A Baked Ham (27 page)

This main course is a diner
favorite, and one that’s a real hit with my family as well.
 
The taste is hard to beat, and we especially
like to have this on a cold winter day when we’re taking it easy and indulging
in some of our favorite foods.
 
The
Salisbury steak goes great with crisp green beans (see below) and some smashed
potatoes (featured on the next page) on the side.
 
The gravy is created as the meat simmers, and
some of my family think that is the best part!

Ingredients

1 (10.5 oz can) Condensed French
Onion Soup, low sodium (divide into 1/3 and 2/3 portions)

1 to 1 ½ pounds ground beef (we
like 85/15 and drain the fat after cooking)

½ cup dry bread crumbs (we use
French’s)

1 egg, whole, lightly beaten with
a fork

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 to 2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon catsup

1/2 cup Condensed Beefy Mushroom
Soup (Optional)

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon water, tap, room
temperature

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon dried mustard powder

Directions

Mix 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the
condensed French Onion soup, ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, salt, and pepper
together in a large mixing bowl.
 
I find
that my hands are the best tools for this job.
 
Shape this mixture, and once it is combined into equal sized patties (4
to 8, depending on your preference), place them on a nonstick or sprayed cookie
sheet, cover, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. After the patties are set,
heat a large pan over medium to medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and then
brown both sides of each patty, turning once.
 
Don’t crowd the pan too much, and brown these
in shifts until they are all finished.
 
Pour off the fat, and then set these aside.
 

In another bowl, mix together the
flour and remaining soup (as well as 1/2 cup of the Beefy Mushroom soup if
desired) until it has a smooth consistency.
 
Next, add the catsup, water, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard
powder.
 
Return the browned patties to
the pan and cover them with the sauce.
 
Next, cover the pan, heating it to boiling and then simmering for 15 to
20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
 

These are great with green beans
and the smashed potato recipe on the next page.
 
Enjoy.

Makes 4-8 patties, depending on
the size you choose.

Green Bean Tip:
 
I like to take my green beans out of the can,
pat them down with paper towels, and then cook them lightly in a medium-high
pan with a little olive oil until they have a bit of crisp to them.
 
These are heads above what you get straight
from the can in my family’s opinion.

MY CHEESY SMASHED POTATOES

This
recipe was born after visiting a favorite diner of mine and ordering the cheesy
smashed potatoes featured on the menu.
 
The cook wouldn’t give up her recipe, so I brought some home and tried
to duplicate it myself.
 
You might be
tempted to skip the cream cheese, but that’s what really makes the potatoes
creamy.
 

Ingredients

1
to 1 ½ pounds new potatoes, red or gold, unpeeled and cut into chunks

1
package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened (we like Philadelphia)

1/3
to 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (to taste)

Bacon,
cooked and loosely chopped, one to two pieces

2
Tablespoons milk (whole, 2%, or 1% seem to work best for me)

1
Tablespoon butter

1
teaspoon Parmesan cheese, grated

1
teaspoon garlic powder

1
teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Cook
the potatoes, bringing the water to a boil, and then simmer 8 to 12 minutes, or
until they are fully cooked. A fork should go into the potato easily.
 
Drain the potatoes, and pat some of the
moisture off them.
 
They don’t have to be
dry, but the excess moisture should be gone.
 
Mash the potatoes with a hand-masher until they are smooth, and then add
the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, milk, cayenne pepper,
garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese.
 

Continue
to combine, at first with the masher and then with a spatula, until all of the
ingredients are incorporated nicely.

Serve
and enjoy!
 

Makes
6-8 servings, depending on the amount of potatoes used.