Ground Beef Stroganoff

This is a really nice One Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff recipe made entirely from scratch with no Cream of Mushroom soup.

2 tbsp butter
250 grams mushrooms
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic (or 1 tbsp of the pre-chopped stuff)
1 lb ground beef (500 gr)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 cups beef broth
1 cup half and half
2 cups uncooked pasta
1/2 cup sour cream
Parmesan Cheese (topping)
Parsley (optional, topping)

Slice mushrooms. Dice onion. Mince garlic. Melt butter in large pot on medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms and onions and saute 5-6 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more. Add beef and cook through, approx 6-8 minutes. Drain grease. Add in salt, pepper and paprika. Stir well. Pour in beef broth and half and half. Stir in noodles until all is well combined. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20-25 minutes until pasta is cooked, stirring occasionally. When pasta is cooked to taste, remove the pot from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve with parmesan cheese and parsley.

Three Cheese Tortellini

This was one of my favourite meals growing up and is very much a comfort food now. Plus! All the ingredients are easy to find in Germany.

1 350 gram package tortellini (I prefer a meat tortellini)
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (optional)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp basil
2 cloves minced garlic
4 tsp flour (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
1 cup milk
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
1 cup cottage cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 cup casserole dish. Cook tortellini as per package directions. Place peas in bottom of colander and drain pasta over peas. Place pasta and peas in casserole dish.

Melt butter, mix with basil and garlic. When garlic starts to cook, add in milk slowly. Then sprinkle in flour and whisk until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in cheeses. Pour cheese sauce over tortellini and peas and mix in well. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes until bubbling.