I must admit I was pretty surprised to learn that Beef Stroganoff is actually Russian. I first met the creamy, comforting dish through our old pal Hamburger Helper. In community cookbooks, I’ve come across many recipes, most of which list a series of canned ingredients. I would’ve assumed Beef Stroganoff was some classic American ‘corporate shenanigans’, but I would be wrong!
The earliest recipe appears in an 1871 Russian cookbook, “The Gift to Young Housewives.” The decades encompassing the world wars enabled Beef Stroganoff to travel all around the globe, where it took on countless regional variations. In Nordic countries it’s made with sausage. In Japan it is served over white rice. In Brazil, it’s sometimes made with shrimp.
After WWII, when soldiers returned to the U.S. with a fondness for beef Stroganoff, the shortcuts like canned cream-of-mushroom soup made their way into the dish. Hamburger Helper introduced their version in 1971 – everything but the meat included in the box.
While most versions in the U.S. are generally made with a mushroom and sour cream sauce, my boyfriend grew up eating a version with tomatoes. I’ve come across a few tomato-containing Stroganoff recipes in community cookbooks and decided to give one a try.
