Stroganoff

Growing up with parents who insisted on eating supper before 6 p.m., my mom was a big fan of whipping up boxed dinners, heating up canned soups or ordering pizza on weeknights. Given her aversion to home cooking, I honestly have no idea how I turned out the way I did. Anyway, Betty Crocker’s various “Helpers,” whether it was chicken, hamburger or tuna, were staples in our household. One of our favorites was the Hamburger Helper Stroganoff. Anyway, about a year and a half ago, I started making this version and, wouldn’t you know, it tasted 100 times better than the stuff out of the box. Sorry, Betty!

3 cups egg noodles, uncooked
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
1-1/2 cups water
2 - 0.87-oz. packets beef gravy mix
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare egg noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile in a large skillet, sauté the beef with onion and garlic until no longer pink. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking until tender. Drain any excess grease. Mix in the water and gravy packets and bring to a boil. Continue cooking until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over noodles or mix together in the skillet.