Budget friendly cuts of meat typically have a tough muscle grain structure which means they can be difficult to chew if these bonds are not broken down. An overnight marinade or cooking low and slow is key for these cuts to be transformed into tender delicious morsels worthy of any athlete’s Sunday dinner. Cooking at a low temp for a long period of time is easiest to accomplish in a slow cooker, though you can use a Dutch oven, if preferred.
Cheap and cheerful, this protein packed beef stroganoff prices out at around two dollars per serving. Even with two sides (a green veg and a potato), the total cost to feed your family still remains well under three dollars per plate. My favorite budget friendly cuts of beef are chuck, round steaks, shanks, and possibly a flank or skirt steak. A butcher will often have small stew meat trimmings available for a great price as well.
Staying on budget is easy when you can shop discount or warehouse stores to purchase organic vegetables and other ingredients. I acquire pasture-raised meats in bulk direct from a farmer at market price and place the extra in a chest freezer. The additional freezer has been well worth the investment, and saves me hundreds of dollars each year on the cost of quality protein. If you’re not able to buy direct from a farmer, many discount and warehouse stores are now carrying high quality meats that you can purchase in bulk as these items go on sale.
Traditionally, stroganoff is ladled over egg noodles. You can easily modernize it by using rice or a gluten-free noodle of any kind. Lower carb options include spooning it over a baked potato or spiralized zucchini.
Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Calories 200, Protein 29g, Carbs 6g, Fat 6g
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 hours via slow cooker
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients:
- 1.5-2 pounds beef stew meat or inexpensive steaks, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces or sliced into strips against the grain
- 1 teaspoon salt (I used a smoked sea salt)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 red onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 12-16 ounces fresh mushrooms of any kind, sliced or chopped
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoon cognac or red wine (optional)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika, sweet or smoked
Add the following just prior to serving:
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon salt to taste
- ½ cup plain unsweetened greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1-2 tablespoons rice flour (optional for thicker sauce)
Preparation Instructions:
- Place the first set of ingredients in a slow cooker and stir to combine.
- Cook on low heat about 6 hours until meat is cooked through and tender.
- Once meat is cooked through and ready to serve, season with additional salt to taste and add the yogurt or sour cream, stirring to combine.
- If you desire a thicker sauce, sift rice flour onto the stroganoff mixture and stir to thicken.
- Serve in a bowl like a stew or spoon overtop a baked potato, gluten free noodles, rice, or spiralized zucchini.
Note: Stroganoff can be frozen in smaller portions after cooking, if desired, making for an easy heat and eat meal. However, do not add the yogurt/sour cream until ready to reheat and serve.
Make dessert tonight:
