Chopped Steak with Bacon and Mushroom Gravy is a cozy and comforting supper with a Scandinavian vibe ~ perfect for hunkering down on a chilly night. These easy hamburger steaks are simmered in a rich mushroom gravy that lures everybody to the table!
Scandinavian chopped steak straight from Mormor’s kitchen
Mormor is the Danish word for maternal grandmother, and it’s associated with all thing comforting and delicious. I’m inspired by all kinds of Scandinavian food these days, and this is a perfect example of how the traditional recipes from that region are perfect for our fall and winter seasons.
what you’ll need
- bacon ~ I love to use smoked bacon for an extra layer of flavor.
- ground beef ~ use the good stuff for this meal, ground sirloin or 15% Angus ground beef
- mushrooms, both fresh and dried ~ the fresh provide wonderful texture and the dried have the flavor!
- onions
- garlic
- heavy cream ~ yes, you need it in this dish, and you won’t regret it.
- beef broth
- Worcestershire sauce
- fresh thyme
- salt and fresh cracked black pepper
chopped steak is a universal comfort food
Chopped steak, or minced beef as it’s called in Europe, is inexpensive and so satisfying. It’s basically steak (often sirloin) that has been ground and then formed into patties. This delicious chopped steak with bacon and mushroom gravy is perfect for the dark season. It’s totally hygge (hoo-geh is the Danish concept of cosiness, happiness, and a life in balance.) Perfect for feeding family or friends as we begin another long fall and winter season.
When I think of traditional Scandinavian cooking I think of food that is focused on meats and fish, accented with root vegetables and potatoes, and lots of whole grains. I think of deep flavors that don’t rely on spices, but rather on cooking techniques that bring out and layer the natural flavors in the ingredients. That’s very much the case with this recipe, where the ingredients are cooked, in stages, in the same pan, and the flavor builds with each step.
I found the recipe on a Danish blog, and had to get google translate to help me out so I could bring this delicious meal to life. The title translated to Chopsticks with Mushroom Sauce and Bacon, and tipped me off that I was in for some detective work if I was going to make it. Luckily comfort food speaks a universal language, and a good photo is worth a thousand words anyway, so I got the gist.
pro tips for this recipe
- When you work with chopped steak the less you handle it, the better. I will roughly divide the meat into quarters, and then quickly form the patties. There is no need to mash, knead, or work the beef, which will only compact the meat and make your patties tough.
- You can use any dried wild mushrooms for this recipe, but don’t omit them, they really do contain a lot of flavor. They come in small packets and can sometimes be hard to spot in grocery stores, so ask for help if you have trouble.
- When you are cooking the patties (in step 5 of the recipe) be sure to turn down the heat and cover the pan. This will allow the meat to braise gently. They will be perfectly done when the internal temperature reaches 160F.
more Scandinavian and Nordic inspired recipes
- Swedish Cardamom Buns (kardemummabullar)
- Swedish Cocktail Meatballs
- Traditional Swedish Pepparkakor Recipe
- Finnish Salmon Soup (Lohikeitto)
- 20 Nordic Recipes to Try Right Now
- Scandinavian Rice Pudding with Cranberries
Chopped Steak with Bacon and Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb bacon:, about 4 slices, mine was smoked
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef:, ground sirloin, or 15% fat Angus Beef formed into 4 patties.
- 1/2 ounce package of dried wild mushrooms:, your choice (choose ones that are chopped or in pieces, not whole)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces fresh button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed or minced
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the cream to a simmer and then add the dried mushrooms. Stir to cover them with cream, and let sit for 30 minutes. I like to cover with plastic to keep the heat in.
- Meanwhile cook the bacon until crisp and place on paper towels. Set aside for topping your burgers.
- Drain off all but 2 Tbsp of grease from the pan and reheat on medium high heat. Brown the burgers well on both sides. You won’t be cooking them through at this stage, but be sure to get some good color on them. Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Add a pat of butter and a tablespoon of oil to the pan and saute the fresh mushrooms, onions, and garlic for several minutes until the onions have softened and the mushrooms start to brown. Add the broth and be sure to scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and the soaked wild mushrooms and their cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper and bring up to a simmer.
- Nestle the burgers back into the sauce, turn down the heat, and cook until the burgers are done through. I like to cover the pan to keep in the liquid.
- Garnish each burger with a piece of bacon and a couple of mushroom slices.
- Serve with boiled buttered potatoes.
Notes
- As Marina suggests, this deeply flavored gravy goes well with chicken or steak.
- If the cream is too rich for you, use half and half, or just omit and soak your dried mushrooms in hot broth.
- I think a dose of Sherry would be wonderful in this sauce. Use it to deglaze the pan just before adding the beef broth.
Nutrition
I am so glad you liked my little blog and even ventured into trying one of my recipes. Your pictures are wonderful and you did a great job with google translate (not easy I know). Also you did great substitutes from Danish stuff and you right about the sherry. I actually used to do that but my kids like it better without.
All my exchange students love this dish and they also love “Frikadeller” (danish meatballs) and especially and above all “Flæskesteg” (It will be my Mormor recipe for december). This is all old-fashioned Danish comfort food. Generally they are usually shocked about the amount of vegetables Danes eat these days. They certainly all preferrer the oldfasioned danish food from the more modern approach.
Have a great December. I love your blog
P.s: Also love that you used a plate in the traditional “musselmalet” style in your photos.
Whoever thought hamburger could look so delicious! I love the combination of ingredients in this beautiful dish!
hehe..chopsticks…:-)) This looks super duper delicious with that bacon mushroom gravy.
YUM!!! This sounds wonderful. Will be on the menu tomorrow!
You had me at bacon. I’m not one for steak but I could use this recipe with maybe pork chops.
Yes, I bet it would work with pork tenderloin.
Oh yes also pork tenderloin cut into little steaks…
I very often make this with pork chops. Actually I was almost publishing it with pork chops, but since I had another pork chops recipe coming up in the “mormor serie” I chose to do it this way. In Denmark I use the less lean pork chops for this, but American meat are generally less lean than Danish meat so I guess most pork chops would do fine.
OMG saving this! My kids are going to love it!
It’s the bacon, isn’t it?
This is definitely the perfect bowl of comfort food for a cool Evening! The kind that makes you feel all warm & cozy!
This looks like pure comfort food…absolutely delish!
Wow – I’m nearly speechless – this is one incredible recipe. My husband would flip for this and maybe serve with mashed potatoes just to send him over the top? A fantastic recipe Sue – and beautiful too!
I very often serve it with mashed potatoes and it works very well. Hope your husband likes it.
That looks so yummy! And it has bacon! And Mushrooms! What a great idea for the cold weather!
And heavy cream! ~ my personal favorite 😉
Your heavy cream is actually a little heavier than danish heavy cream but in this recipe it is a good thing. Just use a little less or as you said use half and half (don’t exist in Denmark).
I knew that, but I wondered how the mushrooms would get hydrated in such a small amount. I chalk it up to American excess 😉
It works fine. If I shared recipes with that amount of full cream (other than desserts) danes would run away screaming… This recipe is actually a border case. People share it a lot and I think its because its comfort food where you expect to see cream.