@@Silver.Forest I'm sure I wasn't the first, lol. There are probably dozens if not hundreds of people remarking on it. One of the funniest lines ever and so well delivered!
I’m 50 and this dish is my childhood! 💕❤️ TV dinners were so exciting at my house! My mom was a single mom and we would eat TV dinners while watching Miami Vice 👍 I can still hear the theme music now .... and every. Single. Time. I would burn myself while unwrapping the tin foil 🤪
Hrmmm... I don't think they've been gone that long, have they? I'm quite a bit younger than you are and we ate them when I was a little kid. Just wondering...
Miami Vice 😳 Dang young man! I’m thinking more like Mr. Ed and the Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles in 1963, 🤦♂️. My parents thought they were ‘weird’ and needed haircuts. 😁🤣 I loved the Salisbury Steak TV dinners 😋. That was a long time ago in a simpler and more gracious world. BTW, 67 now 😳😁.
I made this tonight with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli drizzled with butter. We ate in the living room on our TV trays. Our show of choice….Gunsmoke. My hubby and I are both 65. It was delicious! And I feel a little sorry for those young-uns out there that never got to experience this as a child. Thank you for taking me back to the simpler life! 🥰
So delicious I decided to x4 this recipe, made a huge batch of mashed potatoes and got some frozen corn.. and then I made 16 actual TV dinners!.. froze them and now I can reminisce the old days and have a good quality Salisbury steak. Microwave the frozen dinners for 3 min plus 3 min, resting a bit between. What a treat, and now I don't have to cook every night.. they are waiting for me in the freezer. This gravy is to die for.
Cool..... There is something sort of nifty about that dish... Don't know what it is, but it does seem to fill a sort of crazy need we seem to have from time to time... Perhaps that is known as "slumming"?...... 🤣😅🤣😂😂😂 Hey, at least it ain't hurting anyone asides Swanson's and Banquet.... or Encore.. Boy have they gone to crap.......... And overly expensive too... Used to like those lil' pot pies every now and then also..... $1.80 ea. now!!!! Crazy!!!! Take care girl.....
The best part about those Friday night date nights my parents always took were the fact that we could choose our very own TV dinner, whatever we wanted! and indeed we watched Ed Sullivan with the babysitter when they were out. Salisbury steak on a metal TV tray you were my go to! I have GOT to try this recipe!
Salisbury Steak with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy has been a Top Five favorite meal of mine since I was a young boy. And yes, I can vaguely recall watching The Ed Sullivan Show with my parents on Sunday nights, after dinner. Thank you, Chef John. Stay safe.
Chef John, I noticed that you weren't eating your green beans. Finish every last one or you don't get a cup of Jello with canned fruit cocktail in it for dessert.
I hope you know that those "aspic" dishes and desserts have been making a comeback lately! Ugh. Gelatin comes from the hides and hooves of animals. You can use agar instead, which comes from sea vegetables... and agar gelatin doesn't melt at room temp, the way gelatin does.
Used to hate any form of vegetables when I was still very young. These days, I'd gladly finish any and all vegetables like greenbeans on my plate(except bitter-lemon, yuck!). They're quite delicious and sometimes my body just looks for them when I'm feeling weary and fatigued
The 70s lunch ladies still made a far better Salisbury steak than what we got in those gawdawful foil tray TV dinners. I don't see how anyone could remember those fondly! Today's TV dinners are a big advance, being at least up to lunch-lady quality.
Newly divorced dad here, i just wanted to thank you for this recipe. Im making it for the 2nd time this past couple weeks bc the kids absolutely loved it! Theyve been asking me to make it again ever since the first time. The only difference with my version was excluding mushrooms. I just used more onions.
Three, and my aunt two doors down got a couple of more (PBS and what would now be Fox entertainment), so I was at her place a lot for Doctor Who and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
John, you never let me down. I made this last night, and it was flipping fantastic! The only changes I made were I added some minced garlic to the veggies after they were browned, and I added a little kitchen bouquet because the gravy wasn't as dark as I like. I have made several of your recipes over the past year, and all have turned out excellent. Please keep up the good work!
I made it too - I added some more pepper and thyme to the gravy and it was the best ever. Gravy is one of my favorite things and this is the best I've ever made.
Forgot to mention how much I admire the gravy recipe, especially the way you cook them in the butter which returns after the water evaporates - so brilliant! I believe you have completely solved my gravy issues for life.
I'm in. My son was so excited for steak, then disappointed it was hamburger, then over the moon once he tasted it. He asked if that's how it was when we listened to radio back in my day. He will be ungrounded in 2022.
@@leelaural You could use them, although I never have for mushroom gravy but you'd have to rehydrate them first. I've used them in other recipes though and they worked well. There are many videos on youtube that shows you how to rehydrate them along with quite a few recipes. I hope that helped :)
You are amazing! I have been trying to get my Salisbury Steak “right” for most of my 60 years. This looks like it is perfect and of course, I take your word for it. Thank you so very much for another wonderful dish. Blessings from Texas 😩🙏
This was an amazing recipe - totally brought back memories of the late 60’s - 70’s with the TV dinners (as a kid we thought they were a treat). It’s the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce that’s totally transforms this from a standard hamburger steak! I did add a quarter cup of finely diced green pepper to the meat as I seem to recall seeing flecks of something in the meat from the TV tray experience. Delicious. And the gravy is a killer - will totally do this again! Thanks Chef John.
Looks good Chef John. Thanks. I'll add it to my list of your great comfort food recipes. We were poor when I was a kid and a Swanson turkey dinner was a big treat. Sometimes we even had olives to go with it. 😄
Thank you Chef John! This came out delicious! Wow! My hubby and I both are way past the 50 age marker, but I have never made this before so we couldn't wait to try it. We don't have TV trays (anymore), but we watch TV every night during dinner. You're the best!😄😋😉
I just made this, and my boyfriend loved it. I am surprised at just how good it was since I have NEVER made this dish before. Just follow his instructions and BAM, great. I eat later in the evening and I am going to chow down when I do! Thank you for sharing such a yummy meal! Edit: I wanted to let people know that I added slightly to much broth to my gravy (my fault) as it was slightly to thin, so I added a few tbls. of a cornflour slurry and it came out great.
Lazy Dog restaurant chain offers TV dinners to go and the best one is Salisbury Steak. They're all delicious though. And yes, they come in an aluminum tray.
This is a great idea. I'd never thought about cooking it backwards, but it's ingenious. You'd get a much better tasting gravy being able to brown the mushrooms and onions for longer!
I say, ma'am, that's a great story, thanks so much for your time. Uh, one more thing, though. You say you made the Salisbury Steaks and you ate them while you were watching an episode of Columbo? But that show went off the air in the 1970's, and Peter Falk, bless him, he's dead. So could you explain to me how you came to be watching that 1970's television show while eating these two thousand twenty Salisbury Steaks, which are separated by fifty years? _(Just my text impression of the great detective. Thanks for posting!)_
i think that was parsley. It used to be a default herb/seasoning/spice used in damn near everything. They always used incredibly bland parsley and/or overcooked it so it was usually devoid of any flavor, I've always assumed it was a decorative thing and to fool people into thinking they were getting some vegetables in their mystery meat. Fun fact: my oldest friend was in jail for a short period of time in the late 60s or early 70s and was on work detail, since he was about 200+ pounds of lean muscle they had him hauling in the meat for the kitchens. The county had him hauling in road kill to be ground up for the jails salsbury steaks, meat loaf, and hamburgers. He said that was the closest he's ever come to going vegetarian in his life.
@@arthas640 You're right in that it was curly parsley. However it wasn't intended to be bland; it was intended primarily to cleanse the breath of any hint of onion and (horrors) garlic. Jalapenos weren't available in most supermarkets in the 50s, especially outside the US Southwest.
When I make my Salisbury Steaks or Meatloaf, the only Parsley is the sprig of Curly Parsley placed on top as a decorative garnish. Can you imagine a junior/middle or high school doing that? Mine did, it was a regional vocational technical high school and the Food Trades department ran the school cafeteria. This was back in the late 1960's and early 1970's. Everything is different now with the regional school board all worried about gender equality and CRT. You had students cooking for students, with supervision of course, and when you are cooking for your fellow students you had better do it right or move to another state!
I'm dating myself, but as a child, I remember when they came in foil and were cooked in the oven. They were much better than the current microwave ones in plastic (or at least they were according to my childhood memories). I remember eating them on a TV tray in the living room at my grandparents' house back in the early '80s.
@@skyhawk_4526 My mother was a great cook and owned a bakery when I was a kid. We sat at the table every night for a multi course meal. Aluminum Swanson on a tv table for 60 Minutes, Wild Kingdom and Wonderful World of Disney was a special treat.
Totally agree, they are a guilty pleasure. I cooked for years in a higher end restaurant and wow people to this day at home but I still love things like this. A crispy Totino’s frozen pizza ranks up there pretty high as well.
Who could have a problem with that? Doesn't everyone have a kitchen drawer set aside for straight edges, assorted drafting triangles, and other essential tools for producing food geometry?
Sorry-I like Swanson's TV Dinner better.... KIDDING!! Chef this is one of your best recipes ever. I'm 75 so I grew up with Ed S and TV dinners with the family in front of the 15" set. (We moved up to the 21" around the time Ike was re-elected). Thanks for the video and bringing back all the memories with your great TV dinner.
I made this yesterday and was thoroughly impressed with this recipe. In order to make it a little more authentic of a TV dinner I did make instant mashed potatoes. 😊 Plus I use canned salt free cut green beans. Wonderful comfort food and some fun memories. Thanks for the recipe and yes we did 🎼enjoy 🎼 !! 😄
@@samuelhowie4543 Yeah, I kinda was thinking of that. Maybe they could have some scrollwork done to them to make them fancier. But, then, they'd be trouble to clean. Still, I'd love to see Chef John do a TV Dinner series, as Mason suggested.
the gravy looks good. we have smth similar here in germany, called jägerschnitzel, which is just a schnitzel with a mushroom gravy (and sides ofc, mostly spätzle)... i dig it
I'm from Berlin and for me Jägerschnitzel is something completely different - Jagdwurst breaded and fried, served with tomato sauce. One of my childhood favourites :-9
This is an awesome recipe.. I made it too, but had to "age and marinate" the ground beef for two days as wife would not eat beef on Good Thursday and Good Friday, but hey, it's all for good. Came out delicious as you'd expect but I have one recommendation: do not go overboard with with the Worcestershire sauce on the gravy ! stay with the safe 1 tbsp and all will be right. But if you do, you may want to add a tablespoon of sugar to counteract some of the acidity. Also, stay with 10-12 mushrooms if they are large like 1/ 1/2 inches... and 3 cups of the broth produced a lot of gravy/sauce... which is not a bad thing. 100% recommended.
I miss the real tv dinners , the Swanson in the aluminum tray. I'm a child of the 60's. Yes only 3 channels, and they would go off at midnight or so usually playing the national anthem
I miss the variety of ethnic meals we used to have, compared to now, but both aluminum and plastic trays leach chemicals into food when they heat up. Bec of that I rarely eat frozen meals anymore, and thank goodness they were a very occasional treat while growing up.
Oh yeah we ate enough of those in the early 60s. Mom would save the aluminum divided tray and fix dinners for Dad from left overs for him to take to work. Good times....
@@charlesatlas9123 I have a huge Montgomery Ward's micro and it is in the basement. My kitchen is just 8' x 9'. You and I agree. My microwave is used maybe once or twice a month.
@@gena7359 , We got one in the early 70's when I was a teenager , as a matter of fact a friend told me just the other day he remember when we got it , We use to eat TV dinners in the early 60's when we were kids , had to cook them in the oven way back then , lol .
I’m on my way to the grocery store for the ingredients I need. I want to make this for my fiancé for dinner. He really deserves a good, home cooked meal. Thank you for this. New subbie here♥️
I looked up Dr. James Salisbury and he was pretty badass. He was an American Civil War doctor, and he believed the a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates was optimal for health and that beef was the best source of meat. He died when he was 81. Contrast that with Sylvester Graham who advocated a bland diet of grains was best. He died when he was 57. Draw your own conclusions.
Actually TV dinners were a treat way back then. Swanson's fried chicken dinner in those tin trays were the best! I love salisbury steak, too. Homemade is best!
Out of this world delicious. I made this for lunch again today and the steaks were so flavorful and tender, we didn't even have to chew! I served with mashed potatoes , which is, of course the perfect side dish. People, follow this to the T and your whole family will be begging for you to make it again and again.
Blast from the past. This was one of the first things I learn to cook. So proud. I was 12. But Chef, they never looked as good as the ones in this video. My favorite quote, "It doesn't matter, cause he's dead." Love this channel
Brings back memories. I remember all of us with our own little tv tables sitting in front of the tv watching Archie Bunker eating Salisbury Steak TV dinners lol. I’m getting old 😆
@@chrisdooley6468 lol thank you! I'm turning 30 in August actually but I grew up watching TV land. My parents are both in their late 60s and I got my love of puns and humor from my dad! That show was one of my favorites despite the fact some of the jokes flew over my head as a child lol.
I've never made Salisbury steaks before This was the best Salisbury steaks I've ever made! I avoid ketchup so I used tomato sauce, a little honey and chili powder. It was seriously awesome.
I found myself thinking about and craving a salisbury steak dinner and found myself here, for how to do it. As I do all the cooking in the house, I asked my wife if she would like to have it for dinner and she flipped out, with a massive "yes". I had no idea that she loved it so much, so I will be making it today. Can't wait to try Chef John's recipe. Looks delicious.
I made this exactly as presented with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.. OMG so good! The recommendation to not overwork the beef is key. The texture was much more pleasing and moist.
Never got why, people hate peeling garlic, I like it, smells nice, and it beats the heck out of chopping onions, It's just a matter of perspective, I guess.
One of my all time favorites. As a kid whenever i went to Horn & Hardarts this is what I had, the only difference is that I had it with their famous baked beans and home-fries. Yum! Anyway, you helped me decide what's for supper tomorrow.
OMG my aunt would take me to Horn and Hardarts, what a treat for a little kid! What a memory! Bitter cold outside, warm inside the place, and she'd let me pick anything I wanted! Once a lady on the other side waved at me and smiled through the sandwich compartment! A full meal for nickels and dimes! And I adored my aunt. And then there was Peter Shickele's musical composition from his P.D.Q. Bach album entitled "Concerto for Horn and Hardart." The water pipes kept needing to be tuned. Is that too obscure for this audience? ;)
My mom and aunt would take us to the H&H on Market St after Christmas shopping at Gimbels. Even now when I ask my wife to make the H&H special she knows I mean meatloaf, peas and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy.
This is so simple, but I never would have come up with it myself. How does the gravy get so dark and rich? Honestly, it's the best thing I've eaten all lockdown. Thanks John.
No one's gonna want to go out to eat after all this C-19 bc were all chefs now. I try making some of his stuff from time to time. But it never looks like his. Still delicious mush tho.
I was born in 1948 so I was just the right age to enjoy a not great meal of a TV dinner in front of the screen. But we (except 1 brother who wouldn't touch anything with onion in it) ate every bite. Salisbury Steak was my favorite and to this day I still love it. I definitely will be trying this recipe. Thank you for another great video of a fantastic recipe.
I remember binge watching these videos while high. The inflection and tempo of his voice hit even harder. I fantasized about hiring him as a chef for a week.
This came out great! I still soaked the breadcrumbs in milk out of habit but followed the recipe in every other way. Definitely homemade or high quality stock is essential. I portioned out the remaining patties, mashed potatoes and carrots in 3 compartment Tupperware, which looks a little like a TV dinner tray lol. Reheats nicely, I like this recipe.
@@jonkirkwood469 yep! We all wanted the excitement of Jim's job but worried about his safety! Marlin: ...just as the ferocious mother bear protects her young, Mutual of Omaha will protect you." Jim: *in background, fighting for his life...*
@@DrinkTeaAndBreathe Whenever someone says "Mutual of Omaha", or "Marlin Perkins", I can taste the popcorn in my mouth that we all ate, lying on the floor in front of the TV on Sunday nights.
I didn't even flinch. There are only 3 serving styles: 1) lake of butter or gravy 2) dam breaks and goes all over your other food 3) cover the melting butter with potatoes and see who gets to their butter first! Not unlike a Kinder Egg.
I just tried this and it's the best thing ever, hands down. Although I'm not a fan of meat loafs so I just made some pork scotch fillets in the oven instead because I loved them. I still used the ingredients listed for the loafs (sans egg and crumbs) just as a marinade, and simply poured the gravy over them once they were done. A bit of sauerkraut on the side, good god. I will never walk again. I'll just spend the rest of my life rolling like a ball. Thank you for sharing!
This brings back good memories of my dad and me at home while Mom was at work....we would have TV dinners and canned biscuits. No microwaves then...everything in the oven. He always doctored up the dinners with a little Worcestershire sauce, butter, onion Etc
Just made this with some buttery mashed potatoes and french cut green beans. My dog was going nuts when I was cooking and my son scrapped his plate clean. He doesn't like gravy but because this had mushrooms in it, he sucked it back. There wasn't anything leftover. Thanks for the recipe! It's a keeper.
Made this for dinner tonight, made a few small changes. My wife bought some dried mushrooms online so I rehydrated some and used the leftover water to help make the gravy for which I used Better Than Bullion. Because of that I used no other salt, otherwise following the recipe on your site. You have no idea how hard it was not to gobble up two steaks- wife and I had one each and the others will be tomorrow's lunch with maybe some rice. It brought back memories of TV dinners for sure, but for sure they were never this good.
One of my all-time favorite TV. Dinners is the one from Stouffer’s, so watching this really took me back. Gonna love take a stab at this just for the gravy alone Bravo, Chef John
i remember eating these as a kid in front of the TV too and they bring back memories of eating with my parents and grandparents in front of the "boob tube". this was in the 90s but my parents were raised on this sort of stuff so when they were too tired or lazy to cook we had TV dinners. My grandma raised 7 kids back in the 50's, 60s, and 70's then by the time her last kid moved out she had her first grandkids, so she used TV dinners to supplement her typical 60s/70s housewife style cooking. God only knows how she kept 7 growing kids fed, she once told me a story of cooking hashbrowns for everyone and they always complained she never made enough (she used the frozen pre shredded kind, 1 whole bag per breakfast) so she got fed up with the complaints and kept cooking until they were full. She ran out after cooking 4 bags and they were still hungry. They weigh about 2 pounds each. TV dinners probably kept the ravenous hoard satisfied for a short time.
The king of frozen dinners was the Swanson Italian Style Dinner. Lasagna, chopped spinach, apple/peach compote and Tortoni pudding! In the late 60's Swanson was king and they made the most awesome TV dinners! Remember the last time a TV dinner came with...soup? Golden age, man! Nowadays, though...Stouffer's Salisbury w/Mac and Cheese!
This smelled soooooo good when I was cooking it! The gravy is totally awesome! Having sirloin steak tomorrow so take a guess what's going to happen with the left over gravy!
As a longtime, loyal follower, I have to say you have some of the best recipes online. I also want to thank you very very very much for not jerking people around to get the recipe like some others. Thank you again.
