Pioneer Woman's Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potatoes & Peas

I don't think I've ever eaten a Salisbury steak before and had usually put it into the same category as foods like Chicken Fried Steak, lima beans, and liver with onions. Foods that I have known about, but never really wanted to try.


I have a small obsession with the Pioneer Woman's website, and I came across her recipe for Salisbury steak. Once I realized that Salisbury steak is really just a thin hamburger, I was sold on making it. I am also trying to bulk up my comfort food repertoire, so I thought this recipe would be a good start.


A couple of tips:


1) Make sure you use 80/20 beef. You'll probably be tempted to buy the lowest fat beef you can find, but you want that extra fat so that your steaks stay moist and so that you have the extra fat for your gravy.


2) When you make your steaks, I recommend making a few larger, thinner steaks versus thicker (hamburger-like) steaks. I made mine more like hamburgers and I think they would taste better if they were thinner.


3) Make sure your heat is not too high when you cook the steaks. I had my burner at medium-high and I think it over cooked the outsides of the steaks. I would probably reduce the heat to medium next time to preserve the outside.


4) Definitely include the slurry (cornstarch and water) when you make the gravy...it will thicken it nicely and take less time than waiting for the gravy to reduce on its own.


Ok, enough tips...here's the recipe, adapted from the Pioneer Woman's website.


Salisbury Steak


Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy


Ingredients

• MEAT MIXTURE
• 1-1/2 pound Lean Ground Beef
• 1/2 cup Seasoned Breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons Dry Mustard
• 1 cube Beef Bouillon, Crumbed (or Powdered Beef Base)
• 4 dashes Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Ketchup
• Salt And Pepper
• GRAVY INGREDIENTS
• 1 whole Onion, Halved And Thinly Sliced (or Diced If You Prefer)
• 6 oz. sliced mushrooms
• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 4 dashes Worcestershire (additional)
• 1 Tablespoon Ketchup (additional)
• 1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Corn Starch Mixed With A Little Beef Broth To Make A Thin Paste
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• More Broth If Needed For Thinning
• Mashed Potatoes, For Serving
• Buttered Peas, For Serving
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, For Frying
• 1 Tablespoon Butter, For Frying

Preparation Instructions

Combine all the ingredients for the meat mixture and knead until all combined. Form into 4 to 6 oval patties, then make lines across the patties to give them a "steak" appearance.

Fry in a skillet with oil and butter over medium-high heat on both sides until no longer pink in the middle. Remove from the pan and pour off excess grease.

Reduce the heat to medium and add in the sliced onions and mushrooms. Stir and cook for several minutes, or until the onions are golden brown and somewhat soft. Add the beef stock, Worcestershire, and ketchup. Stir and cook to reduce.

OPTIONAL: Add Kitchen Bouquet, which will give the gravy a deeper color and a bit more flavor.

OPTIONAL: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cornstarch/broth mixture to give the gravy a little gloss and to thicken it up a bit without lightening it (as flour would.)

**Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper and more broth if needed for thinning.

Return the steaks to the gravy. Spoon gravy over the top and let them simmer and heat back up for a couple of minutes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and peas!

**NOTE: If you omit the Kitchen Bouquet, no problem. If you omit the cornstarch/broth mixture, just cook the liquid a little longer in order to reduce and thicken it a bit.

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Difficulty Level: Easy

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds Russet Or Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 3/4 cups Butter
• 1 package (8 Oz.) Cream Cheese, Softened
• 1/2 cup (to 3/4 Cups) Half-and-Half
• 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Lawry's Seasoned Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (to 1 Teaspoon) Black Peppe

Preparation Instructions

Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces that are generally the same size. Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and add the potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. When they’re cooked through, the fork should easily slide into the potatoes with no resistance, and the potatoes should almost, but not totally, fall apart.

Drain the potatoes in a large colander. When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients.

Turn off the stove and add 1 ½ sticks of butter, an 8-ounce package of cream cheese and about ½ cup of half-and-half. Mash, mash, mash! Next, add about ½ teaspoon of Lawry’s Seasoning Salt and ½ a teaspoon of black pepper.

Stir well and place in a medium-sized baking dish. Throw a few pats of butter over the top of the potatoes and place them in a 350-degree oven and heat until butter is melted and potatoes are warmed through.

Buttered Peas

I just bought some frozen peas and heated them on the stove to go with this meal. I added some salt to the boiling water and a pat of butter to give some flavor. You could really serve any green veggie with this dish, but I like the peas mixed with the mashed potatoes.

By the way, did I mention that this recipe is not low fat? Please savor every bite, don't worry about the calories. This meal will make you feel all the comforts of home.

Paula Deen's Strawberry Shortcake (No Butter Required)

Today marks the first day of Spring break and the 75 degree weather made me want to make something light and delicious, not to mention the fact that strawberries were on super sale at the grocery store today.

I love this shortcake recipe and have made it several times. Paula Deen is notorious for her use of butter in her recipes, but this recipe requires no butter. Yes, it does have an entire brick of cream cheese...but no butter. :)

This is a great dessert for summer parties, or if you just want something that is delicious and creamy, but not too sweet.

The Tools:

- Knife

- Cutting Board

- Trifle bowl (yes you need this, or your cake will fall over)

- Measuring cup

- Mixing bowl

- Hand mixer or wisk

The Ingredients:

- 2 cups sliced strawberries

- 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

- 1 16 oz. container whipped topping

- 1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese

- 1 prepared angel food cake, sliced into three equal slices, horizontally

To Prepare:

1) Mix together the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped topping and set aside.

2) Slice the strawberries and the angel food cake.

3) Put the smallest section of cake at the bottom of your trifle bowl and top with sliced strawberries and the custard.

4) Put the middle section of the cake on top of the custard and top with strawberries and custard.

5) Put the top layer of the cake over the custard and top with your remaining custard and some strawberries as garnish.

6) Put the whole cake in the fridge for a little bit to solidify and Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Pot Pie is one of those comfort foods that most of us remember eating when we were kids. Maybe your mother slaved over the stove for hours to prepare this delicacy for you, maybe you bought the frozen Marie Calendar's version just last week, or maybe you've never even tasted the deliciousness that is Chicken Pot Pie. Either way, you should really try making this some time.

Now, let's get real here. I am no baker. I hate baking. Mostly because I'm not very good at it. Most people tell me to just practice more and I'll get better. But what happens when I don't feel like practicing? I buy the frozen, pre-made pie crusts at the grocery store. Is that cheating? Maybe so, but it still tastes good to me!

So, whether you choose to make your own crust, or buy it from the store, here is a delicious Chicken Pot Pie recipe that you should make tonight.

PS: If you ever want to make chicken and waffles, or chicken and biscuits, or biscuits & gravy, or something equally as Southern. This is a great basic white gravy recipe.

Chicken Pot Pie

The Ingredients:

- 2 large chicken breasts, poached (basically you just boil them in water with a little salt until they're no longer pink)

- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

- 1 onion, diced

- 2 stalks celery, chopped

- 1 stick of butter (yes, I know, that seems like a lot, but you can thank me later when your taste buds are rejoicing)

- Salt & Pepper, to taste

- All Purpose Seasoning, to taste

- 1/3 cup all purpose flour

- 1 can of Chicken Stock

- 2.3 cup milk

- One box prepared pie crust (two nine-inch crusts)

The Materials

- 1 pasta pot (for poaching the chicken)

- 1 sauce pan for cooking the veggies and chicken together

- 1 sauce pan for making the gravy

- A baking dish or pie plate for the final outcome

- A wooden spoon for mixing

- A wisk for...wisking

- A butter knife to trim your crusts with

- A fork to poke holes in the crust

- Measuring cups...for measuring

- A knife for knifing...wait

- A cutting board

The Directions:

1. Poach the chicken in boiling water with a bit of salt for flavor. I poached my chicken the night before, which dramatically sped up the prep time tonight when I got home from work. If you choose not to poach the chicken ahead of time, I would just dice it up and cook it with your veggies. Either way, be sure to add a good amount of salt and pepper for flavor.

2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If your oven runs super hot, like mine, you might want to set it at 400. I got some burned edges on my pie with a 425 degree oven.

3. Melt two tablespoons of butter in one of your sauce pans and once it's melted (not before) add your onion, celery, frozen veggies, and a good amount of salt, pepper, and all purpose seasoning. This is where you also want to chop up your previously poached chicken and/or put in the raw chicken that you have also diced. Either way, you're dicing.

4. Heat this mixture through and while it's working, start on your gravy...

5. Melt five tablespoons of butter in your other saucepan. Once the butter is melted, add 1/3 cup all purpose flour and WISK, WISK, WISK! You don't stop wisking until the gravy is done. Yes, your arm might fall off, but don't stop or you'll have lumptastic gravy. Nobody likes that. Once you have the butter and flour incorporated, add the chicken stock and milk (separately) 1/4 cup at a time. Make sure you wisk the liquid into the flour/butter mixture completely before adding more liquid.

6. After you have incorporated all of the liquid into the butter/flour mixture, add salt and pepper to taste and keep wisking until you have a somewhat thickened, gravy-like consistency. Use your best judgement on this. It might take a while to get it where you want it to be, but be patient, it's worth it. If you feel like the gravy just isn't tightening up the way you want it to, add a teaspoon of flour until you get what you want. I usually just prefer the patience method.

7. Spray the bottom of your pie plate or casserole dish with pam. Put one of your crusts in the bottom of your dish and poke it a few times with a fork.

8. Pour your chicken and veggie mixture into the baking dish and then pour the gravy over it. Be sure to leave a little space at the top for everything to party down in the oven.

9. Top the chicken and veggie mixture with your other pie crust and cut off the excess around the edges. Make a few slits in the top pie crust to let steam escape. If you don't do this part, you will have chicken pot mess in your oven.

10. Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the top of the pie is golden brown.

11. Let stand for about 10 minutes, if you're able, before cutting. This will ensure that the pie stays together and doesn't run all over your plate.

Enjoy! Let me know if you have any comments about the recipe or other suggestions for pot pie alternatives. I've been thinking very strongly about make an Indian inspired, samosa-esque pot pie. I'm thinking it will have curry in the gravy, chicken, cauliflower, potatoes, peas, and other Indian yumminess. I'll let you know if I end up making it.

Quinoa, Garbanzo and Spinach Salad

I have been inspired to create lighter meals with the warmer weather that we have been experiencing lately. I have made this vegetarian salad many times and I never get tired of eating it. I could, however, kick myself for forgetting the Feta cheese for this recipe. I don't feel like going back to the store, so I'll probably either leave the cheese out (and add more salt) or just use some nacho/taco shredded cheese as a substitute. It probably won't be as good, but whatever.

The thing I like best about this salad is the dressing, so make sure you have the smoked paprika on hand that this recipe calls for. You won't regret buying the spice, if you don't already have it. Be prepared, this recipe makes A LOT of salad, so either bring your appetite or share it with people at work, like I do. You can find the original recipe online here on Epicurious. I made a couple of changes by leaving out the mint leaves and adding minced jalapeno.

The Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed, drained

4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves

2 15 ounce cans garbanzo beans, rinsed, drained

1 3/4 cups, cubed cucumber

1 jalapeno, minced

1 1-pint container grape tomatoes, cut in half

1 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup Sherry wine vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika (yum)

1/2 cup olive oil

The Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa and drain. Let it cool before you combine it with everything else.

2. Dice up all of your veggies.

3. Mix together the dressing ingredients (Sherry wine vinegar, smoked paprika, and the olive oil)

4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.

Enjoy!