Can Salisbury steak get fancy? This warming spice blend is the key.

The words “fancy” and “Salisbury steak” aren’t usually used in the same sentence. The ground beef patties with gravy are most often associated with the frozen food aisle and TV dinners. “It’s so retro,” cookbook author Jerrelle Guy said of the dish. In thinking about weeknight food for her sophomore cookbook, “We Fancy,” publishing Feb. 10, her version was one of the first recipes she came up with. “How do we elevate the TV dinner and how do we make that feel, like, fancy?”

Guy’s definition of fancy isn’t about expensive ingredients, high-end equipment or high-concept dishes. Salisbury steak is none of those things. It was invented by Dr. James Henry Salisbury during the Civil War to treat Union soldiers’ gastrointestinal issues — decades before it became a convenience food staple. Such humble dishes are prime candidates for getting a fancy upgrade, which can be accomplished with care, intention and a little fun in the kitchen. That might mean donning an apron to psych yourself into becoming your most confident cook, adding garnishes when things feel lackluster and poking out your pinkie finger to remind yourself not to take things so seriously.

“A lot of this is about using the kitchen as a space to kind of make tiny, little rituals that help you ground,” Guy said during a video interview from her home in Dallas. “That help you remember what’s important.” And as Guy wrote in the book’s introduction, “My wish is that your kitchen will become your refuge, a sanctuary from the world, where the practice of cooking becomes one of healing and restoration.” All things that people could use more of, especially during challenging times.

Guy was inspired to write “We Fancy” after a period of burnout from styling and photographing other people’s cookbooks. “It was just recognizing, I think, that I couldn’t continue going the way that I was going,” Guy said. She needed a reset and more balance. The question then became, “What kind of lifestyle is sustainable for me?” So in addition to recipes, the book is also meant to share some of the tools Guy has used to find that answer and give readers ways to add a bit of joy and sparkle to their everyday lives through cooking.

And you can still do that even when you crave something familiar. Falling back on the nostalgic doesn’t mean giving up on fancy or fun.

To help turn Salisbury steak fancy, Guy started by adding berbere, a fragrant Ethiopian spice blend that “has a lot of warm undertones to it,” she said. “It’s a spice that I really love, but you don’t see it on people’s tables all the time and in people’s pantries.” Guy loves pairing it with meat, and in thinking about how to introduce it to readers in a way that felt accessible, Salisbury steak was an obvious choice.

There’s also fresh sage, which goes into the gravy and can be fried for a fun garnish, and shallots, which make Guy feel like, “Oh wow, you’re showing off.”

Guy’s hope is that readers who feel inclined to do so will use her book as a source of inspiration to have something to look forward to. “I want them to feel hopeful because I think at the time of the book I was super depressed, I was super burned out. I didn’t feel inspired to do a lot of things,” Guy said. Her wish is that if readers find themselves feeling similarly, they can glean “advice on how to snap themselves out of those states, because they’re so temporary.”

What worked for Guy was to walk into the kitchen and just get started. “I totally want people to cook, and I said this in the book, whatever is inspiring them,” Guy said. “I think what you crave could be what propels you to cook.” So if you’re craving nostalgia with a bit of fancy flair, then this Salisbury steak ought to do the trick.

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Berbere Salisbury Steak

1 pound ground beef, preferably 93% lean

1 cup panko

2½ teaspoons berbere, divided, plus more as needed*

¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 to 4 medium shallots (8 ounces total), peeled, trimmed and halved through the root

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste, such as Better Than Bouillon, preferably reduced-sodium

2 cups water

1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves

In a large bowl, gently mix the ground beef, panko, 1 teaspoon of the berbere, the salt and pepper until evenly combined. Divide the beef mixture into 4 portions, and shape each into oval patties about ½ inch thick. (Avoid overmixing, which can result in tough patties.)

In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until shimmering. Add the patties and cook until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the skillet. Add the shallots, cut side down, and cook, without disturbing, until brown and caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the shallots to the plate with the patties.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet, then add the flour, bouillon paste and the remaining 1½ teaspoons of berbere. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture forms a roux, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the water, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; add the sage; bring to a simmer; and cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste, and season with more berbere and salt, as desired.

Return the patties, shallots (cut side up) and any accumulated juices to the pan. Simmer, flipping the patties halfway through, until the meat is cooked through and the internal temperature in the thickest part registers 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, and the shallots are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, divide the patties, shallots and gravy among plates, and serve hot.

Servings: 4

* Where to buy: Berbere can be found at well-stocked supermarkets, Ethiopian markets or online. Spice levels for berbere can vary by blend, so be cautious if you are heat-averse.

Substitutions: For ground beef, use plant-based ground meat alternative. For panko, use regular breadcrumbs, or almond meal or flour. For shallots, use yellow or white onion, cut into wedges. For all-purpose flour, use gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Instead of bouillon paste and water, use 2 cups vegetable broth. For 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage leaves, use ½ teaspoon dried rubbed sage.

Variations: For extra flair, garnish the dish with crisped sage leaves. In an air fryer: Spray or brush the sage leaves with oil, and air fry at 400°F for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp. In a skillet: Heat a thin layer of oil in a small skillet until shimmering, add the sage leaves, and fry until they start to curl and crisp, 20 to 30 seconds.

Nutritional information per serving: 474 calories, 22 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 38 g carbohydrates, 503 mg sodium, 71 mg cholesterol, 29 g protein, 4 g fiber, 6 g sugar.

— Adapted from “We Fancy” by Jerrelle Guy (Simon Element, 2026).