Crockpot Salisbury Steak

Yay, more comfort food! 

So I have always been a fan of Salisbury Steak, and this sounds weird, but I like more "cheat" recipes and for some reason I really liked the ones served at my high school... Why? Probably because I hate mushrooms and usually "real" Salisbury steak has mushroom gravy, thus, cutting corners and removing the mushrooms actually improves it in my opinion.

Gravy, for the win. 

The "steak" itself is really just a glorified hamburger...but I am a fan of anything that comes covered in gravy!  This recipes adds some really simple ingredients together to make for a very hearty, flavorful, and delicious (not to mention easy) meal.

Now, just a few caveats here: I am using venison because I desperately want to deplete our stash before the season rolls around and we have another 40lbs to deal with. Problems of living with an avid hunter.  Venison is extremely dry and bland, so while it is healthier, it is not the most flavorful of meats.  Therefore, I used a whole package of onion soup mix versus the half suggested for beef, and I also added beef bouillon powder for flavor.  I don't think it will overload your salisbury steak if you do this with beef, but just so you know why it is included in my recipe.  I would probably forgo the beef bouillon if it were just beef.  But you could use turkey to make it healthier and add it for flavoring!

Crockpot Salisbury Steak & Gravy - 7 points/steak+a few ladlefuls of gravy.
1 lb Ground Meat
1 packet Onion Soup Mix
2 tablespoons Milk
1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Beef Bouillon Powder/Paste
Flour, for dredging
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 cans Cream of Chicken (or mushroom, celery, homemade-flavor, whatever)
1 package Au Jus Gravy Mix
3/4 cup Water
Cooking spray

Simple, straight-forward ingredients. 

In a bowl, mix together your first five ingredients.  Heat oil in skillet to medium heat.

Form 4 patties. In a bowl, mix enough flour (about 1/4-1/2 cup) for dredging and salt and pepper to taste.

Dredge patties in flour.  Sear about 45 seconds on each side in hot skillet.

Sear about 45 seconds on each side in hot skillet.

Lay or stack in lightly greased crockpot.

In a separate bowl, mix together cream of chicken, au jus mix, and water.  Pour over patties.

Cook on low 4-5 hours. 

That's it!  Seriously...Serve with a yummy baked potato or mashed potatoes - or anything else to share in the gravy-deliciousness.  It is easy to double, triple, etc. if you are feeding a crowd, too.  As for just the boyfriend and I, we just make the four and have the leftovers for lunch the next day.