The perfect freezer meal to prep for new moms
This recipe, along with others like this Goulash recipe, tastes fantastic straight out of the freezer and kept me sane during the first six weeks of being a mother of two. There were evenings after I had my first child, Hank, when we had nothing to eat. I was so exhausted that all I wanted was a big bowl of something delicious. I really regretted that I did not prep freezer meals. This time around, I made sure to freeze a lot of meals, and one of those was this ground beef and egg noodles recipe.
Simply prepare the recipe following the directions and place it in a disposable casserole dish. The previous evening, thaw and reheat in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes. Be sure to stir every 10 minutes. To thin out, you might need to add a small amount of milk halfway through. Alternatively, you could bake it straight from the freezer, extending the baking time to fifty to sixty minutes.
I also recommend making some Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars and freezing them for a late-night, afternoon, or even early morning (no judgment) get-together with the new baby if you’re getting ready for one! I always love having a delicious treat on hand for those much-needed moments.
This recipe is very versatile. I’ve prepared cream of celery, cream of mushroom, and chicken soup. It tastes great with the ‘healthy’ condensed soups as well. To increase vegetable intake, add 2 cups of frozen mixed vegetables. If egg noodles aren’t available, consider using roughly two cups of elbow macaroni in their place. You can use canned corn of any kind, canned cream corn, or, as I did, homemade freezer corn that I picked from the garden. Shredded cheddar, colby jack, or really any kind of cheese will work in place of Velveeta.
How to make beef and noodles
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the noodles until they are al dente. Add the ground beef and onion to a skillet and cook until the meat is nicely browned. Don’t drain the fat. Cook for a minute after adding the Italian seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Stir in the flour and cook for another few minutes.
Pour the beef broth in gradually until the flour is dissolved, scraping up any tasty brown bits from the bottom of the skillet as you go. Cook the gravy for a few minutes, stirring now and then, until it thickens. After draining, combine the noodles with the beef mixture and sprinkle with salt.
- Since you can omit draining the fat, I prefer to use lean ground beef in recipes like this one. There’s just enough to help make the gravy.
- Although it’s acceptable to open a can of “cream of” soup, it’s not required in this situation. Once you taste my homemade gravy, you won’t want to use canned soup in recipes again.
- This recipe is designed to be inexpensive, quick, and kid-friendly. If you want something fancier than the base recipe was meant to be, there are countless ways to dress it up.
- For a pop of color, consider including some canned corn or frozen mixed vegetables. Add in during step 6.
- A few handfuls of fresh spinach could be added in the final few minutes of cooking.
- A splash of wine, some mushrooms and/or green peppers, and some sour cream or cream cheese stirred in at the very end are some ways that readers have altered this recipe.
- To help make the gravy, you might need to add a tablespoon or so of oil or butter before adding the flour if you’re using ground turkey or a leaner ground meat.
- Feel free to use rice or another type of pasta in place of the egg noodles.
Why you’ll love it
This beef and egg noodles recipe is simple, fuss-free, and inexpensive, much like my chicken and noodles. This recipe only requires a few ingredients to be delicious. It’s quick to prepare for a family meal on the stovetop and has tender ground beef that has been seasoned.
This is not a fancy recipe at all, and for some reason, that makes it the best kind of meal for finicky eaters! If you have kids in your house, they will love this homemade gravy and ground beef with noodles! It’s one of my go-to recipes when you’re not feeling motivated to cook but still want a quick and comforting dinner.
- The traditional option for this recipe is egg noodles because they are a hearty pasta that absorbs the gravy well.
- Ground beef – I prefer at least 90% lean. For this one, we love ground beef because it’s less expensive than other cuts without sacrificing flavor.
- Garlic and onions: I usually prefer sweet (Vidalia) onions, but yellow works too.
- My go-to ingredient in the pantry for adding tons of savory flavor to a variety of recipes is worceshire sauce. Don’t skip it!.
- Italian seasoning is a wonderful mixture of dried Italian herbs, such as thyme and rosemary, that is conveniently found in a single jar.
- Flour – to thicken the gravy
- Beef broth – for even more rich, deep flavor
