Hot Shredded Beef Dip

The other day, my husband was craving beef stroganoff.  This is one of his specialty dishes and when he wants it, I turn the kitchen over to him. On this day, we did not have all the pantry items he requires for this so, as happens often, I decided to experiment.  This is how it went ….

We had a small chunk of beef roast in the freezer. Early in the day, I put it in the crock-pot with a few garlic cloves, a few beef bullion cubes, a splash of Worchestershire sauce and some water. Once it was fully cooked, I shredded the beef.  I used about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the beef and stored the rest for later. I strained and saved the broth for future use. (I cook a piece of beef this way about once a month – it is very tasty served shredded on toasted buns heaped with mozzarella cheese.)

Back to the dip. To the shredded beef, I added

8 oz cream cheese,

1 cup sour cream,

1 can of cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup

1/2 to 1 cup shredded Italian cheese

I put all of this in a shallow baking dish and sprinkled a little more cheese on top. This recipe , like a lot of recipes, is adjustable to your taste. Add more or less beef, maybe cheddar soup instead of the mushroom garlic soup – you get the idea.  Let me know how your experiment turns out. The next time, I think I will add some fresh mushrooms and maybe some onion.  In the meantime,  I baked this version at 325º for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and slightly brown. I served it with baguettes, blue corn chips and pita chips.  The result was delightful and satisfied the craving. Happy Ending.