Repurposed Leftovers for Stroganoff

Written by
Kevin D. Weeks.
Kevin D. Weeks is a personal chef, cooking instructor, and food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Kevin D. Weeks.
Updated 11/09/20
Homemade stroganoff made from leftovers

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
792 Calories
48g Fat
31g Carbs
50g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 792
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 48g 61%
Saturated Fat 20g 99%
Cholesterol 212mg 71%
Sodium 240mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 4g 15%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 50g
Vitamin C 8mg 39%
Calcium 115mg 9%
Iron 6mg 33%
Potassium 1049mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Named after a member of the Stroganoff family of rich Russian merchants and landowners, this dish of beef and cream has taken on many variations around the world and conquered many palates on its way to becoming a truly timeless recipe. It's originally made out of beef cubes, and we kept some of the traditional elements, but took the liberty of leaving it up to the cook whether to use meat, pork, or chicken leftovers.

Earthy mushrooms, sour cream, herbs, and spices make an unctuous sauce for the meat. You have to choose which wine and stock to use depending on the protein of your choice. Go with beef stock if using leftover meat or chicken stock for pork or chicken. For the wine, use white for chicken and pork and red for beef. Remember to use a wine that you'd be willing to drink by the glass; there's no need to splurge, but a nice-enough wine will make a tastier meal.

Easy to make, this is a great meal for a busy weeknight. It is budget-friendly, and also filling, as it is served on top of silky egg noodles. If you'd rather make a different starch, choose rice to soak up the sauce, and serve it with a green salad and some crusty bread.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces egg noodles

  • Salt to taste

  • 8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)

  • 1/2 small onion (chopped)

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

  • 1/2 cup wine

  • 1/2 cup stock

  • 12 ounces leftover roast chicken (or pork or beef, cut into strips)

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • Pepper to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for leftovers stroganoff
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Fill a pot of water and bring it to a boil. Salt it and, once boiling, add the egg noodles and cook per the package instructions. Drain and reserve.

    Egg noodles cooking in pot
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  3. Place the mushrooms in a large, dry, non-stick skillet and sprinkle them with salt.

    Mushrooms in skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4. Cook over medium-high heat until the mushrooms begin to brown and give up their liquid, or about 6 minutes.

    Mushrooms cooking in skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. Stir the mushrooms, sprinkle with thyme and add 1 tablespoon butter. Cook until browned, or about 3 minutes.

    Mushrooms and butter cooking in skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Scoop the mushrooms onto a plate and set aside.

    Cooked mushrooms on plate next to skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Using the same pan over medium heat, add the remaining butter, onions, and tomato paste and cook until the onions are translucent, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.

    Tomato paste, onions, and butter cooking in skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Return the mushrooms to the skillet and add the wine.

    Mushrooms, onions, and tomato paste cooking in skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  9. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the wine is reduced by half, approximately 5 minutes.

    Stroganoff sauce cooking in skillet with wooden spoon
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  10. Add the broth and cook for 5 more minutes.

    Stroganoff sauce cooking in skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga 

  11. Reduce the heat to low, add the meat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

    Beef stroganoff cooking down in skillet
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  12. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

    Stirring sour cream into beef stroganoff
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  13. Serve over the cooked noodles.

    Beef stroganoff served over noodles
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  14. Enjoy!

    Beef stroganoff served over noodles
    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Vegan or Vegetarian Stroganoff

You can make this tasty dish vegetarian or vegan with just a few substitutions:

  • To make it vegetarian use 1 cubed block of pressed extra firm tofu or 12 ounces of seitan instead of the meat, and vegetable broth instead of animal-based stock. Follow the recipe as is, and add the plant-based protein of your choice at the same moment that the original recipe calls for the meat. Egg noodles are appropriate for a vegetarian diet, so you can keep the same starch as the original recipe.
  • To make it vegan, follow the instructions above for vegetarian stroganoff but replace the butter with vegan margarine or butter. Instead of sour cream, use a mixture of 3 ounces of plant-based milk (preferably full-fat soy or cashew milk) with 1 ounce of olive oil. Add this mixture to the sauce base when the recipe calls for the sour cream. Replace the egg noodles with fettuccini.