Beef and Noodles
The Midwest church-basement classic, made easy with a jar off the shelf.
Ingredients
- 1 quart jar Granny's canned beef (about 2 lb beef plus its broth)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 12 oz wide egg noodles
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch whisked into ¼ cup cold water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Mashed potatoes for serving (optional, but this is Minnesota)
Steps
- Open and heat the beef. Check the seal first. Pour the beef and all its broth into a pot, bring it to a boil, and heat it all the way through before using it in the rest of the recipe.
- Combine. Add the broth and butter to the heated beef and bring back to a boil.
- Cook the noodles. Add the noodles and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until tender. Add a splash more broth if it gets thick.
- Thicken. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and simmer 1 to 2 minutes. Season and serve, over mashed potatoes if you like.
Notes
Granny’s tip: Frozen homestyle egg noodles work great here. Add a few extra minutes of cooking time.
Store-bought works too: no home-canned beef? Use about 2 lb of cooked chuck roast plus 2 cups beef broth.
Using home-canned beef safely: check every jar before opening. If the lid is bulging or unsealed, the jar leaks, liquid spurts when opened, or anything smells off, throw it out without tasting. Heat the beef all the way through before eating. For extra safety, NCHFP recommends boiling home-canned meat for 10 minutes (add 1 minute per 1,000 ft of elevation). Get the canning process in The Smell That Woke the Dogs.
Twelve meals, one jar of beef
This is one of the twelve dinners competing for my five jars. See them all.
