Roast Beef Is Just Pre-Stroganoff

Don’t call yesterday’s roast leftovers--not when you add onions, mushrooms and sour cream to make beef stroganoff.

Here, strips of roast are gently heated, which keeps the meat as tender as the day it was roasted. Freshly grated nutmeg adds a nice flavor, though in a pinch, ground nutmeg from the spice rack is OK.

Serve the stroganoff over buttered egg noodles tossed with minced Italian parsley, and serve steamed green beans and crusty rolls alongside. Leftovers have never tasted better.

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Beef Stroganoff

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Replace 1/4 cup of the hot beef broth with white wine for a more elegant dish.

1 pound leftover beef roast, tenderloin or steak

1 cup beef broth

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 small onion, diced

2 cups sliced mushrooms

Freshly grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour, divided

1 pint sour cream

Salt

White pepper

Buttered egg noodles, for serving

Cut the meat in slices about 1/3 inch thick, then the slices into strips 2 1/4 inches long. You should have about 4 cups. Set aside.

Heat the broth in a small saucepan until hot.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened but not brown, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms become tender and start to release their juices, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Add 6 to 8 grinds of nutmeg and stir. Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon of the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Do not brown. Add the hot broth and stir until smooth.

Add the beef to the pan, stir well, and warm just to a simmer, about 3 minutes. Stir the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour into the sour cream, add to the pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Warm gently over low heat until hot, about 7 minutes. The sauce will thin a little; do not boil or the sour cream will break up. Add more nutmeg, if desired. Spoon over the noodles.

4 servings. Each serving: 656 calories; 391 mg sodium; 184 mg cholesterol; 44 grams fat; 25 grams saturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 35 grams protein; 1.84 grams fiber.