Stroganoff Skillet Meal Mix

Those who follow my comments on my face book page will remember me mentioning my adventures making hamburger skillet meal mix. I want to post several of these mixes, as I know that there are a lot of folks who rely pretty heavy on the boxes. I also know that the list of ingredients is pretty full of preservatives, additives, and down-right extra junk our bodies don't need. That being said, I've been goofing around with the stroganoff version and finally have a combination I think is blog worthy. You will not find any MSG in here. I use fresh ground herbs and spices for a really bright flavor. The kicker...the price! You'll see. It's pennies compared to dollars. If you are a vegetarian, feel free to use the vegetarian hamburger replacements...or make your own veggie dogs or sausages with my Meatless Wonders. 12 ounces of seitan put through a meat grinder will work wonderfully for this meal in place of hamburger.

Chef Tess' Stroganoff Skillet Meal Gravy Mix

yield 7 mixes (with 1/3 cup gravy/seasoning mix)

1 cup powdered milk

1 cup flour

1/2 cup dry minced onions

1T onion powder

1 T granulated garlic (or garlic powder)

1T dry parsley

1 tsp dry thyme

2 tsp black pepper

2T salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Combine all dry ingredients well. Measure 2 cups elbow pasta or egg noodles and place in a jar or Ziploc bag along with 1/3 cup of the gravy mix. You can also add 1/4 cup of dehydrated mushroom to each jar for a more authentic stroganoff.

I also add a bay leaf to the jar and an "oxygen eater packet" if I plan on putting it in my longer food storage. These jars will last well over a year if sealed in jars instead of baggies. The flavor stays better too, because there isn't any exposure to air. Pretty cool right?


To prepare:

You will need 1 lb hamburger (or 12 ounces of seitan run through a meat grinder for vegetarian)

1 cup water

2 cups milk (powdered is okay if you reconstitute it)

1/4 cup cream cheese (I make Homemade cream cheese )

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional, but they add a lot of flavor)

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown hamburger and mushrooms in a large 12 inch skillet that has a lid. When meat is browned, add the gravy mix, noodles, water and milk. Simmer 8-10 minutes, stirring once or twice, but covering each time. When noodles are tender, add the cream cheese. Stir until smooth. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

How can you add more flavor? If you find it to be bland, you can add 2 cloves fresh pressed garlic and 1/2 a medium fresh onion, chopped to the hamburger as it cooks. I also like to add 1 cup shredded carrot and 1 stock of diced celery to the hamburger mixture. I find the canned mushrooms at a lot of flavor as well if you use them and their juice in the mixture. I also use 1/4 cup sour cream sometimes instead of the cream cheese. It gives it a little more zing. Hopefully that helps. If you want an additional amount of beef flavor, feel free to use 2 tsp bullion base with the hamburger too (I love the "Better Than Bullion" brand soup base).
Yields 6 cups of prepared skillet meal.

There you go. I promise there will be more flavors the next few weeks.