Description
Delicious and comforting dish of ground beef simmered in a rich gravy, topped with fluffy dumplings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (if beef is leaner)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1½ cups beef broth
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: ½ cup frozen peas or mixed vegetables
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (for dumplings)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (for dumplings)
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- ½ cup milk (whole or 2%)
Instructions
- Brown the Beef: In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain excess fat if necessary.
- Add Aromatics: Add the diced onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Build the Sauce: Mix in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir to coat the beef evenly. Slowly add the beef broth while stirring to avoid lumps. Add thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens into a gravy-like consistency. Stir in frozen vegetables at this point if using.
- Prepare the Dumpling Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add softened butter and work it into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk just until the dough comes together.
- Add Dumplings to the Pan: Using a spoon, drop heaping tablespoons of dough on top of the beef mixture. You should get 6–8 dumplings. Cover the skillet with a lid and reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer and Cook: Let the dumplings steam for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. They will puff up and cook through using the steam and heat from the beef mixture.
- Serve: Once dumplings are cooked through, remove from heat and let sit uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve hot, scooping a portion of beef with one or two dumplings into each bowl.
Notes
- For a healthier option, use lean ground beef.
- Feel free to add other vegetables into the beef filling for added nutrition.
- This dish can be prepared ahead of time and reheated before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 70mg