A Steak Dinner for Two for $8

Steak is one of our guilty pleasures, but with tight finances we very rarely indulge in its pleasure.  When my mom started talking about their Texas Roadhouse trip my mouth started watering, but the idea of dropping $40 for the two of us was a luxury that we shouldn't allow for.  So we went to "Wallie-World" and bought two semi-nice steaks for about $5.  We added a baked potato  Then we prepared it and had a picnic in the living room.

This is our "go to" when we want a "fancier" steak, a steak that even my mom, the unofficial spokesperson for Heinz 57, enjoys without any of the steak sauce which means that it cuts out those extra calories.

Mushroom and Garlic Smothered Steak and Squish Potato

I had planned on adding a side salad with it, but we used the last of our Bountiful Basket lettuce yesterday for lettuce wraps.  :(

Quick and Dirty Wedge Salad

1 head of Iceberg lettuce "cored" and quartered (1 per person)
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Pecans
Craisins
Cherry Tomatoes
Dress with a Light Raspberry Vinaigrette

The beauty of the wedge salad is its simplicity, you can alter and adjust it easily and its beautiful and makes for a lovely start to a home made delectable meal.

Grilled Seasoned Squish Potato

Wash Potatoes
While moist lay Potatoes on Foil, sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder liberally.
Wrap up the foil.  Toss on the grill and close the grill.  (The skin will most likely have "burn spots" but those are some of my favorite parts hehe.)
Once finished slice the potato once down the middle, taking the ends of the potato in each hand, "Squish" it together.  It will bloom like the picture above.

Mushroom and Garlic Smothered Steak

2 Steaks (about 6-8 oz)
Montreal Seasoning

1 package of mushrooms (sliced)
1/2 a head of garlic, crushed and lightly chopped

Season both with:
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

The biggest tip we have for making excellent steaks is time, give it time to rest well, rest it often, and time the cook time.  My husband uses the stopwatch app on his phone, he is so meticulous!

As soon as you are about to prep your steak and potato dinner, pull your steaks out of the fridge and season them well.  We like the seasonings above.

Season Your Steaks

Then set it aside and let it rest while you prepare the potatoes and immediately stick them on the grill.  Your potatoes take between 30-45 minutes depending on altitude, size of potatoes, and the heat of your grill.

Then begin on your mushroom and garlic (or other veggie topping) you can top it with anything from caramelized onions to peppers.  Using the flat of your knife crush the garlic and peel it.

Using a tablespoon of butter in a skillet, add the mushrooms and garlic, I cook mine on medium-low to medium.  Again timing is the key here, let the flavors meld together and the mushrooms sweat.  I usually wait until they are about 3/4 the size they were before I let my hubby have the meat for the grill.  When they hit about half the size they were they're done and I usually turn off the heat and let them sit on the warm pan and stove until the steaks are ready.

By this time the potatoes have usually cooked between 10-15 minutes.  Using a little bit of cooking oil on a paper-towel and long handled grill tool grease the grill well.  Set the meat on a high heat hot grill, and use below for timing.

For a 1 inch thick Steak to be medium/medium rare:

2 minutes a quarter turn one way (from noon to three) on the SAME side, and 2 minutes (this will give a lovely cross-hatch to feed the eye.  Flip the steaks and let them cook 6 minutes on the other side.

Subtract 1 minutes from each quarter turn and 2 minutes from the flip (1, 1, 4) for a half inch thick steak.

Obviously, the longer it cooks the more well it will be.

The Meat - I apologize for the poor lighting on it, it was a nice red center with the slightest bit of juices.

To test the meat for done-ness, give it a gentle squeeze with your tongs, the more resistance the more done it is.  (There is reason everyone teased me as a child for liking hockey pucks, well done steaks get stiff!)

Pull off the grill and let it rest for at least 5 minutes, this will time for the juices to soak into the meat, softening it and providing the exquisite texture you get from fine restaurants.

Serve it and enjoy! :)

Let me know if you like cooking yours as much as we do ours!