Ground Beef Mashed Potatoes - Salisbury Style

My Mom made Salisbury Steak all the time when we were kids and it was one of my favourite meals. Is Salisbury Steak actually steak? Nope. Not even close. It’s ground beef, formed into patties that do not resemble steak whatsoever so where the name came from I have absolutely no idea nor do I really care.

What you need to know is that it’s so delicious, super easy to make and surprisingly only uses a handful of pantry ingredients.

I have even given you the healthier option of making your mash half potato and half cauliflower. I’d like to say this is because I wanted it to be healthier, and that’s partly true, but it’s also because I didn’t want to make any side veggies to go with it. A one bowl meal was my goal here.

Sidebar: my amazing Mom even included her recipe in her very own self-published cookbook (Fit to Cook – Why “Waist” Time in the Kitchen? – which is now out of print but you can still find it on Amazon!!) of which she sold over a quarter of a million copies thank you very much.

Beef – I use lean ground beef for this recipe.

Onion – regular yellow onions are what I use.

Potatoes – I love Yukon Gold potatoes for mashing but use your fave.

Cauliflower – stay with me here… adding cauli in with the potatoes is totally optional, but I promise that it is very, very delicious. Just use extra potatoes if you are strongly opposed.

Butter – regular, salted butter. Because what are mashed potatoes without butter?

Chicken Broth – I like to cook the veggies in chicken broth because it gives them an extra boost of flavour. You can just use salted water if you prefer.

Freezing – this does freeze well. You can freeze the potatoes and the beef separately or you can layer them in an oven safe dish and reheat in the oven.

Storing – keep leftovers for up to 5 days in containers in the fridge. I store the potatoes and the beef separately, then reheat them separately before serving.

Ground Beef Mashed Potatoes Recipe Variations:

Turkey Version – just swap out the ground beef for ground turkey (or ground chicken, or ground bison!).

Mushroom Version – I like to roast the mushrooms an add it in at the end for this version. Just follow the instructions for the roasted mushrooms in my Beef Barley Mushroom Soup Recipe.

Hamburger Casserole Version – once you have everything ready, spread the mash into the bottom of a buttered casserole dish and spread the beef mixture evenly over the top. Go ahead and sprinkle a little cheese on top if you’re feeling it. Cover and toss into the oven for about 20 minutes. (this is kind of like an upside down shepherd’s pie!)

Toss the potatoes and cauliflower (or all potatoes if that’s what you’re feeling) into a large pot and pour in just enough chicken broth to nearly cover them. Add in a big pinch of salt and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and let the veggies simmer away until they’re nice and tender.

While the veggies are cooking, melt some butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it’s hot, add in the garlic and let it cook for about a minute. Pour in the milk and heat it up until it’s hot but not boiling and then turn the heat off.

Drain the potatoes and cauliflower really well in a colander. Give it several good shakes over several minutes to get rid of any excess water – this is especially important if you’re using the cauliflower. Return the veg to the pot, pour in the warm garlicky, buttery milk, and mash away. Taste and season with more salt and black pepper if needed, which it probably will be.

Now make the rich, saucey beef topping. Heat up a heavy skillet and add in the ground beef, breaking it up as it cooks (this is my favourite ground meat cooking tool), until it’s nicely browned and almost cooked. Add in the chopped onion and stir, letting it cook for a few minutes until softened.

In between stirs, whisk together the water, cornstarch, sugar, and soy sauce. Make sure it’s completely smooth and devoid of all lumps. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the beef, stirring constantly as it thickens into a rich, savoury sauce.

To serve it up, spoon a big pile of fluffy mashed potatoes onto the plate, then generously ladle that heavenly beef and gravy over the top. I like it straight up, but if you’re feeling fancy add a sprinkle of green onion or parsley.

• A yummy appy like my Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes would be so perfect
• Try my Marinated Brussels Sprouts with Maple Balsamic or my Spinach Arugula Salad on the side
• My sneaky Cottage Cheese Chocolate Pudding or these yummy Peanut Butter and Chocolate Rice Krispie Bars would be the perfect ending to the meal.

If you like this Ground Beef Mashed Potatoes Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!