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Old-Fashioned Beef and Noodles

G By Our Grannies' Kitchen Updated Jul 2026 4.8 (88 ratings)
Old-Fashioned Beef and Noodles
Old-Fashioned Beef and Noodles
4.8 / 5
6 servings

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Ingredients

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  • 2 lb (900 g) beef chuck, in 3 cm pieces
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 5 cups (1200 ml) beef stock
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 bay leaves & 1 tsp thyme
  • 3 cups (300 g) wide egg noodles
  • 2 tbsp butter + 2 tbsp flour (to thicken, optional)
  • Salt, pepper & mashed potatoes to serve

Method

  1. Brown the beef. Season and brown hard in the oil, in batches — don't crowd the pan. Set aside.
  2. Onion. Soften the onion 6–8 minutes, then the garlic for one more.
  3. Simmer. Return the beef, add the stock, Worcestershire, bay and thyme. Bare simmer, covered, about 1½ hours until fork-tender.
  4. Noodles in the broth. Stir the egg noodles straight in and cook 8–10 minutes — the starch thickens the gravy and the noodles soak up the flavor. For thicker gravy, stir in the butter-flour paste and simmer 5 minutes.
  5. Serve. Bay leaves out, season well. Big ladlefuls over creamy mashed potatoes. Black pepper. Contentment.
Granny's tip

Add a splash more hot stock with the noodles — they drink up a surprising amount, and you want it soupy-loose, not claggy, going onto the potatoes.

Tips for rich beef and noodles

Brown properly

A deep crust on the beef is where the savory depth of the gravy comes from. Batches, patience.

Noodles in the broth

They thicken the gravy and soak up the beef. Never cook them in a separate pot.

Low and slow

A bare simmer melts chuck to tender. A hard boil just makes it tough and stringy.

Questions, answered

Why serve beef and noodles over mashed potatoes?

Midwest tradition — carbs on carbs, and gloriously so. The noodles and gravy pool over the mash into one comforting plate. It's the whole point, not a mistake.

How do I make the gravy thicker?

Cooking the noodles in the broth thickens it as their starch releases. For thicker still, stir in a paste of 2 tbsp butter mashed with 2 tbsp flour and simmer 5 minutes.

What's the best beef for beef and noodles?

Chuck — marbled with collagen that melts to silky tenderness over a slow simmer. Avoid lean cuts, which stay tough.

Can I make it in a slow cooker?

Yes — brown the beef, slow-cook in the stock 7–8 hours on low, and add the noodles in the last 30–40 minutes on high so they cook in the broth without going mushy.

From Granny's Pantry

The know-how behind this recipe:

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