$10 Dinner Delight - Beef Stroganoff

Renae's delicious looking picture!

The other day there was an article online about how to feed a family of 4 for under $10 and it irritated me to no end.  I completely understand the need to skim things down in this economy and budget out your purchases to get the most for your dollar.  I get it, I do.  BUT - what this lady failed to realize is that when you omit things like fish from your diet, you're not just saving money but you can be planning disaster for your body and your children's.  I know fish can run upwards of $16 a pound, but what price do you put on your children's health?  When you omit fruits, you can run the risk of scurvy from lack of vitamin C.  (yes, that disease that killed countless sailors way back in the day)  People don't realize that when you skim back on your purchases to save some money, you can potentially be hurting the growth and health of children and teenagers who need the extra vitamins and nutrients from things like fish, fruits, whole grains and milk that you're trying to scale back on.  

The article also went on to say that yes, you could feed a family of 4 for $10 if you didn't mind eating the same things over and over again.  Bull, I say, it just takes some work, planning, coupon cutting and bargain shopping.  You have to read your sale flyers and buy the fruits/produce that are in season.  When I saw Renae's site called $10 Buck Dinners, I was delighted to see the variety of things she offered up, all on a budget scale.  There isn't anything boring on her site at all!  From stews, to fish, Mexican and more, she proves you can do a budget meal that isn't boring or skimpy in the least.  She's doing it right!

I made her beef stroganoff the other day and was so pleased with the results.  I am deathly allergic to mushrooms and her version had optional 'shrooms instead of relying on them to flavor the whole dish as alot of stroganoff's do.  Mine looks much different from hers I think since I used beef stock I had on-hand and I added some extra sour cream making it lighter in color.  Also, I had a eye of round roast lying around so I used it but it was a bit too tough.  I wish I would have went the route of a chuck roast as she recommended because it would have made for ultra tender beef in every bite.  (I should have known better since I usually cook eye of round overnight in a crockpot but I was trying to be ultra cheap and use what I had on hand.)  I just love the flavor of this recipe and I highly encourage you to try this and all Renae's other dishes.  I know I have my eye on quite a few there and I will be making this stroganoff again soon.  :)

Thanks Renae for letting me post this!

I added some parsley for color.

Beef Stroganoff

from Renae @ $10 Buck Dinners

1 to 1 1/2 lb beef tender, chuck roast or stew meat (sliced)
4 Tbsps flour
1/2 large white onion, diced
2 cups broth (or water with Beef Caldo or powdered broth)
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsps butter or lard
Additional salt & pepper to taste
1 (6 ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
2/3 package of egg noodle (save the rest for a day for soup) 

Cut beef into strips, about 1/2 inch thick by 2 inches long at most. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper. Heat lard and fry strips in a large skillet over medium heat, just till brown. Next, add onions and cook slowly for 3 to 5 minutes.

Sprinkle flour onto meat and mix to coat. Once meat is coated well with flour, pour in beef broth. I use Beef Broth in powder with water to save money. Just follow directions and it works great! After you add broth, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Once you’re up to broil, reduce to slow simmer, cover and continue cooking for 45 mins to an hour.

Before serving, stir in sour cream and add water to desired consistency. Mix well and heat briefly, salt and pepper to taste and serve over cooked egg noodles.

 If you would like to see, I made my culinary 'bucket list' finally.  lol