French Onion Salisbury Steak

Sometimes putting a different spin on an old classic can be disastrous. But when I saw this recipe in Cuisine At Home Magazine, I knew I could trust them to come through with a delicious meal. And this recipe was a refreshing change from my usual ground beef cooked in mushroom soup. Yeah I know.... how boring is that? I might as well have purchased a TV dinner from the frozen food section of my grocery store.

The sauce is based on French Onion Soup. And it even includes, toasty, cheesy, bread.

Ingredients for the steak:

1-1/4 pounds ground chuck
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced scallions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Ingredients for the sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Ingredients for cheese toasts:
4 slices Italian baguette, cut diagonally (1/2-inch thick)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Pinch of paprika
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan

Directions:
1. Combine ground chuck, 1/4 cup parsley, scallions, salt, and pepper. Divide evenly into four portions and shape each into 1/4 to 1-inch thick oval patties. Place 2 tablespoons flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. Reserve 1 teaspoon flour.

2. Heat oil in a saute pan over medium-high. Add patties and saute 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove from pan.

3. Add onions and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; saute until paste begins to brown, 1 minute. Sprinkle mixture with reserved flour, cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, salt, and thyme.

4. Return meat to pan; bring sauce to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.

5. Serve steaks on Cheese Toasts with onion sauce ladled over. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan.

6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread on a baking sheet. Combine butter, garlic, and paprika; spread on one side of each slice of bread. Combine cheeses and sprinkle evenly over butter. Bake until bread is crisp and cheese is bubbly, 10-15 minutes.