Freezer Mix Romanoff

A retro convenience dinner built from two packaged staples: beef-mushroom freezer mix and boxed noodles Romanoff. The frozen meat mixture gets thawed and simmered with a little water, then stirred together with the noodles and their sour cream-cheese sauce packet for a one-pot meal that tastes like a homemade stroganoff.

The trick with this recipe is skipping the butter and milk that the noodle package calls for. The beef-mushroom mix already has enough liquid and fat to carry the sauce, so adding those extras would make everything too rich and soupy. The sour cream-cheese sauce mix goes straight into the meat mixture with the cooked noodles.

Simmer everything together for five minutes at the end so the noodles absorb some of that beefy, creamy sauce and the flavors come together.

Kitchen Tips

• Dip the frozen container in hot water just long enough to loosen the block. You don’t want to start thawing unevenly.
• Stir frequently while the mix thaws in the saucepan to prevent scorching on the bottom.
• Don’t rush the 20-minute simmer. The freezer mix needs to thaw completely and heat through before adding the noodles.

Variations

• Stir in frozen peas or steamed broccoli in the last few minutes for a vegetable boost.
• Top with a handful of crispy fried onions for crunch.
• Add a dollop of extra sour cream when serving for a richer finish.