Why it works: Beef and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,232 recipes. Both carry 2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Spicy Hamburger Stroganoff
Ingredients
Directions
Make the beef sauce
Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium‑high heat, then drain the beef.
Return the beef to the skillet; add tomatoes, soup, and sour cream.
Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated.
Serve
Spoon over rice and sprinkle with onions.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Beef | 100g cooked | 250 |
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Soup | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
-
Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,232 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Tomato + ricetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,065 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + mushroomtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,719 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Beef + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,448 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lean ground beef
- Provides the meaty base and savory browned flavor of the dish.
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Forms a thick, creamy sauce that coats the beef and rice.
- Sour cream
- Adds tang and a smooth, rich texture to the sauce.
- Diced tomatoes with green chilies
- Adds moisture, acidity, and a mild chili bite to the sauce.
- Cooked quick cooking brown rice
- Acts as a neutral base that soaks up the sauce.
The step that matters
Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Once sour cream is added, high heat can make it separate and turn grainy, so gentle heating keeps the sauce smooth and creamy.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, cream, mushroom, rice, onion):
- Potatofits better
- Leekfits about as well
- Chivefits about as well
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, cream, mushroom, rice, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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