gluten free beef and noodles in a bowl with a fresh thyme garnish

Got a weekend cooking project for you: Gluten Free Homestyle Beef and Noodles. OH MY WORD this recipe is such a treat! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Speaking of, Ben was complaining of being hungry the other night so I reminded him that we had leftover beef and noodles in the fridge and his mouth started watering uncontrollably. It was like the hungry husband version of pavlov’s dogs.

Semi-disgusting but proof of this dish’s deliciousness – ha!

Anyway, if you love thick and chewy frozen egg noodles but can’t eat them anymore due to going gluten free, the homemade noodles in this cozy dish are going to thrill you. Heck, even if you don’t need to eat gluten free, you should get this cold weather favorite on your menu pronto. There’s absolutely nothing better then a big pot of silky shredded beef and chewy noodles on a frigid night.

shredded beef and gluten free egg noodles in a bowl

Perfect Slow Cooking Dish for the Weekend

Now, I say this is a weekend cooking project because there are a few steps involved:

  • Brown the beef
  • Braise the beef in the oven
  • Make the noodles
  • Shred the beef
  • Simmer the noodles

None of these steps are hard but the dish is cooked over the course of an afternoon. That said, it is so worth the wait. I know people (aka me, hi) say, “your house will smell amazing while this cooks!” but seriously, YOUR HOUSE WILL SMELL AMAZING WHILE THIS COOKS. Actually, Homestyle Beef and Noodles will assault nearly all your senses in the best way possible. The scent, the taste, the sight and sound of those creamy noodles being stirred into the thickened, beefy broth.

YUM.

gluten free homestyle beef and noodles in a bowl

Step 1: Brown the Beef

Start by slicing a beef chuck roast into 4 or 5 large pieces then season generously with salt and pepper. Sear the beef on four sides in extra virgin olive oil until golden brown then remove the meat to a plate and set aside.

You’ll want a large, oven-safe Dutch oven or cast iron pot for this recipe – here’s the one we have.

Turn the heat down to a touch above medium then add chopped mushrooms, diced carrots, and chopped shallot, season with salt and pepper, and saute until the mushrooms turn golden brown. Add minced garlic then saute for 1 minute, and then add tomato paste and saute for another minute.

Next add red wine (could sub in beef stock if you’d like!) then let the wine simmer and reduce by half. I’ve used both cabernet and pinot noir in this recipe – just use a wine you enjoy drinking because you DO taste it in the final dish.

By the way, I got this wooden scraping spoon for Ben for his birthday and I have officially claimed ownership of it – it is the BEST tool for scraping the bottom of pots to get yummy, browned bits up. It would make a great stocking stuffer!

Step 2: Braise the Beef

Once the wine has reduced, add beef stock, fresh thyme, and dried bay leaves. Bring the stock up to a boil then add the meat back in, place a lid on top, and slide it into a 300 degree oven for 2-1/2 – 3 hours or until the beef shreds easily with a fork. Remove then discard the thyme stems and bay leaves.

Step 3: Make the Gluten Free Egg Noodles

While the beef is cooking, make the gluten free, homestyle egg noodles.

Add a gluten free flour blend WITH binder (I like Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour) into a large bowl then make a well in the center. To the well, add whole eggs whisked with egg yolk, salt, and water then use a fork to gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs. Once all the flour is wet, use your fingers to press the dough together then turn out onto a heavily floured work surface and press and knead to bring the dough together into a ball.

The dough shouldn’t be sticky but if it’s crumbly, work up to 1 additional Tablespoon water into the dough.

Slice the dough in half then roll each half as thin as you can, keeping the countertop and dough well floured so the rolling pin doesn’t stick. Next use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into noodles approximately 2-1/2″ x 1/2″ – absolutely NO need to be precise here!!

Scrape the noodles up off the counter with a bench scraper or spatula then toss with extra flour to ensure they don’t stick together. Place the noodles into a covered dish then refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 4: Shred the Beef and Add the Noodles

After removing the beef from the pot, bring the stock up to a boil on the stovetop then sprinkle in the noodles and give everything a good stir to ensure they’re not sticking together. Shred the beef then add it into the pot while the noodles cook, and stir, scraping the bottom frequently until the noodles are tender, 15-20 minutes. I didn’t need to add any extra beef stock, but I added an allowance of 2 extra cups in the recipe in case your dish thickens up before the noodles are tender.

dutch oven with gluten free beef and noodles

Let the dish sit and thicken for 10 minutes or so before digging in. I hope you love this homey, gluten free comfort food recipe as much as we do! Enjoy!

fork taking a bite of gluten free beef and noodles from a bowl

Gluten Free Homestyle Beef and Noodles

Description

Yes, you can be gluten free and eat comfort food too! Gluten Free Homestyle Beef and Noodles is thick, rich, and hearty. Such a cozy treat!

Ingredients

serves 6-8

  • 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2lb beef chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat then cut into 4-5 large hunks
  • salt and pepper
  • 8oz mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced (1-1/2 cups)
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 cup red wine (or beef stock)
  • 8 cups beef stock, divided
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme OR big pinch dried thyme
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • For the noodles (makes 16oz/3 cups noodles):
    • 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, plus more for rolling
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 3 whole large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
    • 1 - 2 Tablespoons water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Heat a large, oven safe pot like a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil then generously season beef on one side with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, add beef seasoned side down then sear until a golden brown crust has formed, 1-2 minutes. Season the tops with salt and pepper then flip and sear on the other side. Flip twice more to sear each remaining side then remove beef to a plate and set aside (meat does not need to be cooked through.)
  3. Turn heat down to just a touch above medium then add mushrooms, carrots, and shallots. Season with salt and pepper then saute until the mushrooms release their liquid, the liquid evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to turn golden brown, 7-8 minutes. Add garlic then saute until very fragrant, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add tomato paste then saute for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add red wine then simmer until reduced by half, 3-4 minutes. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
  4. Add 6 cups beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves then turn heat up to high to bring mixture to a boil. Add beef + juices back into the pot then place a lid on top and transfer to the oven. Cook for 2-1/2 - 3 hours or until the meat shreds easily with a fork. Transfer beef to a plate then remove thyme stems and bay leaves from the pot.
  5. Meanwhile, make the noodles. Whisk together eggs, extra egg yolk, salt, and 1 Tablespoon water in a small bowl. Add flour to a large bowl then make a well in the center. Pour egg mixture into the well then, using a fork, whisk around the edges to gradually add flour to the egg mixture until everything is wet. Use your fingers to bring the dough together then pour onto a heavily floured surface and press until the dough comes together into a smooth ball. The dough shouldn’t be sticky, but if it’s crumbly add up to an additional Tablespoon water.
  6. Cut dough ball in half then flour a rolling pin and roll each half until very thin, sprinkling with flour and flipping/rotating the dough sheet occasionally to avoid sticking. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into 2-1/2" by 1/2” strips (no need to be precise!!) then toss with extra flour to avoid sticking and place in a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
  7. Turn heat under pot up to high to bring stock to a boil then sprinkle in noodles. Stir well to ensure none of them are sticking together then turn heat down to medium and simmer until noodles are tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring often, adding extra glugs of beef stock if necessary, and turning the heat down slightly near the end. While the noodles are cooking, shred the beef then add into the pot as you shred it. Once noodles are done, taste then add extra salt and pepper if necessary, then scoop into bowls and serve. Dish will thicken as it sits.

This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.

photo collage of gluten free beef and noodles