Simple and Easy Beef Stroganoff
Makes 6 servings
1 package Hormel beef tips and gravy (17 ounces)
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
6 ounces Greek yogurt (fat free is what I used)
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups uncooked whole wheat wide noodles
Prepare the pasta as directed on the label. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet, saute the onion for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and mushrooms. Continue to cook over medium-high until everything is soft.
While preparing the onion-mushrooms, heat the beef tips in the microwave according to label directions (about 4 minutes). Remove from the microwave, and with two forks pull the meat into smaller chunks. When the mushrooms are ready, add the meat and gravy. Stir well.
Turn the heat off, and stir in the Greek yogurt.
One serving is 1 cup pasta and 3/4 cup stroganoff.
This entire meal took 15 minutes to prepare, from filling the pot for the pasta to serving it. Having one of those Hormel dishes in the fridge is a life-saver on busy days.
Nutritional data:
Calories: 367
Fat: 9.3 g
Sat. fat: 2.4 g
Cholesterol: 34.4 mg
Sodium: 426 mg
Carbs: 51.3 g
Fiber: 6.8 g
Protein: 23.8 g
Mint Chocolate Cake
One 18.75 ounce package Devil’s Food Cake mix
One 12 ounce can diet cola
20 Andes candies, chopped
1 Tbsp. milk
One 8-ounce container fat free Whipped Topping
Preheat oven to 350.
Place cake mix and cola in a large bowl and mix with beater at low speed until moist. Increase speed to medium for 2 minutes until smooth. Stir in half of the Andes candies.
Pour into one 9×13 or two 8×8 pans, sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool cakes.
Melt the remaining Andes candies with the tablespoon of milk in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Fold into the whipped topping, and spread evenly over the cakes when cool.
Makes 24 servings. Note: You could also make this into 24 cupcakes.
Nutritional data:
Calories: 128
Fat: 3.1 g
Sat Fat: 1.5 g
Chol: 0
Sodium: 195 mg
Carb: 23.6 g
Fiber: 0.6 g
Protein: 1.2 g
I’m a little surprised. You’re worried about sodium but you’re using a prepackaged and processed gravy product?
Travis, that’s a good point. I guess I should have prefaced that recipe by saying that is what I made for my family after a long and busy day. My sodium load for the day didn’t allow me to eat it. I was only showing how it is possible to make a simple and easy meal in a very short time. But not everyone else that follows this blog is as concerned with sodium as I am, so I felt that this recipe is an option for some people.
Thanks for pointing out my omission.
Thanks for blogging Trevor! I look forward to your posts daily. My daughter and I can’t wait to try this chocolate cake recipe. Yum.
Trevor, in the past you’ve suggested against going to restaurants because you give up control of your food to the chef or general manager. All you’ve done here is pass that control from them to the processing plant.
I’d really like to know more about your experience as an executive chef because I’m not really seeing a lot of cooking. Just being busy isn’t reason enough for me to use prepackaged heat and serve. ~ Travis
Travis, I present meals here so that everyone can learn to make easy and generally health meals. I am not going to present a recipe that requires a lot of work, unique ingredients, or specialized techniques. I am trying to demonstrate how to make food easily. Sometimes that requires the use of prepared foods. Generally it does not.
This is not a blog about how to become a chef. It is about how to take control in areas that are under your control. Sometimes, time is an issue. I guess in my opinion, making an easy meal at home using some prepared ingredients is still preferable to stopping at McDonalds or Taco Bell. And if you look at the nutrition label for the stroganoff, it only has 426mg of sodium, which is almost entirely from the prepared beef. Any meal with less than 500mg is a GOOD meal choice, regardless of whether every ingredient was hand made or came from a package.
I know that as much as I try to cook from scratch, there are those days that I just need quick and simple. This may be higher in sodium, but it’s still healthier then pizza hut! Thanks for other “in a pinch” ideas Trevor! It’s always great to have a few “go to” meals when time or items are a problem!