Salisbury steak with fondant potatoes

Take a classic Salisbury steak recipe, add some crispy roast potatoes to the gravy, let them simmer with the patties, and top with a handful of seasonal vegetables. You have a delicious meal of Salisbury steak with fondant potatoes.

Salisbury steak with fondant potatoes is my twist on the classic Salisbury steak recipe. Instead of serving the patties over mash, I tuck roast potatoes into the rich mushroom and onion gravy to simmer alongside the beef. With a few seasonal vegetables added for good measure, the result is a mouth-watering meal of juicy patties, tender vegetables and potatoes that turn fondant-style delicious!

The secret to making these fondant-style potatoes is to roast them in the oven for 20 minutes until they are crispy. This gives them a firm outer shell that prevents them from breaking up and turning mushy. To save a few minutes, you can pop the potatoes into the oven while you form the patties - that way, everything will be ready to go into the pan at the same time.

Apart from roasting the potatoes, everything else is cooked in one pan, making this a really quick and easy, tasty meal.

Here's how you do it:

• Fry mushrooms and onions, then add flour and stock to form a thick gravy.
• Simmer the patties for 5 minutes to give them a head start in the cooking process.
• Submerge the potatoes in the gravy next to the patties and arrange the vegetables on top.
• Cover with a lid and simmer for another 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender, the patties and cooked, and the potatoes have transformed into a magnificent, fondant-like softness!

And the best thing? It takes less than an hour to prepare and cook!

What is Salisbury steak?

Salisbury steak is a classic American dish, first created in the late 1800s by an American doctor, James Salisbury, who believed that a diet rich in minced beef (or ground beef) was the key to good health. His simple idea of a beef patty served with mushroom gravy on a bed of mashed potatoes quickly caught on, and Salisbury steak has become a traditional comfort food in the United States.

This is my idea of food heaven! Juicy beef patties, soft fondant-like potatoes, tasty veggies and an amazingly tasty mushroom and onion gravy. Proper comfort food - just like the good doctor ordered!

Jump to:

• What is Salisbury steak?
• Why you should try this recipe
• Recipe information
• Ingredients for Salisbury steak with fondant potatoes
• Recipe information
• Instructions
• Tips for a successful outcome
• Serving suggestions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top Tip
• FAQ
• Save for later
• Related recipes
• 📋The recipe

Why you should try this recipe

• ⭐One-pan wonder (almost) - apart from roasting the potatoes, all the ingredients are simmered in one pan on the stove, making prep and clean-up a breeze.
• ⭐A classic recipe with a twist - all the classic flavours of Salisbury steak, now with fondant potatoes.
• ⭐Flexible and seasonal - swap out the vegetables depending on what's in season or what's in your refrigerator.
• ⭐Family friendly - I have never yet come across a child who doesn't enjoy meatballs (even if they are shaped like patties!)
• ⭐ Make-ahead friendly - roast the potatoes and prep the patties and gravy in advance. Store in the refrigerator for a day or two, then assemble and bake for an even faster weeknight dinner.

Recipe information

• ⌚Prep time - 30 minutes - just enough to form the patties and prep the veggies. And here's a tip - put the potatoes on to roast first - they need 30 minutes to crisp.
• ⌛Cooking time - 25 to 30 minutes
• 🍚Yield: Serves 4 people

Ingredients for Salisbury steak with fondant potatoes

**You can find the exact ingredient quantities on the printable recipe card at the end of this post.**

Beef patties

• Beef mince (or ground beef). The mince should have a low fat content. Ground beef with a high fat content would be inclined to shrink once it is cooked.
• Onion. The onion should be peeled and grated before being combined into the patties. I prefer grating the onion because I want the flavour rather than pieces of onion in the patties. You could chop it finely if you prefer.
• Breadcrumbs. I used Panko, but you could use fresh breadcrumbs. You could also soak a slice of bread (remove the crusts first) in the milk for a few minutes.
• Milk. This adds a little moisture to the patties.
• Egg. Binds the patties together so they don't fall to pieces when they are cooked.
• Worcestershire sauce, sweet paprika and garlic granules. For a little extra flavour. If you prefer a smokier taste, use smoked paprika instead.
• Salt and pepper. For seasoning - use to your own taste.
• You will also need a small amount of vegetable oil for browning the patties and for roasting the potatoes.

Mushroom and onion sauce

• Onions. Peeled and finely sliced. You can use either red or white onions.
• Mushrooms. Don't wash your mushrooms - they will absorb water. To clean them, wipe with a piece of damp kitchen towel. The mushrooms should be sliced. It doesn't matter what mushrooms you use; I used small portobello mushrooms, but white or chestnuts (cremini) will be perfect too.
• Butter (which for some reason, got left out of the photo). For softening the onions and mushrooms. I prefer using butter to oil for the sauce as the butter adds flavour.
• Stock cubes. For this recipe, I used Oxo cubes because they are nice and dry and crumble easily. Some brands don't crumble easily; if this is the case, dissolve them in boiling water first.
• Mustard and tomato puree. For flavouring. I like to use Dijon mustard in sauces and gravies as it's nice and mild; for a sharper taste, use English mustard instead.
• Flour. This is to thicken the sauce.

Vegetables

• Potatoes. As long as you've got some potatoes, the rest of the vegetables can be of your own choosing. I used small baby potatoes, left the skins on and cut them in half. You could use larger potatoes (a waxy variety or a good all-rounder, such as Maris Piper or Yukon Gold, is preferable to a floury potato), peel them and cut them into chunks.
• I used a sweet potato, brussels sprouts, green beans and broccoli. Use whatever you have available - just take into account the number of people you are making this dish for. You will need approximately 1 cup of a mixture of vegetables per person.

Recipe information

• ⌚Prep time. 30 minutes. This allows for roasting the potatoes while you prep the rest of the vegetables and form the beef patties.
• ⌛Cooking time. 40 minutes. This is 15 minutes for browning the patties and making the sauce. Plus a final 25 minutes to simmer the assembled dish.
• 🍚Yield. Serves 4 people. However, this is an easy dish to scale up or down - simply make more or fewer patties and adjust the amount of vegetables accordingly.

Instructions

Roast the potatoes

Mix the patties

Make the gravy

Assemble and simmer

Tips for a successful outcome

Here are my top tips for ensuring the Salisbury steak with fondant potatoes always turns out perfectly:

• Line your baking pan with tinfoil when roasting the potatoes. It makes cleaning up afterwards much easier.
• The potatoes will not be fully cooked after being roasted. This is perfectly fine - they will finish cooking in the pan with the sauce.
• You can use a spatula to combine the pattie mixture, or simply get your hands in. The mixture will be quite wet at first until the egg has combined. Just keep mixing; it will eventually come together.
• When frying the patties, don't cook them all the way through. They should just be browned on the outside.
• Take care not to burn the onions. Cook them on moderate heat, stirring to deglaze the pan and pick up the flavours left by the patties.
• Remove the pan from the heat before adding the flour, and stir well to remove any lumps.
• If you don't have Oxo cubes (that crumble easily) dissolve the stock cubes in 2 cups of boiling water.
• Stir the gravy once the water has been added and allow it to come to a boil. The gravy should thicken slightly as the flour cooks out.
• Allow the patties to simmer for 5 minutes before adding the potatoes and vegetables. This will ensure they will be fully cooked in the time allowed.
• Submerge the potatoes in the gravy so they can absorb the flavours and develop the fondant-like texture.
• Keep the vegetables on top of the gravy so they steam rather than cook in liquid. This will ensure they retain their vibrant colours.

Serving suggestions

To be perfectly honest, this is a complete meal in its own right. You've got tender fondant potatoes, lots of vegetables, juicy beef patties and a rich mushroom gravy to pour over it.

All I can suggest is that you either add a crusty dinner roll to mop up the last drop of tasty gravy, or a crisp green salad for freshness

Substitutions

Disclaimer: Please check all ingredients carefully if you have allergies or dietary restrictions. This recipe has not been tested for specific dietary needs.

Gluten-free.

• Use gluten-free flour or cornflour to thicken the gravy.
• Check the label on your Worcestershire sauce to ensure it is gluten-free.

Dairy-free / Vegetarian

• Replace the butter in the sauce with olive oil, sunflower oil or a plant-based spread.
• Leave out the milk in the pattie mixture.
• Use vegetable stock cubes instead of beef Oxo cubes.
• Swap the meat for plant-based patties or sausages.

Egg-free

• Instead of using egg as a binder in the patties, you could use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseeds mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Alternatively, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of mashed potato to the pattie mixture.

Variations

Of course, like any good recipe, you can vary this one to suit your own taste:

• Cheesy - add a handful of grated cheddar cheese (or equivalent) into the beef mixture before shaping the patties.
• ;Swap out the meat - swap half of the beef mince for pork, turkey or chicken. Add extra breadcrumbs (especially if using turkey or chicken) if the mixture feels too soft.
• Mushroom lovers - double up on the mushrooms used in the sauce, or use a mix of different mushrooms.
• Add a splash of wine - a splash of red wine (or white for a lighter version) added to deglaze the onions and mushrooms, will add tons of flavour to the gravy.

Equipment

These are the main items of equipment you will need to make Salisbury steak with fondant potatoes:

• Baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. I normally line my baking dish with tin foil for easier cleanup.
• Mixing bowl for mixing the patties. You might also like to use a spatula for stirring the meat mixture (I just get my hands in 😁).
• Saute pan or frying pan large enough to hold the patties, gravy, potatoes and vegetables. The pan should have a lid, as you need to cover the Salisbury steak as it simmers.
• Other items you might find helpful are a vegetable peeler, a sharp knife, a chopping board and a cheese grater for grating the onions.

Storage

Storing in the refrigerator:

• Allow the dish to come to room temperature.
• Transfer everything to an airtight container.
• Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing:

• Cool completely before freezing.
• Divide into portions for easier defrosting.
• Use airtight freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty plastic bags.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.

Thawing and reheating:

• Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, or use the defrost function on your microwave if you are in a hurry.
• Reheat gently in a pan on the stove (covered with a lid), or use the reheat function on your microwave.
• Add a splash of water or stock if the gravy has thickened too much.
• Do not refreeze.

FAQ

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