Recipe: Cowboy Stir Fry

Gordon has been sick this week with his first cold, so he’s miserable and Robby and I are sleep-deprived. It’s time like this when we crave comfort food the most, but I simply don’t have the time to prepare it and do the clean-up, especially in the evening when Gordon is more clingy and cranky.

Solution: cook something simple during the afternoon when things are a bit easier, and then reheat it and make quick sides at supper time.

Before I made lunch today, I whipped up a large skillet of Cowboy Stir Fry using ingredients I had on hand. This isn’t a “pretty dish” by any means, but the cream of mushroom soup and rich beef flavor make it the perfect comfort food. It also reheats well and makes several servings, so I won’t have to cook tomorrow night (woo hoo!).

Print Recipe

Cowboy Stir Fry

Easy comfort food: hearty beef meets rich cream of mushroom soup in this easy weeknight dish.

Prep Time4 minutes mins

Cook Time15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Comfort Food, Ground Beef, Weeknight Dinner

Servings: 5 people

Cost: $6

Equipment

• Large or deep-dish cast-iron skillet

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup onion chopped
• 1-2 carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 lb ground beef
• seasoning to taste: salt, pepper, Lawry's Seasoned Salt, garlic powder
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2-1 tsp Better than Bouillon Beef flavor
• 1 10.5 oz can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Instructions

• Heat the skillet over medium heat until hot. Add oil, onion, and carrots and simmer 5 minutes or until onion is translucent.
  
• Add beef and season it to taste with dry seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, and Better than Bouillon. Let the beef cook until done, about 7 minutes.
• Once the meat is browned, add the soup and 1 tablespoon of water. Combine ingredients and simmer 5 minutes or until done.
  
• Serve over rice or pasta (such as spirals). Refrigerate leftovers and enjoy the next day.

Notes

I often cook with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and Better than Bouillon Beef (and Chicken) Base. Feel free to substitute according to what you like and what's available in your area.

I use a small food processor to chop the carrots to get the size and texture I want. If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the carrots by hand.

If you want to make this gluten free, you'll need to use gluten-free cream of mushroom soup. You can find it in specialty grocery stores now, but the consistency won't be the same as the Campbell's version we all grew up with. For that reason, I still use Campbell's condensed soups. It's my one big cheat, but thankfully there's not enough gluten to give me troubles. 

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