Smooth and Creamy Beef Stroganoff - perfect for a busy day!

It's December.  Is it any surprise that the days seem overly-filled with events and errands?  Of all the months of the year, this is one in which I am most grateful for a freezer full of meals.  Whether it is choosing an easy-fix on a busy day,  or pulling out a meal for my friend battling cancer, once-a-month cooking pays off.

Actually, last night, I took a look at the menu and decided that a crock-pot meal would be better for this day than the entree listed, so I made the simple swap and pulled out Beef Stroganoff so that it could defrost overnight.  This morning, I dumped the contents of the freezer container into my crock-pot, set it for 9 hours and left the house.

When I arrived home this afternoon, a delicious smell greeted me at the door.  I gave the pot a quick stir and left it to finish cooking.  The final prep was to add the sour cream and cream cheese to the crock-pot and boil a package of egg noodles.  What could be easier?  For a side, I chose to make Lemon-Butter Broccoli (see blog).  Dinner took only 15 minutes to prepare, and it tasted as good as it smelled!

Place the following in a 14-cup freezer container:
2 lbs. beef stew meat
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of golden mushroom soup
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) French Onion soup
4 cans (8 oz. each) sliced mushrooms drained (canned really is best)
1/4 tsp. pepper

To enjoy later:  Label container and freeze.  Defrost the night before you want to serve the dish and follow the directions below.

To enjoy tonight:  Place all ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Beef should be very tender. 

Stir in
1 C sour cream
1- 8oz. package cream cheese, cubed

Cook 1 12-oz package of egg noodles as directed on package.
Serve beef and sauce over noodles.