My grandmother made this every Sunday after church and now I finally have her recipe

This oven baked 5-ingredient beef stroganoff pasta is my shortcut version of the dish my grandmother made every Sunday after church. She’d slide a big white casserole dish of creamy noodles, tender beef, and mushrooms onto the table, and the whole house smelled like comfort. I finally pared her recipe down to just five pantry-friendly ingredients and made it hands-off in the oven, so it actually fits into a busy workweek. You still get that old-school, from-scratch flavor, but with minimal prep and no babysitting the stove.

This casserole is pretty much a full meal on its own, but I like to round it out with something fresh and crunchy. A simple green salad with a tangy vinaigrette or steamed green beans with a squeeze of lemon cuts through the richness. Warm dinner rolls or buttered toast are great for scooping up any extra sauce. If you want to stretch it for a crowd like my grandmother did on Sundays, add a fruit salad or a tray of roasted carrots and you’re set.

Servings: 6

12 oz wide egg noodles, uncooked

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray a 9x13-inch or similar white oval casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray so the noodles don’t stick.

Slice the beef into thin strips, cutting against the grain so it stays tender. Pat the strips dry with paper towels and season with about 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper.

Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned beef strips in a single layer (work in batches if needed) and sear for 1–2 minutes per side, just until browned. The beef does not need to be cooked through; it will finish in the oven. Transfer the browned beef to a plate and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the condensed cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, water, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth and well combined. This is your creamy stroganoff sauce.

Add the uncooked egg noodles and sliced mushrooms directly into the bowl with the sauce. Gently toss with tongs or a large spoon until all the noodles are coated and the mushrooms are evenly distributed.

Transfer half of the sauced noodle mixture into the prepared casserole dish, spreading it into an even layer. Scatter half of the browned beef strips over the noodles. Repeat with the remaining noodles and beef, pressing down lightly so everything is nestled into the sauce. Make sure most of the noodles are covered by sauce so they cook evenly in the oven.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. This lets the noodles soften and the beef finish cooking in the creamy sauce.

After 30 minutes, carefully remove the foil (watch for steam). Stir the casserole gently from the edges toward the center to bring some of the sauce up and over any exposed noodles. Smooth the top back out.

Return the casserole to the oven, uncovered, and bake for another 10–15 minutes, or until the noodles are tender, the beef is cooked through, and the sauce is bubbling around the edges. If the top noodles look a little dry, stir again and let it rest; they’ll absorb some sauce as it sits.

Let the beef stroganoff pasta rest for about 5–10 minutes before serving. This helps the sauce thicken slightly so it clings to the noodles. Bring the casserole right to the table in the baking dish with a big silver serving spoon and scoop up generous portions of creamy noodles, mushrooms, and beef.

If you want to lean even closer to a classic Sunday version, you can swap half of the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt for a little tang, or stir in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and a splash of Worcestershire sauce to deepen the flavor without changing the basic five-ingredient idea. For a budget-friendly twist, ground beef can replace the steak strips: brown 1 lb ground beef in the skillet, drain, and use it exactly as you would the strips. If your family doesn’t love mushrooms, you can either chop them smaller so they blend in or omit them and add frozen peas or green beans in the last 10 minutes of baking. To make it ahead, assemble the casserole up to the point of baking, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours; add 5–10 extra minutes to the covered bake time since it will be cold going into the oven. Leftovers reheat well in the microwave with a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce. For food safety, keep raw beef refrigerated until you’re ready to cook, and wash your hands, cutting board, and knife after handling it. Don’t leave the baked casserole at room temperature for more than 2 hours; cool leftovers quickly and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. Reheat until the center is steaming hot (165°F) before serving again.