Beef and Noodles: the ultimate comfort food!
I think pretty much everyone has a favorite childhood meal and mine is this Beef and Noodles. My mom made it often when we were growing up because it was simple to prepare, affordable, and she could make a big batch because we always asked for second helpings. That homey mix of egg noodles blanketed in a creamy savory sauce infused with that delicious flavor of browned ground meat is just something I can never get enough of.
This is a dish that appeals to everyone–little kids, teenagers, grown-ups; my grandparents love when I make this during their visits because it reminds them both of when my mom was growing up and my Nana would make it once a week! There’s something very special about a beloved recipe that is passed down through the generations.
The sauce in Beef and Noodles gets it depth from the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce, its zing from the mustard powder, and its velvety texture from the heavy cream: when these things come together with the cooked ground beef and coat the egg noodles, you just can’t believe how good it is. And it goes really well with so many different side dishes, like Kale Caesar or Savory Vegetable Crisp (that you can make with leftover roasted vegetables!). If you have any leftovers, you should know that Beef and Noodles is even better the next day!
It’s All About the Sauce
This sauce for Beef and Noodles starts with a traditional roux (melted butter and flour cooked together for a few minutes) that is then whisked with beef broth; a lot of sauces that start with a roux use milk instead of broth but here we are adding heavy cream (and Parmesan!) at the end, so we get the best of both worlds: the savory flavor of the beef broth and the silkiness from the cream. Genius!
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces Egg noodles
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1 cup Beef broth
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- Fresh parsley chopped
How to Make Beef and Noodles
Step 1: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and cook the ground beef for 4-5 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add the diced onions and minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside.
Step 2: Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
Step 3: In the same pan that you cooked the meat, melt the butter over medium. Heat and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk for 2 minutes until the mixture begins to brown.
Step 4: Pour in the beef broth and let it come to a boil. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and mustard powder. Simmer until thick (5-10 minutes). Reduce the heat and stir in the cream and parmesan cheese. Add the cooked beef back to the skillet.
Step 5: Add the cooked noodles to the beef sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper then sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Transfer to plates and serve with some additional grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
FAQs & Tips
Beef and Noodles, once cooled, can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months; if frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove or in a 300 degree oven covered for 20 minutes. You can also make the meat sauce and store that in an airtight container in the fridge (up to 4 days) or the freezer (up to 4 months) and then cook the noodles while the sauce is reheating.
Why not? Other ground meats would work really well (chicken, turkey…you can even try it with ground pork) or not-ground meats like cubes of browned chicken breast or, to fancy it up, sirloin steak tips!
We love egg noodles–that slurp factor!–but certain kinds of pastas are perfect for this dish, like corkscrews or rigatoni with its ridges that will capture all that saucy goodness.
It can be (a ground beef version), if you stir some sour cream into the sauce at the end.
It is! Use gluten free noodles and substitute the flour you need for the roux with rice flour.
Serving Suggestions
I love beef with carrots–it’s a classic combination and somehow those two things just bring out the best in each other. So I often serve Beef and Noodles with Honey Glazed Carrots or Roasted Carrots with Chardonnay. Yum. I also love peas with this dish, usually drizzled with a little melted butter and sprinkled with Kosher salt. But the truth is Beef and Noodles goes really well with all kinds of vegetables, like Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Swiss Chard. If you want to pair rich Beef and Noodles with something lighter, try it with Roasted Beet and Orange Salad.
Beef and Noodles
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces Egg noodles
- 1/2 small onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
- 1 cup Beef broth
- 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Flour
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese shredded
- Fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and cook the ground beef for 4-5 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Add the diced onions and minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the meat from the skillet and set aside.
- Bring a large pot with salted water to a boil and cook the egg noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- In the same pan that you cooked the meat, melt the butter over medium. Heat and sprinkle in the flour. Whisk for 2 minutes until the mixture begins to brown.
- Pour in the beef broth and let it come to a boil. Season with the Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and mustard powder. Simmer until thick (5-10 minutes). Reduce the heat and stir in the cream and parmesan cheese. Add the cooked beef back to the skillet.
- Add the cooked noodles to the beef sauce and stir to combine. Season with salt and black pepper then sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Transfer to plates and serve with some additional grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
