Creamy beef and noodles with stew meat is a great stovetop recipe that is hearty, flavorful, and filling for the whole family.
This is comfort food at its best and always a great option for dinner.
A Classic Dish

I love the way this creamy beef and noodles recipe turned out. It has a few more steps than most stovetop meals, but it is still an easy recipe to make and super delicious.
This is one of those recipes that you can change a little and add more of what you like or switch things out here and there.
The recipe starts out with a basic creamy gravy that tops the egg noodles for a hearty and very flavorful meal that has become one of our family favorites.
The Recipe Calls For The Following Ingredients:
- Prime stew meat
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Onion, chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Butter
- Half and half
- Beef broth or water
- Water
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Egg noodles
Full recipe with printable instructions and measurements listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
How Do I Make Beef and Noodles?
- Cover the stew meat with 1/4 cup of flour and set aside.
- Add oil, minced garlic, and onion to a saucepan.
- Next, add the meat to the saucepan and brown.
- After browning, remove the meat and add butter, 1/4 cup of flour, and half and half to the saucepan. Scrape the pan to include the drippings. Mix everything together. Add beef broth and mix again. Cook until thick.
- Place the stew meat into a saucepot. Add cream of mushroom soup and the gravy. Add more water and mix everything together.
- Bring to a boil and lower the temperature to a simmer for 1-1/2 hours.
- Pour over cooked egg noodles.
Step-By-Step Instructions

Start off by adding flour, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Mix it together because you’ll be coating your meat with this flour mixture.

Then, add the stew meat to the bowl and flip it around until it is covered with flour.
This will put a touch of a crust on the meat when you cook it in the frying pan. It adds a little coating and some flavor with the salt and pepper.
I bought the stew meat already cut up from the market; however, if they don’t cut up the meat, you can cut it into 1-inch pieces.

Stew meat covered in flour. Give it all a good coating and set aside for a few minutes. Meanwhile, you can get the skillet heated up and ready for the next step.

Heat up a large skillet on medium heat.
Pour the olive oil into the skillet and then add the minced garlic and the onions. Let them cook for a few minutes until the onions are somewhat transparent.
I love the taste of garlic after it has been browned in a skillet. It will really enrich the creamy beef and noodles recipe.

Keep cooking the onions until they are a little bit transparent like the ones pictured above. Cooking the onions really brings out the flavor.

When you’ve cooked the onions and garlic, add the stew meat to the skillet. Cook until the meat is brown.
I took some scissor tongs and turned the meat.
Tongs are probably a little easier to use, but I like to use what I’ve got and they worked fine to turn the meat. If you don’t have tongs, forks work great, too.
The inside of the meat is not going to be cooked and the meat will still be fairly tough when you go to take it out of the skillet.
You’ll be simmering it for a while in the gravy beef mixture in just a bit, so don’t worry about it being undercooked at this stage.
Remove the meat from the skillet and set on a plate to the side.

Put butter into the skillet and scrape it around some.
There’s going to be a lot of food stuck to the skillet, and that ok. That is where your flavor is.
I am always worried that it’s going to be stuck to the bottom of my skillet forever, but as always with gravy, once you get the butter, flour, and milk in there and scrape it around a little, it will all come off and into the gravy.

Sprinkle the flour around in the skillet and stir it around some.
I always put the flour in before the liquid and stir it.
It will be super thick; however, if you add the flour after the liquid, you’ll spend more time trying to get all of the lumps out. It just seems to work better this way.

Pour the half and half into the skillet and mix everything together.
Once you mix it, it’s going to get thick again. Pour in a cup of water or beef broth. The beef broth is going to give it much more of a stronger flavor.
You can use 2% milk if you’d like something lower in fat. It will still taste just as creamy.

Once you’ve added the broth or water, stir everything together and give it a minute to thicken.
I usually keep it on medium heat because it can boil quickly. If it’s too thin, add a small spoonful of flour, and if it’s too thick, add more water or broth.

Grab a saucepot and add the cooked stew beef.

The gravy and the cream of mushroom soup are next to go into the saucepot.
If you’re not a big cream of mushroom soup fan, you can leave it out of the recipe and it will still be very flavorful.
For this recipe, I used canned soup. It helps give it a creamy mushroom sauce that you will love.
You can also replace it with cream of chicken soup if you’d like.

Add more water to the pot and stir everything together. Bring it to a boil.

Lastly, reduce the heat and cover with a lid.
Let the creamy meat and gravy mixture simmer for about 1-1/2 hours. Stir on occasion to keep things from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Once you have fork-tender beef, cook the egg noodle according to the package instructions. Add some noodles to your plate and spoon the creamy beef sauce over the top.
Can You Add Fresh Mushrooms To The Meal?
Yes, you can add fresh mushrooms to the meal. I would add them when you add the mushroom soup.
How Do You Thicken Beef and Noodles?
By adding flour to the gravy mixture. Add one tablespoon of flour to the mixture until the gravy has thickened. Add more, if needed.
Can I Use Other Types Of Meat?
Yes, you can use ground turkey, ground beef, lean ground beef, or beef tips.
What’s The Difference Between Beef Stroganoff And Beef And Noodles?
Beef and noodles and beef stroganoff are very similar. Beef stroganoff usually has sour cream while beef and noodles does not.
Can You Freeze Homemade Beef And Noodles?
Yes, you can freeze homemade beef and noodles for up to two months. When you thaw it out you might need to add some broth to add a little more creaminess to the cream.

More Popular Recipes
- Easy beef stroganoff recipe (copycat Hamburger Helper) – this classic beef stroganoff recipe has the best flavor and it’s a hit with family.
- Crock Pot Italian chicken – a delicious recipe made with fresh ingredients.
- Slow cooker pork shoulder – You only need a few basic ingredients for this hearty recipe.
- Hamburger vegetable soup – good food and an easy cooking process.
- Instant pot chicken taco soup from Southern Home Express – this is one of those great recipes that is super easy to make and delicious.


Creamy Beef and Noodles
Creamy beef and noodles with stew meat is a great stovetop recipe that is flavorful, filling and a hearty meal for the entire family. This is comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 pounds prime stew meat
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoon butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup beef broth or water
- 1 cup water
- 10.5 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
- 12 ounce pkg. egg noodles
Instructions
- Add 1/4 cup of flour, salt, and pepper to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the stew meat and toss until the meat is covered in the flour mixture. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet on medium heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, and onions. Cook until onions are translucent.
- Add the stew meat and cook until browned. Remove and set aside.
- Melt butter in the skillet. Add the flour and mix. It will be thick.
- Next, add the half and half. Stir until everything is combined.
- Pour 1 cup of beef broth or water into the skillet. Stir and cook until the gravy has thickened.
- In a large saucepot, add the meat, mushroom soup, and gravy. Add 1 cup of water to the saucepot. Stir and bring to a boil. Once the gravy mixture has boiled, return to simmer. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours until meat is tender.
- Once the meat is tender, cook the egg noodles according to package instructions and cover with the creamy sauce.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 465Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 674mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 42g
Nutrition is approximate.


Harriet
Wednesday 28th of December 2022
Can I use sour cream instead Of half n half?
Julie Pollitt
Monday 2nd of January 2023
I haven't tried that, but you can give it a shot!
Alice
Sunday 20th of November 2022
Can I use homemade egg noodles for this recipe?
Julie Pollitt
Sunday 20th of November 2022
Definitely! You probably won’t have to cook them long at all if they are fresh.
5-Ingredient Ground Beef Casserole - Back To My Southern Roots
Wednesday 13th of October 2021
[…] this recipe, I used two pounds of ground beef. But, you can use less than that, as […]
Miz Helen
Wednesday 6th of October 2021
I love your Creamy Beef and Noodles, it is pure comfort! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with us at Full Plate Thursday, 556! Miz Helen
One Pot Hamburger Helper Beef Pasta Recipe - Back To My Southern Roots
Wednesday 17th of March 2021
[…] is a very easy recipe with ground beef, seasonings, macaroni noodles, broth, and lots of cheese for a very delicious […]