of mushroom soup (26oz)
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 1/2 cups of sour cream

I have made it with just these 4 ingredients and it always turns out fabulous
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You can also add some extra bonus options if you wish such as:

*dashes of Worcestershire sauce 
*fresh or canned mushrooms (I'd do this but would be shunned by the small fry)
*Kitchen Bouquet Browning sauce (see it here) which is a carefully guarded little secret if you don't know about it. In our family it goes back to my mom's kitchen and even further back into my grandma's kitchen.  You find it near the A-1 sauces at the grocery store and put a few dashes into the mix. It helps turn gravies, sauces, and things that are on the gray side, into a nice rich brown color. We use it all the time for the gravy during the holidays to give it a little kick in taste and color. 

Put the 2 lbs of defrosted stew meat in the bottom of the crock pot

Next, in a medium bowl, combine the mushroom soup, the sour cream, and the dry package of Lipton onion soup mix.

Stir until combined and dump mixture over the stew meat in the crock pot

After that set it on low and let it cook for 6- 8 hours.  Now if you have one of those new-fangled too hot crock pots that boil the living snarf out of everything, even on the "warm" setting then this recipe will cook in less time.  If you have a temperature controlled roasting oven like me that doubles as a crock pot, then turn it to around 200º - 210º (below boiling)and cook on low all day.  If you have an older crock pot just set it to low and carry on.

The next time you walk in the door you will smell the most heavenly aroma.  It tells family and even lucky downwind neighbors alike that someone has been slaving away all day to make dinner.  Ha.  Little do they know...  All you need to do now is to cook up some wide egg noodles and serve.  This also works great over rice!  The meat should be falling apart tender and the gravy or sauce is creamy and flavorful.  Test the flavor before serving if it needs any salt or pepper and serve over noodles to a happy and appreciative crowd.

Beef Stroganoff - comfort food at it's finest.

It had been so long since we had made this, that my littlest doesn't even remember it.  She ate her whole plate and asked for more!  Now that's a good sign.  Funny story, a long time ago I had made this dish for dinner, my picky middle child eyed it with contempt... that was until out of the blue I had the brilliant idea of saying it was "Lightning McQueen" meat. (She was a huge fan of the movie CARS at the time, even had a CARS birthday party that year).  Yup.  I told her Lightning McQueen had called and said this was his favorite all time dish.  She tried it and ate the whole thing. I have to confess I used this same technique a few weeks later, letting her know that peaches and pears were Sally's all time favorite fruits.  You would be surprised at how fast she wolfed those down.