Salisbury Steak with Wild Mushroom Gravy, Smashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach

SP asked for Rachael Ray's TV dinner, aka Salisbury Steak with Wild Mushroom Gravy, Smashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach for dinner this week and it didn't disappoint:


This is one of her meals that we come back to regularly because it's simple and tasty. Now if only I could find those plastic TV dinner trays with the little compartments to serve the meal.

Salisbury Steak with Wild Mushroom Gravy, Smashed Potatoes, Creamed Spinach
Rachael Ray

Potatoes:
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chunked, 3 large potatoes
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
4 ounces, 1/2 cup garlic and herb cheese (recommended: Boursin)
3 tablespoons chopped chives or, 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Meat and Gravy:
1 1/4 pounds ground beef sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon coarse salt and pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons
12 crimini or baby portobellos, sliced
12 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock

Spinach:
2 boxes frozen chopped spinach, 10 ounces, defrosted in microwave
2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy cream

Place potatoes in a pot and covered with water. Cover pot with lid and bring water to a boil. Salt boiling water and potatoes. Leave lid off pot and simmer at rolling boil until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

While potatoes cook, combine meat, Worcestershire, onion and steak seasoning or salt and pepper. Form 2 large, oval patties, 1-inch thick.

Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and the meat patties to a hot pan. Cook meat 6 minutes on each side until meat is evenly caramelized on the outside and juices run clear. Remove meat and cover with loose tin foil to keep warm. Add 1 more turn of the pan extra-virgin olive oil and butter to the pan, then the mushrooms. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and saute mushrooms until tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

While mushrooms cook, squeeze defrosted spinach dry by wringing it out in a kitchen towel. To a small skillet, add butter and cream and heat to a bubble over moderate heat. add spinach and salt and pepper. Cook until spinach thickens with cream, 3 to 5 minutes.

To mushrooms, add a sprinkle of flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Whisk in stock and thicken 1 minute.

While sauce thickens, drain potatoes and return to hot pot. Smash potatoes with a little half-and- half or cream and garlic and herb cheese. Smash and incorporate chives. Add salt and pepper, to your taste.

To serve, pour gravy over Salisbury steak. Serve potatoes and creamed spinach alongside the steaks.