This is one of Casey’s all-time favorite meals. And when we first got married he’d nudge me on a Sunday afternoon, “hey maybe you should try making that beef stroganoff my mom always makes?”
Of course in my mind, Beef Stroganoff meant a brown cream of mushroom sauce served on egg noodles, which I hated to eat growing up because I hate mushrooms!…and I often smuggled them into my napkin to throw away when my mom wasn’t looking.
Well I still hate mushrooms. And if you like them, we can still be friends because I also don’t like avocados which makes me a complete weirdo and gives you reason to write me off of your dinner-group list. But trust me, I really really want to like avocados. Truly. But I just don’t.
But we’re talking stroganoff here…
So one day I actually had beef stroganoff at my mother-in-law’s house and it was not at all what I was expecting.
It was a creamy red tomato-based sauce, with strips of beef that melted in your mouth, and it was served over rice! There were still mushrooms in there but I discreetly picked those out.
It was divine! And hearty. And I realized that I really love Beef Stroganoff.
I just hadn’t found the right way to strog.
Ew. Is that a word?
So in honor of Father’s Day I’m sharing my Mother-in-law’s recipe with you. And I’m throwing in the mushrooms because that’s how Casey likes it.
RED STROGANOFF
serves app 4-6
1-2 pounds beef roundsteak (you can try other types of meat. I’ve only used beef. Or omit the beef!)
2 green peppers
1-2 cups of fresh sliced mushrooms
2 cans tomato soup
1 pint sour cream (don’t use low-fat. I’ve tried. It’s watery. Get the good stuff)
2-4 shakes Tobasco Sauce
shake of Worcestershire Sauce
Cut the roundsteak into 1-inch strips and brown them in a pan. Don’t cook them entirely, just give them a nice brown edge. I’ve tried skipping this step but it really does make a flavor difference. So it’s worth it. And though I’ve never tried I’d be curious how this recipe works with other types of meat. OR…you can make this vegetarian! Just omit the meat all-together and throw in more veggies!
Slice the green peppers and mushrooms (or you can buy pre-sliced mushrooms, which is my preference)
Now, you can bake this in the oven for a few hours, or you can use a crockpot. I love the crockpot because it’s low-energy and easy. But if you’re using a dutch oven dish you’ll want to brown the meat in the dutch over dish in the first step, so you have all those yummy bits of meat on the bottom.
Okay, in a crockpot mix together the tomato soup and sour cream.
Throw in the browned meat, veggies, and give it a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce and Tobasco Sauce. I love a bit of zing in my meals….so I love to add a bit extra of the Tobasco. And we really love this chipotle version which you can buy at the grocery store.
Mix it all together and cook in the crock pot on high for 3 hours (or in the oven in a dutch oven dish, with the lid on, at 300 degrees for 2-3 hours.
Serve over white rice and you’ve got a happy man.
(Btw, the easiest way to cook white rice on the stove is a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. So….1 cup rice, 2 cups water. Bring to a boil in a pot, then turn the heat down to low, cover with a lid and let it cook for 15-16 minutes. Done!)
Enjoy!
You could also go veg by using tempeh in place of the beef. Tempeh holds up really well in the crockpot, and you can either brown it first (my preference) or just put it in the crockpot as is (my husband’s preference).
Have you tried grilled avocados? You cut an avocado in half (do not peel), take out the pit, brush with olive oil, stick on the hot grill for about 3-5 mins, then serve still in the skin sprinkled with salt and pepper. SO. GOOD. Just scoop out bites with a spoon, or spread it on bread.
I’m not a big mushroom fan either. I might have to try this meal one day. I’m not the kids would eat it, especially the girl. She’s not as adventurous in the food department. Usually we can get our son to try new foods.
My unlikeable food is cooked apples. As in apple pie, apple fritters, baked apple anything. Just not a fan of it. I like the crust, strudel, syrup from the dishes, just not the apples themselves.
I don’t like mushroom or avocado. I guess we should have a dinner party together.
Can I come? I don’t like either mushrooms or avocados either! If we’re weird, at least we aren’t alone!
ME three…. don’t like mushrooms or avocado. Have tried to like avocade too… really tried… but mushrooms, UGH. 😉
I don’t like them too! People always comment that it’s weird to not like Avocado! Why is that?
My mom makes red stroganoff too! Only with onion instead of peppers, peppers sound good!
I’m with ya, sister. Thumbs down on the mushrooms. Mushrooms=fungus. Thanks for sharing. I’m always looking for a new crock pot recipe.
Looks yummy! I’m definitely going to try it! I’m in the same boat with you about wanting to like something!! Mine is raspberries! They always look so cute and delicious so I keep trying and I can’t stand them!!!!!
I love the idea of adding onion and going one onion, one pepper! I HATE avacados…i’ve tried to like them, tried to like guacamole and I just can’t. Glad to know I’m not the only one!
Hmmm, this intriques me. I might give this a try. I’m a long time fan of the traditional white stroganoff (but I go mushroom free) but this looks like it is definitely worth trying 🙂
Thanks for sharing! I shall try this “strog” recipe.
Dislikes avocado/brown & white creamy stuff…
For 30 years,I felt like AN ALIEN for NOT LIKING CHEESE!
Thanks to a friend,I sampled Panera Bread’s “Tom & Mozz. Panini” without knowing it had cheese in it. Pure Love!
Needless to say,I treat us to a Panera brunch,once a month.
Proud to finally like a cheese…C
Yes, this looks much better than that strange white ground beef concoction I would run away from as a kid! I’ll have to try this sometime soon!
This looks delicious 🙂 I bet it would work well with ground beef. I get really high-quality grass-fed ground beef from my parents (I have a freezer full), and I’m always looking for creative ways to use it!
I love mushrooms and avocado–but I don’t like watermelon. I would LOVE to–but there you have it 🙂
Me too! Love mushrooms and avocado, but HATE watermelon!! So gritty…..
I actually hate green peppers, but I’m going to try this recipe with 1 onion and 1 pepper. I make my hubby pick out tomato chunks all the time. I can pick out green pepper every now and then! Good idea about the ground beef. That’s usually what I make stroganoff with!
I will so have to give this a try! Btw I am loving the new MADE logo!
I, too, dislike both avocado and mushrooms! In fact, I just said to my husband last night, when he put mushrooms on both my plate and our son’s, “I’m 40 years old. I don’t like mushrooms. I don’t have to eat them if I don’t want to.” I’m not even sure I could cook with them, so you are a better wife than me! 🙂
Wow! I’ve never heard of a red version before. It sounds wonderful.
I didn’t used to be a avocado fan either but over the last 15 years I’ve grown to love them with salt and lots of pepper.
Most of my family aren’t big fans of mushrooms, so I process them into nothing and blend it in. :] Shhhh, don’t tell them. I do that to carrots and onions then smuggle them into meat loafs and other recipes too.
Thanks for sharing.
My mom makes this too, but she calls it Goulash. She adds paprika, too. And I love mushrooms and avocados, but cilantro makes my blood run cold.
My family makes a version of this with tomato paste and wine instead of soup. We have debated calling it something else for years, red stroganoff never occurred to any of us.
This looks really yummy! Incidentally, the only way I ever make rice is in the oven. Twice as much water as rice, put it in a covered dish in the oven and, depending on how much I make, it’s done in 30-60 minutes. I like it because I just stick it in the oven and not think about it again until the timer goes off. And I have the stove free for whatever else I’m making. 🙂
I’m sure I could google it, but what temperature do you set the oven to cook the rice? I am rice impaired. Using a glass cooktop makes it impossible, for me at least.
I grew up with a tomato based stroganoff and make it all the time. We LOVE it. But I sure am not a fan of the brown mushroom based stroganoff. I’ll have to try this crockpot version because with little ones around it is always easier to make a crockpot meal than try to cook right in the middle of the “witching hour”. Thanks! I’m pinning this to try.
Oh, I just had to say that I don’t like avocado or mushrooms either and reading this post brought back vivid memories of egg noodles smothered in mushroom sauce! The patience it took to pick around all of those mushrooms in the stroganoff!
I have never made stroganoff before but you have made it look so simple.I Will have to try it out.I also have weird food things can’t stand avocados either and peas well they are referred to as demons in our house 🙂
I don’t like avocado either, but I will eat it happens to be in something. I just won’t buy it or order it on anything in a restaurant. It’s a textural thing with me. I love mushrooms but I am the only one, so I either keep them whole or big enough for everyone to pick out, or make them small enough that they get eaten without being noticed. And then other times I just don’t care because I want them, lol. Will definitely try this recipe. Thanks.
YUM this looks good. Thanks Dana!
Thanks Dana! I will try it with chicken… My husband is not big on mushrooms or avocados and they are my favorite!!
I hate mushrooms and avocados as well, I’m going to give this a try mushroom free!!
I had to re-learn stroganoff after we got married too. My MIL makes a pink stroganoff – so one can of cream of something and one of tomato paste or tomato soup. It’s pretty tasty and better than my mom’s (shhh).
I also hate mushrooms and avocado…but I also hate pickles and raisins which makes me a total freak of nature…..
liZ
PS—I’m totally going to try this recipe…I LOVE anything I can cook in my crock pot!
Beef Stoganoff to my family means ground beef, mushrooms, onions and homemade cream sauce cooked together and served on egg noodles. It is my favorite dinner!!!
Not that it will change your mind about mushrooms, but thought I’d mention they are much less rubbery if you wait to add them in about 5 minutes before you serve. Your version of stroganoff sounds intriguing, and good. I’ve never tried it with red sauce!
I saw this yesterday and had to make it for dinner! Yum, i didn’t have tomato soup so used tins of diced tomato and added a spoonfull of dijon mustard. I never liked mushrooms or avocado either, but somehow in the last few years I have come to enjoy both.. I think its a matter of having someone prepare them for you in a way completely disassociated from how you first tried them. This has changed my attitude about several foods I hated as a kid and now love, including asparagus, leeks, mushrooms and avocado!
Looks good, I’m going to try it. I am so bored of our usual repertoire of dinners…
I made this yesterday! Next time I’ll do it more spicy and maybe add onions. I liked the whole concept of red stroganoff.
Your post was so fun to read. The exact same thing happened to me – I never liked creamy stroganoff with ground beef and egg noodles. Then I grew up and married a man who’s mother made it with red sauce and served it over rice. I’d never seen it before and didn’t know anyone else made it! They call it “French Stroganoff” (so fancy!) His family recipe starts with a roux, and uses tomato paste and beef broth instead of tomato soup. The roux gives it a nice browned butter flavor. No mushrooms (probably because his mom hates them). It’s also cooked in a saucepan instead of a crock pot. So simple – just sauce with meat & onions over rice. One time I tried it with boneless pork ribs, cut into pieces, and it was so good! We always make it with pork now instead of beef.
this is the way we do it–with the roux, tomato paste and beef broth. I’ve never known anyone else to do it that way! I’ve never thought about using other meat. Might have to try pork next time I have some.
Made it. He loved it. Thanks!
I actually tried your recipe yesterday and shared my results with my friends..and now all of them has tried them or plan to try it soon..it was a hit with my girls (ages 3 and 1) so it was a great success in the house! Thank you so much for sharing such a simple yes delicious recipe!
Looks yummy! I think I’ll make it this weekend! 🙂 Thanks
This is so close to my Grandmother’s version and I have always LOVED it. I also love that you gave it it’s own name because it is definitely it’s own thing… It totally reminds me of 1950’s “recipes” where you put a can of soup or cream of something in everything. I love it! So easy and comforting and gooood.
oh that looks so good. Can I have it now? I am on bedrest for the next few month. But I think I could make that without over doing it. Thank you for sharing
This is almost exactly like my grandma’s “pepper steak”! I need to try it. It looks awesome.
Delish! I made this with skinless chicken thighs and it was great! I also added some onions
I was inspired by your recipe but being a vegetarian my I altered your recipe a little and strayed even further away from traditional Beef Stroganoff. I took out the steak (obviously) and added broccoli to compensate for lost bulk and iron. To compensate for lost protein I substituted sour cream with Greek yogurt (I used two 6oz. tubs of used Wallaby Organic Plain Greek Yogurt). Sour cream would have only added about 12 grams but the using the yogurt I was able to add 34 grams of protein to my dish. I also used brown rice instead.
awesome changes! I’m gonna have to try greek yogurt.
This has been a family fav! Making this again tonight!
Thanks so much for posting this. I love both kinds but I think my kids like the red version better. I am making it for the 2nd time this week.
looks great and this is how i remember eating this meal growing up.