Microwave Beef Stroganoff

This beef stroganoff skips the stovetop entirely and cooks in the microwave in about 8 minutes total. Thin-sliced sirloin steak and chopped onion go in first at full power until the beef loses its pink, then a creamy sauce of mushroom soup, sour cream, and paprika gets stirred in and heated at half power to keep it from breaking.

The freezer trick is what makes this work. Pop the steak in the freezer for an hour before slicing. Partially frozen beef slices paper-thin with barely any effort, and those thin slices cook through in the microwave without turning tough.

Serve the whole thing over hot egg noodles and dinner is done before you’d even finish preheating a conventional oven.

Kitchen Tips

• Slice the beef across the grain for tender strips. Cutting with the grain makes chewy, stringy pieces.
• Stir the beef mixture once during the first cook to break up any clumps and ensure even cooking.
• Heat the sauce at 50% power. Full power curdles the sour cream and separates the soup.
• Stir the cream of mushroom soup smooth before mixing it with the sour cream. Lumpy soup means lumpy sauce.

Variations

• Use cream of celery soup instead of mushroom for a lighter, more delicate flavor.
• Add ½ cup sliced mushrooms with the onion for a more traditional stroganoff.
• Stir in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a splash of Worcestershire for a punchier sauce.