If you're tired of eating Thanksgiving leftovers and need an alternative simple, inexpensive, and quick meal how about hamburger stroganoff? In this case, with spaetzle noodles for something a little different? The hamburger stroganoff is pure comfort food--warm, full of earthy mushrooms, and with plenty of sauce to dress the noodles. Even better, the stroganoff--noodles and all--cooks in one pan for easy cleanup. Because Thanksgiving often features rich food from which you might need a break, this version of stroganoff is made with reduced fat ground beef and low-fat sour cream. You won't have to do extra time on the elliptical if you eat it (in moderation). Try the stroganoff with a green vegetable and salad on the side.
Beef Stroganoff with Spaetzle -- Serve 4+
1- 1 1/4 pounds of lean ground beef (93 percent)
1/2 cup of chopped onion
8 ounces of sliced button mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon of paprika (sweet)
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of ketchup (yes, ketchup)
3 1/2 cups of water
2 teaspoon of reduced sodium beef "Better Than Bullion"
8-9 ounces of dried packaged spaetzle noodles (about 1/2 of a 17-18-ounce
package -- I use the Aldi brand)
3/4 - 1 cup of low-fat sour cream
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add the ground beef and onion and saute them for 10-15 minutes or until the meat has browned and the onion has softened. Stir in the mushrooms and cook them with the meat/onion mixture for another 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley flakes, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup and stir to combine everything. Stir in the water and "Better Than Bullion." Bring the mixture to a boil and add the noodles. Stir everything well, partially cover the pan, and reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the stroganoff cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring it every so often, until the noodles have softened and about 2/3 of the liquid has been absorbed. Turn off the heat and stir in the sour cream. Yum, yum.
