Here is the perfect recipe for the college kid who is looking for a steak dinner without having to go out and buy a barbecue. There are plenty of ways that you can do this, but here is my favorite way using items that I believe to be in every kitchen (college or not).
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
First thing is first: Steak
I purchased 3, fresh steaks at my local Safeway for around $8.00.
After taking the plastic wrap off of them I simply patted them down with a paper towel to get all of the juice off.
Step 2: The next thing that you are going to do is season it. I sprinkled an even coating of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder over the whole steak with a dash of paprika on top. Gently rub in the seasoning with your fingertips.
Step 3: Get a large frying pan heated up on high with a 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once warm, place each of the steaks in the pan. You want to grill these for about 5 minutes on each side. I dashed some Worchestershire sauce over the top of these while they were sizzling. You may need to turn the heat down depending on your stovetop, this is based off of the fact that you want to start the cooking process on the outside not burn the exterior of the steaks.
Step 4: Line a casserole dish with tin foil. One sheet on the bottom that lays out over the sides and then one sheet to cover the top. Place each of the steaks into the dish and then place a tablespoon of butter on top of each of the steaks. Completely cover with foil and then place in the oven for 25 minutes (rare) – 45 minutes (well done).
Step 5: While you are waiting on the dish to finish I made a gravy sauce out of the left over sauce in the pan. I melted two tablespoons of butter with the juices left in the frying pan and worked it back up to a high heat. Then I added about 1/4 cup of flour that I whisked and cooked on high for about 2 minutes.
Being a college student, it is economical for me to buy things at bulk at Costco; one item I always get is cream of mushroom soup. I use it as a flavor filler in anything! I put it in store bought pasta sauces and to create gravy like I did here. I mixed cream of mushroom soup with 1 cup of water and 1 1/2 cup of milk. I slowly poured the mixture into the frying pan, continually whisking over high heat until it was all joined together. I then let it simmer and thicken and got a delicious mushroom gravy.
Step 6: Once the steaks are done to the wellness that you desire, I pull them out and place the casserole dish on hot pads on the counter. I sauté up about 1 1/2 cups of sliced mushrooms ($1.99) in a frying pan. Then I quickly put the mushrooms on top of the steaks and fold the foil back up. It is important to let the meat rest for about 10 minutes. This allows all of the juices to combine and for the meat to finish cooking.
Step 7: Plate an enjoy.
I placed some gravy down, placed the steak and mushroom on top and then (this is something I do with almost every meal) I fried an egg and placed it on top. I served the dish with some home canned pears which you can see in the container, placed there because I hate when the juice ruins the rest of the plate of food. The starch for the meal was mashed potatoes. Most nights I don’t have the time to make REAL mashed potatoes but I love them so I have to be content with the powder-mix type. I try to mix it up and add variations and for today’s mashed potatoes I added 1 cup of frozen corn and 1 1/2 cups of frozen crumbled spinach to the water before it started boiling. After I mixed in the mashed potato flakes I added 1 1/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese and crumbled up bacon.
All in all a great meal; it takes about 1 hour to make at the most but it all depends on how well done you like your steak. While the meat is cooking in the oven you can make the rest of the meal and even have time to clean up.
Great idea for college kids who want to treat themselves!
