Mom’s Beef Noodles – Randi's Country Kitchen

Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money and with five children, our mom had to come up with budget-friendly meals to feed the family. Being the great cook that she was, mom could take inexpensive items and put them together to make them taste like a restaurant meal. One such dish in particular, is Mom’s Beef Noodles. Made with only a few ingredients, some fresh, some pantry, and easy to make. Once I grew up and moved away from home I missed having this dish so now, I make it for my family, and they love it too. Here’s how to make it:

Except for the fresh parsley use for garnish, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a little half and half, there are only four main ingredients to this dish: bucatini pasta, organic ground beef, 1 large chopped onion, and 2 jars of beef gravy. My mom used to use long German style egg macaroni noodles with a hole in the middle made by Bechtel. These days, they are difficult to find but can be purchased online. I use bucatini noodles which are very similar when I do not have the Bechtel noodles on hand.

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the bucatini noodles. In the meantime, Sauté 1 large chopped onion in 1 Tbl. of olive oil in a large nonstick pan until crisp tender.

Take the 1 lb. package of bucatini noodles and break them in half or into thirds to make them easier to stir and eat. Cook the bucatini according to package instructions, do not overcook. Once the onions are tender, add 1 pound of organic ground beef and brown the meat over med/high heat.

Once the meat is browned, pour in the two 12oz. jars of beef gray. I use Bell’s because it does not contain MSG and has a slightly lower sodium content compared to other brands.

Stir the gravy into the meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Next, add 1/4 cup of half and half to the meat and gravy and stir well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Note: Since there is salt in the gravy, you may or may not need more salt.