The best Slow Cooker Creamy Beef Stroganoff: Made with sour cream, steak or stew meat, and — best of all — no cream of soup! A healthy(er), yet rich, savory, and easy crockpot version of classic beef stroganoff.

Slow cooking seems to be the trend around our house lately. Feeling the same? Then you’ll want to try this Slow Cooker Jambalaya, Slow Cooker Firecracker Chicken, and Slow Cooker Chicken Marsala. 

So I’m writing about beef stroganoff while sitting on a train in Italy, cruising from Verona to Venice, and it’s blowing my mind a little bit. Is this real life?

I’ve dreamed of visiting Italy for years and years and now I’m here, nodding along to Natasha Beddingfield, planning out the last couple days of my trip with a focus on ensuring there is enough pizza and gelato in my schedule to last me until I can manage to drag my husband back here with me someday.

I’m in Italy on a pasta adventure and let’s just say I’ve eaten my body weight in pasta over the last few days and I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same – in the best way possible.

I’m also wondering how on earth I am going to return to reality. Seriously though…how? If you have any tips on how to get yourself back into the swing of things after a trip to paradise (and two very, very long flights and some serious jet-lag) please spill your secrets.

One thing is for sure, I’ll be back cooking again once I get home, and I feel like this American-ish pasta dish could be the perfect way to ease myself back. I grew up on my mother’s Beef Stroganoff recipe, and this version has a lot of those same flavors but instead of being made on the stove, it’s made in the crockpot to get all of those tender fall-apart-beef benefits of slow cooking all day long.

Plus, your home will smell heavenly after only a few hours of this stuff going strong in the kitchen.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO YOU NEED TO MAKE SLOW COOKER CREAMY BEEF STROGANOFF?

• Stew meat
• Italian seasoning
• Salt and pepper, to taste 
• Beef broth (I used low sodium)
• Fresh mushrooms 
• Worcestershire sauce
• Minced garlic
• Dijon mustard
• Sour cream
• Cream cheese
• Cornstarch 
• Short pasta noodles

HOW DO YO MAKE SLOW COOKER CREAMY BEEF STROGANOFF?

Making this Creamy Beef Stroganoff recipe is a cinch! First, lightly grease your slow cooker crock for easy cleaning later. Then, add the stew meat and sprinkle Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste over the top. Next, add the mushrooms, beef broth, garlic, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Put the lid on and let it cook on low for 8-9 hours.

About 30 minutes before you’re ready to eat, stir in the cornstarch (or you can also use flour if you don’t have cornstarch) into a ½ a cup of beef broth and stir mixture into a slow cooker. Then add in the cream cheese and sour cream, put the lid back on and cook another 20-30 minutes on high, stirring occasionally until cream cheese and sour cream are incorporated and the sauce is thickened.

Right before you serve, give the dish a taste and add more salt and pepper if you like, then stir in the noodles. From there, you’re ready to serve immediately garnished with cracked black pepper and fresh thyme if desired.

TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING SLOW COOKER CREAMY BEEF STROGANOFF

• This Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff ditches the cream of mushroom soups and instead uses cream cheese and sour cream to get that creamy richness that is so characteristic of stroganoffs. BUT if you don’t have cream cheese and sour cream, by all means open a can or two of cream of mushroom soup at step 2 — add a cup of water if it seems too thick. 
• I use spiral pasta instead of the twirly egg noodles I had in my childhood. You can absolutely still use egg noodles if that is your favorite! But don’t be afraid to swap them out for another short pasta like penne or macaroni if you want.
• For a little extra veg, add in a cup of frozen peas or diced carrots and celery along with the beef and mushrooms and let it all cook together.
• If you can’t find or don’t have stew meat, you can also substitute chuck steak, brisket, or flatiron steak cut into cubes.
• This finished dish will keep for 3 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer, so long as it’s stored in an airtight container. 

WHAT IS STROGANOFF SAUCE MADE OF?

The broth in this dish is made saucey first by the making of a roux from broth/cornstarch or broth/flour. Flavor also comes from the seasonings, garlic and mushrooms. In addition, the cream cheese and sour cream also help make the sauce in this beef dish creamier.