Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Mushroom Sauce for Steak
A generous spoonful of mushroom sauce can make a steak dinner especially inviting. Browned mushrooms sit in a creamy sauce with a little Dijon tang and cracked pepper at the finish. Let some settle around the steak so you can catch it with each slice.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Let the mushrooms brown
Give the mushrooms a few minutes in the butter before adding the liquids. That browning step is where the sauce starts to taste savory and rounded, instead of just creamy.
2. Stir now and then, not nonstop
Once the cream and broth go in, keep an eye on the skillet and stir periodically while it reduces. You're looking for a thickened, creamy sauce that still spoons easily over steak.
3. Season at the end
The sauce reduces as it cooks, so taste it after it thickens before adding more salt or pepper. A final crack of black pepper over the steak is optional, but very welcome.
Get to know the ingredients
Mushrooms
Baby bella or cremini mushrooms are used here, sliced thinly so they brown quickly and fold into the sauce nicely. Add them before the liquids so they get that first saute in butter.
Dijon mustard
Just a little Dijon goes into the creamy base. It won't turn the sauce into a mustard sauce, but it does help sharpen the richness once the cream starts reducing.
Worcestershire sauce
Worcestershire adds a savory edge that suits steak especially well. Stir it in with the broth and cream so it has time to settle into the sauce as it thickens.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Mushroom Sauce for Steak
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
The last little job
Taste the sauce once it's thick and creamy, then adjust the salt and pepper if it needs it. Spoon it over steak while it's warm, with extra cracked black pepper on top if you like.
A little more help as you go
Parmesan option
For a cheesier finish, stir in a couple tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan, or sprinkle parmesan over the steak after you've spooned on the mushroom sauce.
Medium-high heat is doing the early work
Start with medium-high heat so the butter melts and the mushrooms can saute rather than sit in the pan. Once the sauce ingredients go in, the focus shifts to reducing and thickening.
A few questions you might have
Can I add the cream before the mushrooms are browned?
It's better to brown the mushrooms first. The recipe has you saute them with garlic before adding the broth and cream, which gives the finished sauce more mushroom flavor.
How do I know when the sauce is done?
The sauce is ready when the liquid has reduced and thickened into a creamy consistency. It should still be loose enough to spoon over steak.
Should the garlic go in before or after the mushrooms?
Add the garlic with the mushrooms. They saute together for a few minutes, just until the mushrooms are browned, before the liquid ingredients are stirred in.
Is the extra cracked black pepper required?
No, it's optional. Season the sauce to taste at the end, then add more cracked black pepper on top of the steak only if you want that peppery finish.
Where does the parmesan fit in?
If you're using parmesan, add it at the end. Stir a couple tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan into the sauce, or sprinkle it over the steak after the sauce is spooned on.
Any more cooking tips?
Cheese it up : to take this sauce to the next level, stir in a couple tablespoons of freshly grated parmesan cheese OR sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top after spooning over steak!
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: lecremedelacrumb.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
