Beef Tips and Rice & Roast (also included: Beef Stroganoff)

This is basically my mom's recipe.  Choose your cut: beef tips or a roast (I usually buy a chuck roast).  It's easy to freeze (I would freeze the beef tips and gravy in one container; the rice in another (freezer bag).  Or just make minute rice when time to reheat the beef tips.  It's easy, not expensive (when you can find the meat on sale) and yummy.  There is also a beef stroganoff recipe below that uses leftover roast or beef tips and gravy.

Beef tips (1-3 pounds)
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 small package brown gravy mix
3 cups water
rice cooked according to directions (we prefer brown)

Preheat oven to 350. Place beef tops in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee until the outside of the meat is browned. Place browned beef tips in a roasting pan (you can use a casserole dish or even do this in the crockpot on low all day). Mix water, soup, and gravy mixes well. Pour over beef tips. Bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the beef tips are done and tender. Serve over rice.

NOTES: This is great with salad and roll or veggies of your liking. You can even add baby carrots (or regular size carrots, peeled and cut in half) to the roasting pan. If you prefer potatoes instead of rice, peel a few (or don't peel, your preference!) and half or quarter them and place them in the roasting pan. This is the same way I do my roast, but you may need to bake it up to 3 hours to get it tender.  The crockpot works great for the roast or beef tips!  

You can chop an onion (or use some dried onion flakes) and add some salt instead of using the onion soup mix. 

 Sometimes I use a package and a half of the gravy mix (I buy it in bulk from Sam's so it's 4 1/2 or 5 tablespoons).  If the gravy doesn't turn out thick enough, transfer to a saucepan and place over medium heat.  In a small bowl (I use a custard cup), combine some cornstarch (2 tablespoons...not really sure) and a little water to make it the consistency of milk.  Slowly pour into the gravy while stirring.  It will thicken very quickly.  Stir until it's the right consistency.  You may not need all the cornstarch mixture or you may need to make more.  Once it's the right consistency, remove from heat immediately.  

Beef Stroganoff

1 package egg noodles (I usually get 12 or 16 ounces, whatever you need for your family), cooked & drained

1 onion, chopped and sauteed (optional)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (use more if you get a huge bag of noodles!)

sour cream (about 8 ounces, more if you use more soup)

leftover beef tips or roast (cut into small pieces) and gravy

Stir the onion, soup, sour cream, meat, and gravy together.  Add to noodles and stir well over low heat until heated through.  

This is so versatile.  I've made it without the soup and just added more sour cream and it was delicious!  I rarely do the onions since my gravy usually has them.

When I have leftover meat and gravy, I just freeze and use it in this recipe.  It only takes a handful of meat and a little gravy to make it.