Easy Ground Beef and Noodles
Extra quick, easy, and comforting for a cozy dinner on busy nights. It’s got a short ingredient list, simple instructions, and kid-friendly sauce that coats tender egg noodles with home-cooked love.
Servings: 4
Calories: 460kcal
Ingredients
- 8-12 ounces egg noodles wide or extra-wide
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ medium yellow onion chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 and ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon each ground sage and dried parsley
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 and ¾ cups low-sodium beef broth see note
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- kosher salt and black pepper
- fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a generous pinch of salt, followed by the egg noodles. Cook just to al dente, according to package directions, then drain and set aside.8-12 ounces egg noodles
- While the noodles cook, set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, followed by the onion, and start to crumble the meat into small pieces as it browns.1 pound lean ground beef, ½ medium yellow onion
- Stir in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, sage, and parsley. Continue to cook for 6-8 minutes, until the meat is fully-browned and the onion is softened.2-3 garlic cloves, 1 and ½ Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon each ground sage and dried parsley
- Sprinkle flour over the beef and cook for 1-2 minutes. Don't worry if it looks a bit clumpy at this step; it will even out.¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Gradually stir in the beef broth and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Scrape the bottom of the skillet to release any browned bits, then stir in the cream.1 and ¾ cups low-sodium beef broth, ⅓ cup heavy cream
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer until the liquid reaches your desired consistency. Sample and season with salt and pepper to taste.kosher salt and black pepper
- Stir cooked egg noodles into the sauce and keep over low heat until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. Enjoy!fresh parsley
Notes
- Egg Noodles: Adjust the amount of egg noodles that you make to suit your family needs; the nutritional info here is based on 8 ounces uncooked egg noodles total (divided into 4 servings of 2 ounces each), which is a good baseline, but I find the same amount of sauce works well with up to 12 ounces of pasta.
- Beef Broth: Use water + 1 and ¾ teaspoons Better than Bouillon beef base in place of the broth if you have that on hand. It’s fine to just stir the water and the bouillon paste directly into the skillet; the simmering will be enough to dissolve the paste.
- Option to Add Veggies: If you want to make this more of a one-pot meal, mix in some frozen peas or mixed veggies at the same time as you incorporate the beef broth. Alternatively, add diced bell pepper or zucchini, or shredded carrot, in at the same time as the onion.
- Too Mild?: By design this sauce is light on the seasoning—in my book, it’s just enough to have flavor for the adults, but relatively mild to maximize the odds that choosy kids will enjoy it. (Sometimes we all just need that win, you know?) If you want it to be more flavorful, double the amounts of ground sage and dried parsley; consider adding a pinch of rosemary, as well; and be certain to add kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 837mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 332IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 4mg