Amish Hamburger Steak Bake
🥘 Ingredients
For ~6 servings:
For the Steak Patties:
- 2 lb (≈900 g) ground beef (ideally ~80/20 fat)
- 1 small onion, finely chopped or diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large egg (to bind)
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (or crushed crackers)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or parsley (optional)
- Optional: ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or any preferred seasonings.
For the Gravy / Bake Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth (or as indicated)
- ½ cup heavy cream or whole milk (or mix) for creaminess
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce for extra depth
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese for topping.
Optional Add-ons / Variations:
- Sliced mushrooms or caramelised onions added into the gravy layer.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, or buttered egg noodles.
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 °F (≈175 °C). Grease a 9×13-inch (or similar) baking dish.
- Make the patties:
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, chopped onion, minced garlic, egg, breadcrumbs (or crushed crackers), Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and optional dried herb/paprika.
- Mix gently until just combined—don’t overwork the meat so patties stay tender.
- Shape into about 6 patties (adjust size based on preference).
- Brown the patties:
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add a little oil or butter.
- Sear each patty for about 3-4 minutes per side until browned (they don’t need to be fully cooked through at this stage).
- Transfer the browned patties to the prepared baking dish.
- Make the gravy:
- In the same skillet (or new saucepan), melt the butter. Add flour, stir for ~1-2 minutes to form a roux.
- Slowly whisk in beef broth until smooth, then add cream or milk. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer until thickened.
- Assemble the bake:
- Pour the gravy evenly over the patties in the baking dish.
- If using mushrooms or onions, add them in now (either under patties or mixed into gravy).
- If using cheese topping: sprinkle shredded cheddar over the top.
- Bake:
- Cover the dish with foil. Bake for about 30-35 minutes at 350 °F (175 °C) until patties are cooked through and gravy is bubbling.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes (or until cheese is melted/golden and top slightly browned).
- Rest & Serve:
- Let the dish rest for ~5 minutes after removing from oven to allow sauce to set slightly.
- Serve hot, ideally over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles or with steamed veggies.
✅ Notes & Tips
- Use ground beef with a bit of fat (80/20) to keep the patties juicy.
- Browning the patties before baking adds flavor and better texture.
- If you prefer a lighter version, you can swap with ground turkey and use milk instead of cream—but the gravy will be lighter.
- You can make ahead: Assemble the dish, cover and refrigerate, then bake when ready (may need extra baking time if cold).
- This dish reheats well. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- For a gluten-free version: use gluten-free breadcrumbs or crushed gluten-free crackers, and cornstarch instead of flour in the gravy.