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Ultimate Ground Beef Alfredo Comfort
This dish was a lucky find when life was hectic and I needed something easy for the fam. Ground beef alfredo has totally become our number one chill night meal—think creamy dreamy sauce, juicy beef, mushrooms, and it’s all super doable with what’s already hanging out in your pantry.
Why You'll Love This Dish
Let’s be real, your house is gonna smell amazing while you throw this together in less than half an hour. Beef and mushrooms in that smooth, silky sauce—hello, happy tastebuds. The best bit? You don’t need anything fancy, just the stuff you’ve got stashed in your kitchen, perfect for those stay-home kinda evenings.
Grab These Simple Staples
- Parmesan Cheese: Shred it fresh for extra oomph, it’s worth it.
- Heavy Cream: That’s how you get that dreamy, rich sauce.
- Italian Seasoning: Your go-to herbs for an extra hit of flavor.
- Chicken Stock: A low-salt one lets you fix the salt just how you like.
- Dry White Wine: Makes the dish pop, but use chicken stock if you want to skip it.
- Mushrooms: Either brown cremini or regular kind work just fine.
- Ground Beef: 80-85% lean is just right, tasty and not too oily.
- Onion + Garlic: You just can’t skip these kitchen classics.
- Olive Oil: A solid pour gets onions and garlic off to a great start.
How Everything Comes Together
- Garnish and Serve:
- Finish off with a shower of parsley and a little more cheese—because cheese is life.
- Finish Sauce:
- Now’s when you toss in the cooked pasta, cream, parmesan, and that saved starchy water to make everything nice and smooth.
- Simmer Sauce:
- Let the stock and seasoning mingle while everything cooks down a bit.
- Deglaze Pan:
- Pour in the wine and scrape up anything stuck for that deep flavor.
- Sauté Mushrooms:
- Chuck the mushrooms in and give them a minute to shrink and darken.
- Cook Ground Beef:
- Brown the beef, breaking it up small, and let the edges get crisp.
- Prepare Aromatics:
- Heat up olive oil in your biggest pan, then toss in onion and garlic till they’re soft and smell crazy good.
- Cook Pasta:
- Boil your noodles in salty water, save a little water before draining so you can make your sauce just right.
Great Pairings for This Meal
We always reach for some hot garlic bread to go with our bowls. A basic crunchy salad with zippy dressing is awesome to cut through all the creamy stuff. When I’m in the mood, I roast up some Brussels, broccoli, or asparagus on the side just to change things up.
Keep Leftovers Fresh
This pasta is still tasty for about 3 or 4 days when kept in the fridge. Let it cool first, then stash leftovers. To make it creamy again, just warm on the stove with an extra splash of milk. Want to freeze? Store the noodles and sauce apart. Your later self will be so happy you did!
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Frequently Asked Questions
- → Why save the pasta water?
The starchy water really helps your sauce stick to the noodles. If your sauce gets too thick, just pour in a little.
- → Can I skip the wine?
Yep, swap in some extra chicken broth. Wine gives a nice flavor, but it works just fine without it.
- → Why use both chicken stock and cream?
Stock keeps the sauce flavorful but not too heavy. Cream gives you that dreamy, classic alfredo feel.
- → How do I prevent the cream from curdling?
Turn down the heat before adding cream. Simmer gently and don’t let it boil after you pour the cream in.
- → Can I use ground turkey?
For sure! Just know the sauce will taste a little lighter and look a bit paler than with beef.