Salisbury Steak with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Tristan and I have been dating for over 2 years now. He happily eats everything and anything I make, but that wasn't always the case. When we first started dating he despised eggplant, zucchini, and all mushrooms. If I ever suggested a dish with any of those ingredients, I was given a disapproving look.

I remember the first time I cooked these Salisbury steaks for him. He came home from work tired yet excited for dinner, and I told him we were having mushrooms. He froze and had that look on his face that dogs have when they feel betrayed. But one bite, and he was converted into a mushroom lover. Now I get an Ooohhh! when I tell him we're having mushrooms.

You need 2 cups of mushrooms for this recipe. I used a mixture of shimeji and maitake. Half of the mushrooms should be chopped finely and half should be torn into small pieces.

Chop the onion finely and heat it in the microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until they're translucent. In a small bowl, soak the breadcrumbs in milk. Put both the onion and milk-soaked breadcrumbs in a big bowl and add the ground meat, a beaten egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Mix it all together with your hands until it comes together.

Divide the meat into four patties. Make them more or less the same size so they cook evenly.

On medium high heat, add the patties to a non-stick frying pan. Press down on the center of the patties so they become slightly concave. The patties puff as they cook, so it's important they start off with a little dip in the middle so they don't explode and lose all the moisture. Flip them over when they get a nice color on one side, turn the heat to low, and cover them and cook for 6 minutes.

Add all the mushrooms to the pan with some grated garlic. When the mushrooms are all coated with the grease from the patties, add the heavy cream and cook until it thickens. Taste the sauce for seasoning, and add salt and pepper if needed.

Plate it up and spoon that delicious sauce over your Salisbury steak. This is quite rich so I suggest serving it with some simple grilled veggies.

Enjoy!

Want more savory dishes?

• Serve up some popcorn shrimp or cauliflower with this bang bang sauce! It also goes well with salmon, chicken or tofu, add some zip to your favorite wrap, use it as a dip for veggies or tempura, or dollop it on poke bowls.
• If you want to switch up your side dish game, make this Arroz Valenciana. It's a Filipino rice dish with flavors of coconut milk and saffron that's hard to beat!
• Any fellow creamy soup lovers need to try my vegan pumpkin soup or my roasted tomato soup!