Guess what time it is! Comfort-food-o’clock. And there’s no better comfort food than a rich creamy pasta dish, like this One Pot Beef Stroganoff. It cooks in just one pot, just like hamburger helper stroganoff, but it’s homemade and I promise it’s still super easy. You’re going to want to tuck this beef stroganoff recipe into your back pocket for those nights when you’re super tired and need an extra comforting meal. :)
What is Beef Stroganoff?
Beef stroganoff is a Russian dish that features pieces of sautéed beef in a rich and creamy sauce, often served over pasta. For this budget version of beef stroganoff, we’ve replaced the chunks of beef with budget-friendly ground beef, added mushrooms to stretch it a little further, and cooked everything in one pot for a quick and easy meal. It’s not a traditional beef stroganoff for sure, but it definitely is delicious!
Ingredients for One Pot Beef Stroganoff
Here’s what you’ll need to make this deliciously creamy One Pot Beef Stroganoff:
- Garlic: Garlic adds a nice deep flavor to the creamy sauce.
- Butter: We sauté the garlic in butter for extra flavor and richness.
- Ground Beef: Instead of using chunks of beef stew meat, we used ground beef for a more budget-friendly alternative.
- Mushrooms: We used a combination of mushrooms and beef to bulk up this one pot pasta while keeping the price low.
- Beef Broth: We cook the pasta one-pot style in the broth with all of the other ingredients so everything has maximum flavor. I suggest using a very flavorful broth or else your stroganoff will end up being bland. We use Better Than Bouillon to make our beef broth.
- Worcestershire Sauce & Dijon Mustard: Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard are added to the broth to add more dimension to the flavor.
- Egg Noodles: Wide egg noodles have the perfect light texture for this creamy sauce to keep the entire dish balanced.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is stirred into the sauce to give it the classic creamy and tangy flavor of a stroganoff. If you’re looking for an alternative to sour cream, you can use Greek yogurt or heavy cream, which will be less tangy.
Beef Alternatives
I used half ground beef and half mushrooms to stretch my pennies a bit further, but you could do all mushrooms or all beef if you prefer. If you’re doing a vegetarian version with all mushrooms, use mushroom or vegetable broth to replace the beef broth.
Tips for Making One Pot Pasta
Every piece of cookware and every range top is different, so one pot recipes are a bit like riding a bike. You have to feel it out and find the sweet spot for the equipment you’re using. Here are some tips for making your one pot pasta a success:
- Use heavy, thick cookware to help the ingredients heat evenly.
- The broth does not need to fully cover the noodles for them to cook, so resist the urge to add extra water or broth.
- Make sure the liquid is simmering the whole time the pasta is cooking. If the heat is too low, the pasta will just get gummy.
- Stir the pot occasionally to prevent sticking, but not too often or your risk breaking down the pasta.
- Use your judgment. If your pasta looks close to being cooked through, but there is too much liquid left in the skillet, let it finish simmering with the lid off. If the liquid is gone but your pasta is still not tender, add a splash more water or broth and continue to simmer.
Use Good Broth
The broth brings a lot of flavor to this beef and mushroom stroganoff, so make sure you’re using a nice and flavorful broth that has adequate salt. I like to use Better than Bouillon to make broth for recipes because it’s super flavorful, I can mix up any amount I need, and the jar stays good in the refrigerator for months, so there are no leftovers to go to waste. If you still find your stroganoff to be on the bland side in the end, an extra pinch of salt can really help the flavors pop.
Want more One Pot Recipes? Check out our One Pot Recipe Archives!
One Pot Beef Stroganoff
Servings 4 about 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.22)
- 1/2 lb. ground beef ($2.50)
- 8 oz. mushrooms ($1.49)
- 1/8 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.01)
- 2 cups beef broth ($0.26)
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce ($0.03)
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard ($0.02)
- 8 oz. wide egg noodles ($0.60)
- 1/3 cup sour cream ($0.15)
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley (optional) ($0.10)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic. Add the garlic and butter to a large pot or skillet and sauté over medium heat for about one minute, or until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
- Add the ground beef and continue to sauté until it is fully browned.
- While the beef is browning, slice the mushrooms. Add the sliced mushrooms and some freshly cracked pepper to the pot with the beef. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms are soft (about five minutes).
- Add the uncooked egg noodles to the pot along with the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine. The liquid will not fully cover the noodles, but that's okay.
- Place a lid on the pot and allow the liquid to come up to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as it reaches a boil, give the pot a stir, replace the lid, and reduce the heat to low. Allow the pot to simmer on low heat for about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally and replacing the lid every couple of minutes. After 7-10 minutes the pasta should be tender and most of the liquid absorbed.
- Once the noodles are tender, add the sour cream and fold it into the noodles until everything is rich and creamy. Give the noodles a taste and add extra salt or pepper, if needed. Roughly chop a handful of parsley leaves and sprinkle over top. Serve hot.
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Nutrition
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How to Make One Pot Beef Stroganoff – Step by Step Photos
Begin by sautéing 2 cloves of minced garlic in 2 Tbsp of butter until soft (1-2 minutes). You can use a large pot or large skillet, as long as it is big enough to hold all of the pasta AND has a lid (the lid will be used later).
Next, add 1/2 lb. ground beef and continue to sauté until it is fully browned.
While the beef is browning, slice 8oz. mushrooms. White button mushrooms are fine, but if you can get these baby bella mushrooms they are even more awesome (shout out to ALDI for carrying these at an affordable price).
Once the beef is browned, add the mushrooms and some freshly cracked pepper. Continue to sauté until they are soft (about five minutes).
Add ½ lb. wide egg noodles to the skillet along with 2 cups beef broth, 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce, and ½ tsp Dijon mustard. Stir to combine. The broth will not fully cover the noodles, but that’s okay. The steam in the skillet will help cook them and they’ll be stirred to make sure even cooking.
Place a lid on the skillet and bring the broth up to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, give it a quick stir to loosen the noodles from the bottom, return the lid quickly, and turn the heat down to low. Let the skillet simmer, stirring occasionally and always replacing the lid, for 7-10 minutes or until the noodles are tender and there is only a small amount of thick sauce left in the skillet.
Finally, add ⅓ cup sour cream and fold it into the noodles until everything is creamy and delicious!
Top off the beef stroganoff with a little chopped parsley for color (because stroganoff is kind of boring to look at) and it’s time to dive into that skillet full of creamy goodness! You might want to give it a taste at this point to see if you want a little extra salt or pepper (again, depending on the salt content of your broth), but other than that it’s time to eat! And only one dish to clean. :)
This was delicious! Added a splash of red wine on hand to add some depth to the mushrooms, this was a Major Crowd Pleaser! Thank you!!
I added Worcestershire sauce to the broth. Also used the various mushrooms in the fridge that needed used up.
Made this recipe for dinner and my Son inhaled it. I am new to the sight and can’t wait to try more recipies
Oh my GOODNESS! I don’t see how there can be one negative review on this recipe! I made a double batch today and I wanted to just eat it straight out of the pot! I made a couple of substitutions: I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, which worked beautifully. I also used ground turkey instead of ground beef, which was perfectly fine for me, because I personally feel that as long as you use full sodium beef broth, you get enough beefy flavor. I also added a touch of smoked paprika.
This recipe is SO creamy and comforting and flavorful, without being too heavy. I’m going to be making it again and again!
Thank you for the Greek yogurt review. That is what I was going to use to make it tonight since I have some in the fridge, and was curious if it would work.
Hi there! Long-time lurker, first-time commenter. I’ve been cooking for a long time now (33 years, give or take a few) and I’ve successfully made and loved several of the recipes on your site. This was my first disappointment. I read the recipe over twice, followed the directions, no substitutions, careful measurement — and the resulting gloopy, sticky, solid mass of “strogan-OFF” was an embarrassment to serve. I don’t know what went wrong here — maybe it’d be better to cook the noodles separately and add them at the last minute, or maybe the final mixture needs to be stirred constantly rather than every one to two minutes — but I’m so dispirited by the poor results that I don’t want to take the time to pick this apart. This is just going to go on the Hot Mess list of items never to make again.
Everyone else has had great success with this recipe except you. I’m sure everyone else is the problem.
Your snark is received in the manner in which it was given. I’m sure everyone in your family wishes you were not the problem. And I’m grateful this is the only way in which your life will ever intersect with mine.
you and I both lady. You and your lousy cooking
Some things to consider before you mindlessly snark about my one-star review: I am not the only person on this site who has had poor results with this recipe. As I mentioned in the original comment, I have successfully made and loved several other recipes on this site, so I don’t have an axe to grind against the author. Demeaning my skills as a home cook doesn’t change the fact that this recipe was a disastrous failure for us — and because this website is all about making good food on a budget, I think it’s helpful to warn people that this recipe may not work as shown, potentially wasting food, money, time and good spirits in the process.
This recipe is a great success for me and many others, demeaning your skills as a “cook” is just a bonus. It is obvious you have a great of sensitivity about your so so cooking skills. Warning other people about this recipe is laughable. Instead, maybe warn your family about your inability to follow simple directions.
Fortunately, I’m blessed to have plenty of family and friends who appreciate me, enjoy being around me and love eating what I cook. Your comments reveal that these blessings are sadly lacking in your own life. I hope that some day you will find your way out of the thicket of prickly petulance and enjoy love and contentment without the reflexive need to belittle others.
Hi Soozcat, I just want to say that I am 100% okay with negative reviews because I appreciate people seeing that everyone has a different experience and different tastes. Not every recipe is going to be loved by every person and it’s important to me that people see that. So, thank you for posting an honest review. I’m not sure why yours may have turned out quite so gloppy, but these one pot recipes can be a little tricky to get right. If the pasta is cooking too slowly it can get too soft and mushy. Also, stirring too often can make the pasta break down more and get mushy. It’s hard to say what might have been the culprit here without watching the process. And unfortunately, following recipes to a T doesn’t always guarantee success because there are so many variables that a recipe can’t account for (variances in cookware, range tops, pasta brands, etc.). Thanks again for the honesty!
Thanks for this website, Beth. It’s a fantastic resource and I’ve often recommended it to others.
I love this recipe. It’s so adaptable and FAST. The best part is that my picky 7 year old thinks it’s awesome. I’ve used ground beef and I’ve also used ground turkey instead, which I find has a bit better texture here and still tastes “beefy” when used with the beef broth. I usually skip the sour cream step and just make this a beef-and-noodles type dish, but I mix it up with different seasonings, sometimes with or without mushrooms, whatever I have on hand. Always a hit!
This recipe was easy, fast, and delicious just as advertised! Also, unlike many recipes I tried, this one actually looks like the picture when its done. Thanks for the great recipe!
I love this recipe! I love the make aheads you post. I make extra for my Grandmother and these save me a lot of money when I’m working because I don’t run through the drive throughs or order take out.
Love this recipe because it is quick, easy, and tasty! I steamed broccoli to go along with it as a side dish. I do feel like something is missing though. Maybe some paprika or other spice would jazz it up. What do you think?
I would try some smoked paprika or more freshly cracked pepper.
heyo, didnt have mushrooms so put in cream of mushroom soup instead and it seemed to have worked well! also cut the amount of broth by half since the soup had a lot of liquid in it.
Thanks for the recipe, I made it and reviewed it on my blog:
https://bulachki.com/beef-mushroom-stroganoff/
Maybe you’re just a lousy cook. I have made this many times..always turns out great.
My, that’s rude and presumptuous on your part.
Not rude or presumptuous, just honest. I saw the picture on her website. Very obvious she did Not follow the recipe and yet felt the need to leave a very negative review.
I have made this a dozen times and it’s always delicious!
If you are unable to follow a recipe as easy as this you should give up cooking.
My god she includes pics and practically spoon feeds you the instructions!
Jaime, I’ve been a good home cook for 30 years now. I followed this recipe TO THE LETTER and it turned out inedible sludge. Kindly do not make obnoxious blanket statements about people’s inability to cook.
Home cook for 30 years? Either try harder or stop trying. You’re very sensitive about your cooking ability but have no problem posting a negative review here even though nearly every other review is very positive.
You missed the part where it clearly says the noodles might not be submerged and will steam. I would guess that adding more liquid and dumping it out (with the flavor) was your problem. If you are going to review something, please follow the instructions.
I will post a negative review if I find a recipe is poor. Likewise, you will continue to snark for days about something if you get your panties in a twist about it. I guess neither of us has any problem with expressing our negative feelings.
You are obviously hypersensitive about critisism of your critisism. If you are going to post very negative reviews maybe you should grow a thicker skin, or at least learn to cook. Honestly, after 30 years you should have gotten the hang of it by now
Love this recipe! I lighten it up a little by subbing the sour cream for nonfat plain greek yogurt, and it still tastes amazing! Good with an onion thrown in at the same time as the garlic as well! Freezes well for leftover lunches :)
Thanks for that excellent tip about the Greek yogurt!
This is by far the best beef stroganoff I and my family has ever tasted! I make it once a week now! !! Thank you!
Everyone must do this recipe! I used onions and red pepper with the meat. I didn’t have eggnoodles and used small shells. I also added an extra cup of bouillon and some soy sauce. Way much better than the box stuff… Thanks again for another great recipe! Maybe you know by now than I am a true fan☺
I am on the better than bouillon website and was wondering which recipe you used for the broth as I don’t see one that says beef broth in particular. Thank you in advance.
It looks like they may have recently changed the names of the products because the one in my refrigerator simply says “Beef Base” but on their website they only have “Roasted Beef Base”. Here is the link to the product: http://www.betterthanbouillon.com/products/product-detail.aspx?productid=9
Just use the box directions which is one cube bullion and 2 cups of water.