Amish Country Poor Man's Hamburger Steaks

Amish Country Poor Man's Hamburger Steaks Hamburger Steak Patties 2 1/2 pounds ground beef (*I used lean 7% fat - see tip section) High fat ground beef can make the steaks and gravy greasy - if using high fat ground beef, be sure to fry the meat a bit first and discard the excess fat 2 cups saltine cracker crumbs (approximately 1 1/2 sleeves of crackers - crushed) 1 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%) 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper dash of cayenne flour to dredge Gravy 3 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup - OR make Homemade Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup- using the equivalent amount 1 can milk (use soup can) 1 can water (use soup can) 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Gravy: In a medium size bowl add the 3 cans of soup, milk, water, parsley and mix well - set aside. Hamburger Steak Patties: In a large bowl, using your hands, mix ground beef, cracker crumbs, milk, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper until well blended. Gently form 8 to 10 large patties (don't press too hard), making them all equal size. Next, lightly dredge (coat) in flour and fry in a skillet with high sides on medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides - inside will still be uncooked. Place patties in baking dish. If making more than 6 patties, layer them - see photo above. Pour gravy evenly over patties, bake covered with foil on middle rack of oven for 1 hour or until the steak patties are well done, reaching a safe internal minimum tempertaure of 160 degrees f. *If you are making more than 6 patties and need to layer them, turn the top layer of patties over one time, half way through baking - this was recommended by Lee Ann Miller's recipe for Ohio's Amish Recipes, Poor Man's Steaks, to insure even cooking. Her recipe does not call for covering while baking. I opted to cover to prevent mess from splattering. Serve steaks with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, rice, egg noodles, favorite veggies, salad. Be sure to spoon the gravy over potatoes, rice and/or noodles. Enjoy!