Comforting Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak

  (adapted from Allrecipes)

Servings: 8

 (can easily be halved)

This is an easy and tasty comfort food recipe that can be prepped ahead of time and put in your slow cooker to cook all day.  When you're ready for dinner, you have tender steak patties with a rich brown gravy!  Note that you can add mushrooms and onions if you desire; just put them in raw in the slow cooker and place the patties over, then covering with the gravy mixture.  Served with a tossed green salad and mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta, dinner is served!

Note:  browning the patties in oil before placing them in the slow cooker, helps them keep their shape.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 (1-ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix

½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup milk

¼ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)

2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil

2 (10.75 ounce cans (lower sodium) cream of mushroom soup

1 (1-ounce) packet dry au jus mix

¾ cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Lightly spray slow cooker crock with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and milk using your hands.  Shape into 8 equal sized patties.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Dredge the patties in flour just to coat, and quickly brown on both sides in the hot skillet.

Place browned patties into the slow cooker, stacking alternately like a pyramid.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of chicken soup, au jus mix, and water.  Pour over the meat.

Cook on the Low setting for 5 to 6 hours, until the ground beef is well done.

Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or egg noodles.