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Irresistible Ground Beef Alfredo
One hectic week, I whipped this up when I needed something easy that filled everyone up fast. This ground beef alfredo is pure cozy food—loads of creamy sauce, juicy beef, and mushrooms cooked just right. The best thing? Odds are you already have everything you need at home.
Why You'll Love This
Everything smells awesome as it cooks and you're eating in less than half an hour. Beef and mushrooms soak up that silky alfredo and every bite is just so good. You really only need pantry basics so no last-minute trips to the store. It’s ideal for lazy days or when you’re making do with what you’ve got.
Stuff You’ll Need
- Parmesan Cheese: Grab it fresh and grate it yourself, you’ll taste the difference.
- Heavy Cream: This gives you that dreamy, velvety sauce.
- Italian Seasoning: My top pick for instant big flavor.
- Chicken Stock: Low sodium is better so you’re in control.
- Dry White Wine: Brightens up the flavors, or just use chicken stock instead.
- Mushrooms: Go for cremini or white, use what you’ve got.
- Ground Beef: I like using 80-85% lean, just enough fat for good taste.
- Onion + Garlic: Nothing beats this simple starting duo.
- Olive Oil: A nice splash gets everything sizzling.
All the Steps
- Top It Off and Serve:
- Finish by tossing on lots of fresh cheese and chopped parsley. You can’t go wrong with a little extra.
- Sauce Magic:
- This is where you pour in pasta, parmesan, heavy cream, and a bit of the pasta water to hit that perfect consistency.
- Let Everything Simmer:
- Dump in your chicken stock plus seasonings and let those flavors get friendly on low heat.
- Deglaze the Pan:
- Pour in your splash of wine. Stir with a spoon to lift those tasty browned bits.
- Get Mushrooms Sizzling:
- Add your mushrooms and cook until they’ve let out their flavor and shrunk down.
- Brown the Beef:
- Crumble the meat as it cooks so it all gets some color.
- Cook Up the Aromatics:
- Start off by softening your onion and garlic in oil in a roomy pan.
- Boil Your Pasta:
- Boil in salty water just until it’s got a great bite. Scoop out a cup of water, then drain the pasta.
Tasty Things to Put With It
This dish and a warm chunk of garlic bread are just legendary together. If you want something fresh, toss some greens with a zippy vinaigrette. Feeling extra? Roast some broccoli, Brussels, or asparagus while everything cooks so you sneak in some veggies too.
How to Save Leftovers
Pop leftovers in the fridge and they’ll be good for about four days. Be sure it’s totally cool before stashing away. When you’re ready for more, heat it back up gently on the stove. Add a dash of milk to make it creamy again. You wanna freeze it? Keep the pasta and sauce in separate containers and your future self will have easier leftovers.
Recipe Q&A
- → Can I use ground turkey?
For sure! Just remember, the sauce might look and taste lighter than with beef.
- → How do I stop the cream from curdling?
Drop the heat and pour in the cream gently. Keep it to a lazy simmer—no boiling after the cream goes in.
- → Why save the pasta water?
The leftover water from cooking pasta is loaded with starch. Toss in a little to fix any sauce that's getting too thick.
- → Why use both chicken stock and cream?
The stock packs in flavor but keeps things from feeling heavy, while the cream adds that dreamy richness everyone loves.
- → Can I skip the wine?
Just put in extra chicken stock. Wine adds depth, but no worries—the meal still rocks without it.