Somehow, I’ve lived my entire life without trying Salisbury Steak, but luckily The Recipe Tin Project brought this recipe my way. It’s a project where, predictably, I cook my way through a tin of vintage recipe cards and there have been some very retro dishes as well as some delicious finds along the way. This Simple Salisbury Steak was more of the latter but is a time-tested economical (and tasty) option for a hearty meal.

This recipe was written out on a basic index card in beautiful but casual cursive. There are just six ingredients, though they take up the entire front side of the card, and the back holds all of the instructions. A lot of times with these old recipe cards, you get very skimpy instructions or even none at all, so it’s always nice to have something substantial to work from. This one even has prep time, cook time, and serving size!

It’s called Simple Salisbury Steak and it really is simple. You’re just making beef patties with some onion, breadcrumbs, and cream of mushroom soup. The soup acts as flavoring in the patties, but doubles as the gravy as well. And while I didn’t really expect it to be… the flavor is really good. It’s a very savory, salty, meaty dish even though there’s no additional salt and pepper or seasonings added.

It’s also quick to make, done in just about thirty minutes. Salisbury Steak is traditionally sort of an economical sub for actual steak and this recipe proves that it’s a worthy swap. Whenever you’re craving something hearty and meaty, this quick and easy option will totally hit the spot.