marilynpeight
This simple Poor Man’s Steak is a great main dish for the slow cooker. Made with ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms and onions, these ground beef patties in a creamy sauce/gravy are a hearty and delicious topping for mashed potatoes, buttered noodles and more! My favorite part about this poor man’s steak with mushroom sauce is that it has basic ingredients that I usually have on hand. If you enjoy slow cooker recipes, you may also enjoy Amish Chicken and Pasta Casserole, Amish Sausage and Cabbage Casserole, or Creamy Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken.
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Easy Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Steak (only 7 ingredients plus salt & pepper)
Equipment
- 4 quart slow cooker (linked below)
- Mixing bowl (linked below)
- Cutting board (linked below)
- Non-stick skillet (linked below)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 10.5 oz. cream of mushroom soup divided
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup diced onions divided
- 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
Instructions
- Combine the ground beef, 1/4 cup of cream of mushroom soup, grated parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper by hand until well mixed (be careful not to overmix the meat mixture). Fold in two tablespoons of diced onion, then shape the mixture into 6-8 thin patties.
- Place the mushrooms and remaining onions on the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker, then heat a large non-stick skillet coated with oil. Fry the beef patties only until browned on both sides (no need to cook them through as they will finish cooking in the slow cooker). Place the beef patties on top of the veggies in the slow cooker.
- Combine the remaining cream of soup with 2-3 tablespoons of water, then pour it evenly over the beef patties in the slow cooker, spreading the mushroom sauce out with a spatula if needed.
- Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours until the beef has reached at least 160 degrees. Allow to cool slightly, then serve over the side dish of your choice and enjoy! Fresh parsley can be sprinkled over top for garnish (optional).
Notes
Equipment needed for this Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Steak:
- 4 quart slow cooker I like to use my 4 quart Hamilton beach crockpot (not an ad) for this Poor Man’s Steak recipe.
- Mixing bowl A mixing bowl is needed for combining the beef patty mixture, and also for combining the soup with a bit of water.
- Cutting board I like to protect my countertops by using a cutting board when chopping the mushrooms and onions for this Poor Man’s Steak.
- Non-stick skillet A large non-stick skillet is useful for flash frying the beef patties before they are transferred to the slow cooker.
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Ingredients needed for this Slow Cooker Poor Man’s Steak: Cream of mushroom soup, mushrooms, bread crumbs, grated parmesan cheese, ground beef, salt, pepper, egg and onion.
If lean ground beef better for this poor man’s steak?
Lean ground beef is generally better for making patties, meatballs and meat loaf if you are looking for a patty/loaf that holds its shape well. Lean beef (80 percent) also has less moisture content than a fattier ground beef such as 70 percent lean ground beef, making it a bit more dry in a patty or meatball. If you plan on using lean ground beef for this poor man’s steak, you can add a tablespoon or two of milk to the beef mixture for a little extra moisture, but add the additional liquid sparingly so that the patties can hold their shape while slow cooking.
Step 1: Combine the ground beef, 1/4 cup of cream of mushroom soup, grated parmesan, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper by hand until well mixed (be careful not to overmix the meat mixture). Fold in two tablespoons of diced onion, then shape the mixture into 6-8 thin patties.
Step 2: Place the mushrooms and onions on the bottom of a 4-5 quart slow cooker, then heat a large non-stick skillet coated with oil. Fry the beef patties only until browned on both sides (no need to cook them through as they will finish cooking in the slow cooker). Place the beef patties on top of the veggies in the slow cooker.
Will the beef patties cook evenly if they are stacked on top of each other?
I have tested this recipe with my 4 quart slow cooker and the beef patties stacked on top of each other several times. Each time the beef patties cooked through nicely if given around 3-4 hours on low. If you do not want to stack the patties in so many layers, you can also use a 7 or 8 quart slow cooker. If using a larger slow cooker the patties will cook through faster and will only need 2-3 hours on low.
Step 3: Combine the remaining cream of soup with 2-3 tablespoons of water, then pour it evenly over the beef patties in the slow cooker, spreading the sauce out with a spatula if needed.
Step 4: Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours until the beef has reached at least 160 degrees. Cooking times may vary.
Step 4 continued: Allow to cool slightly, then serve over the side dish of your choice and enjoy. Fresh parsley can be added as garnish, but is optional.
What to do with leftovers?
These leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and simply microwaved or reheated in the oven. It is not recommended to reheat leftovers in the slow cooker, due to its low heat temperatures. You can also freeze this poor man’s steak for up to several months.
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