Hamburger Steaks

Yesterday was spent cleaning and organizing the office, catching up on laundry, and trying to appease Miss Marie. Again, time ran away from me, and the next thing I knew, it was 3:30 and I had no idea what dinner was going to be. I could live off of grilled chicken the rest of my life, but Jason doesn't have the same sentiment. I still had a whole family pack of ground sirloin in the fridge that I had not divided up in the freezer yet, so my brain went crazy. No burgers, (I have to have buns for some reason), didn't want spaghetti (although, I could live off of it too!), and didn't really want meatloaf either.

But, I did have a bunch of fresh mushrooms and potatoes that needed to be loved on, so Hamburger Steaks it was! You can also make extra steaks and freeze them for later if you have the time. After you've shaped them, line a cookie sheet with parchment, stick them in the freezer until they harden, and then throw them in a labeled freezer bag.

Ingredients:
 1/2 tsp cayenne, Italian seasoning, paprika
1/4 tsp salt, pepper
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce
Hot Sauce to taste
1 egg
1 Packet of Onion Soup Mix
Bread Crumbs, as needed (I used about a 1/2 cup)
1 onion
8 ounces of mushrooms (canned or fresh)
Olive oil

Kitchenware:
Large Skillet
Cutting Board
Knife
Mixing Bowl
Spatula

Start by mixing your spices together in the mixing bowl. Add in worcestershire, soy sauce, hot sauce, egg and onion soup mix.

Next, mix in your egg and enough breadcrumbs that it is still moist, but not runny.

Then, add in your ground meat (either hamburger or venison) and mix well. Put in the refrigerator and let chill for 5 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile,pre-heat your skillet on Medium-High heat, and add your oil. Thinly slice your onions into half moons, and slice your mushrooms. Add them to the skillet, and let them cook until tender (5 to 10 minutes).  Add garlic here also if you'd like.

Form your steaks. Make them any size you would like, but make sure that they are equal in thickness.

Turn down heat to Medium. Scoot away the veggies to make room for the hamburger steaks. Let them brown on both sides (about 2-3 minutes per side). Add water to let them cook. Remember, you can always add water, but you can't take it away. So, depending on how much gravy you'd like, and the consistency of it, will depend on how much water you'll need.

I added too much water, so I cheated and used Tony Chachere's Instant Roux Mix. It is a LIFESAVER to help thicken gravies when I've made them a bit too thin. (and it adds a bit of color)

Let it come to a boil, then drop it to Medium-Low heat, simmer for 30 minutes to an hour to develop flavors.

Serve over rice or Creamed Potatoes and enjoy!