German-Style Meat Patties with Creamy Mushroom Sauce and Pumpkin–Potato Duo

German-style meat patties, called Frikadellen in Germany and Buletten or Fleischpflanzerl in some regions, are a traditional home-cooked favorite. Here they come with a creamy sauce of cremini mushrooms and chanterelles, plus a comforting butternut squash and potato duo.

I seasoned the ground meat with bouillon and a little Cobán chili. Two of my dinner guests are very demanding critics—but also excellent cooks. They noticed that lemon overwhelmed the mushroom flavor. Their feedback inspired this adjusted version: a little dry white wine instead of lemon juice. That change is recommended for the next cooking session; the photographed dish was originally made with lemon.

Serves 4 · About 90 minutes · With or without Thermomix®

Ingredients

Meat patties

• 600 g mixed ground beef and pork
• 1 medium onion
• 1 egg
• 1 bread roll, preferably day-old
• 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper, adjusted to taste
• 1 heaped tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp bouillon or consommé seasoning
• Cobán chili to taste
• A little milk or water for soaking the bread
• Oil for frying

Creamy mushroom sauce

• 250 g brown cremini mushrooms
• 200 g chanterelles
• 1 medium onion
• 200 g thick cultured sour cream, about 20–24% fat (German Schmand)
• 20 g oil plus extra for sautéing mushrooms
• 40–50 ml dry white wine
• 150 g water
• 1 heaped tsp vegetable stock concentrate
• 15 g soy sauce
• 15 g cornstarch dissolved in 30 g cold water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh parsley

Pumpkin–potato duo

• 600 g peeled and deseeded butternut squash
• 400 g peeled floury potatoes
• Up to 100 g milk; start with 60 g
• 60 g butter (recommended adjustment)
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon seasoning
• Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
• 500 g water for Thermomix® steaming, or enough for a conventional steamer

Method with Thermomix®

1. Peel and dice the squash and potatoes into 2–3 cm pieces, keeping them separate.
2. Soak the bread roll and squeeze it dry. Chop the first onion 5 sec/speed 5. Add ground meat, egg, bread, seasonings, bouillon and Cobán chili. Mix 20 sec/reverse/speed 3. Shape 8–12 flattened patties and refrigerate covered.
3. Wash the bowl thoroughly after the raw meat. Add 500 g water, place potatoes in the simmering basket and squash in the Varoma, leaving steam holes free. Cook 28 min/Varoma/speed 1; test for tenderness. Drain both vegetables extremely well, especially the squash.
4. Slice cremini mushrooms and clean chanterelles. Sauté cremini mushrooms in a little oil for 4–5 minutes, add chanterelles and sauté another 3–4 minutes. Set aside.
5. Chop the second onion 3 sec/speed 5. Add 20 g oil and cook 5 min/120°C/speed 1 without measuring cup. Add white wine and reduce 3 min/Varoma/speed 1 without measuring cup, using the simmering basket as a splash guard. Add cultured sour cream, 150 g water, vegetable stock concentrate, soy sauce, pepper and a little salt. Cook 12 min/100°C/reverse/speed 0.5. Add cornstarch dissolved in 30 g cold water and parsley; cook 2 min/100°C/speed 1. Gently fold in mushrooms.
6. Pan-fry the patties in a little oil for about 3–4 minutes on each side; reduce heat as required and cook until their centers reach at least 71°C (160°F). Avoid pressing them down.
7. Clean the bowl. Warm 60 g milk and 60 g butter for 2 min/60°C/speed 1. Add the well-drained vegetables, vegetable bouillon, pepper, nutmeg and a little salt. Mix 8 sec/speed 3, finishing gently with a spatula. Only add more milk if required and avoid overprocessing.

Method without Thermomix®

1. Finely chop the first onion. Soak and squeeze the bread roll. Combine with ground meat, egg, seasonings, bouillon and Cobán chili; do not overmix. Shape 8–12 flattened patties and chill.
2. Peel and cut squash and potatoes into pieces. Steam approximately 25–30 minutes until tender; if no steamer is available, boil separately. Drain particularly well.
3. Sauté cremini mushrooms in a little oil for 4–5 minutes; add chanterelles and cook another 3–4 minutes. Set aside.
4. Finely chop the second onion and soften it in 20 g oil for about 5 minutes. Add wine, reduce 3 minutes. Add water, stock concentrate, soy sauce, salt and pepper; simmer gently for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in cultured sour cream without boiling vigorously. Thicken with cornstarch mixed with 30 g cold water. Add mushrooms and parsley, warming gently for another 2–3 minutes.
5. Pan-fry patties approximately 3–4 minutes each side, then finish on lower heat as needed until their internal temperature reaches at least 71°C (160°F).
6. Warm 60 g milk with 60 g butter. Combine with well-drained vegetables, vegetable bouillon, pepper, nutmeg and a little salt. Use a potato masher or fork to make a creamy but slightly textured duo; add milk only if needed.

To serve

Serve a generous mound of pumpkin–potato duo on one side of each plate. Add two or three patties depending on size, spoon mushroom sauce around them and finish with fresh parsley. Serve hot.

Tips and tasting notes

Schmand is a rich, thick fermented cream with about 20–24% fat, and it already has a gentle tang. The original lemon quantity overwhelmed the mushrooms, so the revised method uses reduced dry white wine instead. Only if absolutely necessary, add one or two drops of lemon at the end.

Drain the butternut squash thoroughly after steaming. The increased 60 g butter amount is a suggested adjustment for the next preparation.

Oyster mushrooms can replace chanterelles. Add Cobán chili sparingly; bouillon already provides salt.

The same ingredients work with or without Thermomix®. The pan gives the patties and mushrooms their characteristic browned flavor.