Meatball stroganoff

July 17, 2014

I’m always looking for dinners that all four of us really enjoy. Unfortunately, new recipes sometimes mean that only Jim and I are going to be happy and full, and the kids are going to be whining and eating cereal in half an hour. Luckily, this meatball stroganoff pleased everybody.

I was leery about using frozen meatballs, and my family teased me about this, but I googled reviews from people about what brand to buy. As it turns out, I’m glad I did that and was happy with the brand I used. It’s Cooked Perfect and you can find it at Sam’s Club or Walmart. I won’t pretend they tasted like homemade, but they were still good.

I also lightened the stroganoff up quite a bit. Typically, there’s lots of heavy cream and sour cream in a stroganoff, but I made some substitutions that worked perfectly and didn’t skimp on the flavor at all. If my kids’ reactions and second helpings were any indication, this is definitely a 2-thumbs-up meal that I’ll be making again.

Recipe: Meatball Stroganoff

(adapted from Menu Musings)

16 oz. bag of frozen Italian-style meatballs (I used half of the 32 oz. Cooked Perfect bag of meatballs.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 c. beef broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. nonfat evaporated milk (or heavy cream)
4 Tbsp. light cream cheese
1 c. nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
wide egg noodles
shredded Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large pan; add meatballs and cook until browned. Pour beef broth in to deglaze the pan. Add seasonings and evaporated milk. Bring to a simmer; meanwhile, boil a pot of water and cook the noodles until they are al dente. Add the Greek yogurt and cream cheese to the meatball mixture and stir until thoroughly combined. Drain the noodles and add them to the stroganoff mixture. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese and serve.