A simple meal that’s perfect for a busy weeknight, this Paleo Ground Beef Stroganoff comes together in a snap. Subbing ground beef for the more traditional chunks of beef in the stroganoff makes the recipe a little easier and faster to cook. Bonus, it’s Whole30 compliant.
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The impetus for this recipe is my mom, who in addition to being gluten free, also can’t have most dairy. I found a strictly gluten free version here which was delicious, but I wanted to find a way to make it for my mom to be able to enjoy.
So I went paleo with it and am super happy with how it turned out. Even my husband, who is definitely more of a traditional eater and gets picky when I try and do substitutions, was a big fan.
Now on to the instructions.
This meal comes together really quickly, which is awesome. It’s even quicker if you buy your mushrooms pre-sliced, which I like to do but have included instructions on how I slice them in case you need it.
The first step? If you didn’t put your coconut milk in the fridge the night before, stick it in the freezer while you prep and cook the mushrooms and ground beef.
Getting it cold will help get the coconut cream at the top of the can to harden just a bit so it’s easier to get out. But DON’T SHAKE THE CAN. You want to keep the cream separated from the liquid as much as possible.
How to Slice the Mushrooms
If I don’t have pre-sliced mushrooms, you can just slice up whole ones yourself. But the first step is the clean the mushrooms.
I used to think you couldn’t wash mushrooms like you do other vegetables, but I recently discovered you can. So just give them a rinse then dry them off with a towel.
I prefer to cut my mushrooms in half before slicing them. But cut them by putting the mushroom on it’s head and slicing at the mid-point of the stem. Then holding the two halves together, start making thin slices with your knife.
When you’re done, the mushrooms will look like the ones in the bottom right of the picture below.
Now that the mushrooms are sliced, onto the cooking.
How to Cook the Mushrooms and Ground Beef
First, get a large pan and put it over medium heat, then place the ghee in there. If you’re not dairy-free, butter will work just fine.
Next dump the sliced mushrooms in and start stirring with a wooden spoon and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Cook them, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes, until they’re cooked through.
Put them onto a plate or bowl, then dump in the ground beef to cook and add in the remaining kosher salt, the pepper, and the garlic powder.
When cooking the ground beef, break it up with the wooden spoon so it’s not just one big lump. And it will cook faster this way. Keep stirring it so all the meat gets nice and brown.
Here is where you want to take out the can of coconut milk and get the cream off the top. Measure out a quarter cup of the cream and set is aside. (You can also use regular sour cream if you’re not eating paleo, in the same quantity.)
Cover the can and put it back in the fridge to use if for another recipe. I like to use if for Nom Nom Paleo’s Thai Curry Chicken.
Okay, now that that’s done, the dish will really start coming together.
Measure out the cassava flour (I like to use Otto’s Cassava Flour
If you’re not dairy-free, you can use gluten free flour instead of cassava flour. I’ve made this with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
Once the meat is all coated, pour in the beef stock and cook for a minute or two. Then add in the cooked mushrooms and stir.
After the mushrooms are stirred in, add the coconut cream you measured out and stir it all together. And voila!
If, after stirring in the coconut cream, the dish is a little too thick for you, add in more beef stock. I would start with a quarter of a cup, but wouldn’t add more than half a cup in.
You can serve this dish with a riced vegetable, like cauliflower or broccoli, or if you’re not eating paleo, with rice.
Super easy, super delicious.
Looking for more easy weeknight dinners? Check out the following recipes:
Quick & Easy Meat Sauce
Lemon Thyme Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Swimming Rama Loaded Sweet Potato
Pesto Prawns with Zoodles
Easy Sheet Pan Dinner with Sausage & Veggies
Two things to note about this recipe:
1) If you can help it, use something else besides button mushrooms. Cremini mushrooms are much more flavorful and will make the dish taste that mush better. Baby bella mushrooms would also be a good option.
2) I said it before, but it bears repeating: DO NOT SHAKE THE CAN OF COCONUT MILK. You want that cream to be at the top so it’s easy to scrap into a measuring cup.
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Recipe for Weeknight Paleo Ground Beef Stroganoff
Weeknight Paleo Ground Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons cassava flour
- 1 cup beef broth plus ¼ to ½ cups more to taste
- 1/4 cup coconut creme from one can of regular coconut milk
Instructions
Items Needed:
A cutting board
A sharp knife
A large pan
Measuring spoons
A wooden spoon
A can opener
A measuring cup
Directions:
Place can of coconut milk in the fridge the night before. If you forget to do this, you can place the can in the freezer just before you start prepping the recipe.
Clean the mushrooms, then using a cutting board and sharp knife, cut them in half (down the middle, not top to bottom) and thinly slice them.
Place a large pan over medium heat on the stove. Put the ghee into the pan and once it’s melted, dump the mushrooms into the pan.
Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt over the mushrooms and cook them for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring them with a wooden spoon until they are cooked through. Scoop them into a small to medium bowl and set aside.
Put the ground beef into the pan and add the remaining 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon and cook until it is no longer pink.
While the beef is cooking, take out the can of coconut milk and open it with a can opener. DO NOT SHAKE IT. Remove the top of the can and using a measuring cup, scoop out 1/4 cup of the hardened cream on top. The remaining coconut milk can be saved for another recipe (like this chicken curry). Set the coconut cream aside for a moment.
Once the beef is done cooking, measure out then add in the cassava flour and stir to coat the ground beef.
Next measure out then add the beef broth and stir with the wooden spoon to incorporate. After a minute or two, add in the mushrooms and the coconut cream. Stir to melt everything together. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add in more beef broth 1/4 cup at a time, stirring to incorporate.
Serve over a riced vegetable like cauliflower or broccoli, or eat it on its own.
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