Tangy Beef Mushroom Stroganoff -- When Ma’s Pot Roast Runs Out

The week after. I slept better than I expected. Maybe my body let go a little.

Back to clinic Monday. 26 patient encounters this week. A new patient intake — a 40-year-old Haitian-American woman with uncontrolled diabetes, worked through a translator. Her daughter came with her. I took my time. She did not have a primary care provider in four years. I am her PCP now. She left with a plan.

Group Tuesday. I said, I got through. Bernadette nodded. The 41-year-old widow whose March anniversary I passed in May said, see, you made it. I said I made it. We all made it so far.

Meghan came over Thursday. She stayed two hours. We did not talk about Sean. We talked about her kids, about the summer, about a movie she wanted to see. She left. I was fine.

Liam and Nora are going to be a lot about second grade and whether Nora gets to be in "the big kid class" this fall. I explained that Liam starts first grade (he gets to be a big kid) and Nora is still pre-K for one more year. Nora was philosophical about it. She said I will be a big kid in the year that comes after. I said yes baby.

Erin the babysitter said she is going to be able to continue after the school year starts, in an after-school capacity. This is enormous. I had been worried about the afternoon gap. She will pick Liam up from his 1st grade school at 3 and get Nora from pre-K at 3:15 and have them home by 3:45 until I finish at 5. She is a gift.

Saturday pancakes. Burned the first one. Nora asked if Daddy is watching us eat pancakes. I said yes. She said okay, good. Ate her pancake.

Sunday dinner at Southie. Ma made pot roast sandwiches from the leftovers of last week's pot roast. The best sandwiches. Au jus on the side.

Food of the week: pot roast French dip sandwiches, on crusty rolls from the Italian bakery.

Ma’s pot roast sandwiches on Sunday — crusty rolls, au jus on the side, the Italian bakery bread — were the kind of meal that makes an ordinary week feel survivable. When those leftovers are gone and Monday comes around again, this tangy beef mushroom stroganoff is where I land. It’s the same warm, beefy gravity, just on a weeknight when I need something that doesn’t ask too much of me but still feels like it means something.

Tangy Beef Mushroom Stroganoff

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs beef sirloin or stew beef, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 10 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 12 oz wide egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Season the beef. Pat the beef slices dry and season generously with salt and black pepper on both sides.
2. Sear the beef. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and sear 2–3 minutes per side until browned. Remove beef to a plate and set aside.
3. Sauté aromatics. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same pan. Add the sliced onion and cook 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. Cook the mushrooms. Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid and begin to brown.
5. Build the sauce. Sprinkle the flour over the mushroom mixture and stir to coat. Pour in the beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
6. Finish with sour cream. Reduce heat to low. Return the seared beef and any resting juices to the pan. Stir in the sour cream until fully incorporated. Do not boil after adding sour cream or the sauce may break. Taste and adjust seasoning.
7. Serve. Spoon the stroganoff over cooked egg noodles and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 520 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 540mg