Salisbury Steak Meatballs

How long has Salisbury Steak been around? Twenty years? Fifty? Turns out, it’s more like a hundred-and-twenty years, and if something has that kind of staying power then you know it’s for good reason. While there’s nothing wrong with the original Salisbury Steak (nothing at all!), this recipe adds the fun twist of turning the beefy mixture into meatballs. They’re a little bit saucier, just as moist and savory and delicious as the original and they’re perfect over egg noodles or mashed potatoes. (And guess what else? They’re super easy to make, too!)

If you’re used to making regular ol’ Salisbury Steak, the process here is going to look pretty familiar to you. It’s just that the end project is a little more bite-sized. There’s no French Onion soup mix or canned cream of mushroom soup or other shortcuts here, just ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, mustard, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce that all get mixed together and rolled into balls.

You brown those in a pan just long enough to get some nice color on them so you can get started on the gravy. Now, you usually see one of two choices with Salisbury Steak, a mushroom gravy or an onion gravy, but this time around we’ve gone with a rich and savory onion gravy.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
1 large white onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION
In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, mustard, ketchup, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper, mix again, and roll into 1 1/2-inch balls.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown meatballs on both sides. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Reduce skillet to medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft and lightly browned, 5-10 minutes.
Add butter to skillet. Once melted, stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.
Whisk in flour and cook another minute. Slowly pour in beef broth and cook until bubbly and thickened.
Stir in remaining Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Return meatballs to pan and simmer until cooked through, 3-4 minutes.
Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes and enjoy!