Creamy Ground Beef, Mushroom and Potato Skillet

Ingredients

• unsalted butter — 1 tbsp
• ground beef — 450 g
• yellow onion, diced — 150 g
• mushrooms, sliced — 225 g
• garlic, minced — 10 g
• tomato paste — 18 g
• all-purpose flour — 10 g
• Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed — 700 g
• beef broth — 480 ml
• Worcestershire sauce (optional) — 5 ml
• smoked paprika — 0.5 tsp
• dried thyme — 0.5 tsp
• salt — 1 tsp
• black pepper — 0.5 tsp
• heavy cream — 120 ml
• sour cream or cream cheese (optional) — 30 g
• fresh parsley (for finishing)

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and let it sit undisturbed briefly before breaking it up; cook for about 5–6 minutes until well browned.
2. Add the diced onion to the skillet and cook with the beef for 3–4 minutes, until the onion softens and becomes slightly sweet.
3. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms soften and release their moisture.
4. Stir in the minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes, stirring to deepen the flavor.
5. Sprinkle the flour over the beef and mushrooms and stir for about 1 minute so the flour coats the ingredients and cooks through.
6. Add the cubed potatoes and pour in the beef broth. Stir in Worcestershire sauce if using, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. Scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate any browned bits.
7. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 18–22 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
8. Uncover, stir in the heavy cream, and simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes creamy.
9. Remove from the heat and, if using, stir in the sour cream or cream cheese until smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
10. Let the skillet rest for about 5 minutes so the sauce thickens further, finish with chopped fresh parsley, and serve warm.

Fresh chopped salad

• iceberg lettuce — 1 pcs
• romaine lettuce (half head) — 0.5 pcs
• green onion, thinly sliced — 1 pcs
• sliced salami — 115 g
• canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed — 425 g
• shredded mozzarella — 200 g
• pepperoncini, sliced — 70 g
• extra-virgin olive oil — 80 ml
• red wine vinegar — 30 ml
• Dijon mustard — 1 tsp
• Parmigiano Reggiano, grated — 22 g
• fresh parsley, chopped — 1 tbsp
• salt — 0.5 tsp
• black pepper — 0.5 tsp

1. Rinse and chop the iceberg and romaine lettuces and place in a large bowl. Add the sliced green onion, salami, drained chickpeas, shredded mozzarella, and sliced pepperoncini.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, grated Parmigiano, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper until the dressing looks creamy.
3. Pour the dressing over the chopped salad and toss to combine just before serving.