Sept 29 2013
My wife is finally home after three days in the hospital for
both knee replacements and two weeks in rehab therapy. She is doing well for
being 70! The first day we were both tired from moving her back home so we got
carry ins. I asked her what she wanted for our first meal and I said I had
baked steak in mind. She said that’s what I had in mind, after 47 years
together sometimes we are on the same wave length!
Saturday I had to mow the grass then we had company in the
afternoon. I was tired again so we had carry ins. I would fix the steak Sunday.
I am finding doing her usual work too; the dishes, the wash and the cleaning
keeps me busy all the time!
Baked steak was one of my Mother’s great meals and she had
cheesy scalloped potatoes and scalloped corn as sides most of the time. She
usually used sirloin, browned it then baked covered with Campbell’s mushroom
soup. You can make your own gravy but as a step saver I have been using a jar
of Heinz’s savory beef gravy.
I don’t have a set recipe but just eyeball most of the
ingredients. I bake all at 350 deg. The potatoes I bake covered for 1 ½ hours
and remove the cover the last 20 to 25 minutes. As soon as I get the potatoes
in I brown the steak, add the gravy and bake for 1 hour covered and remove the
cover the last 20 minutes. The corn goes in for 45 minutes.
For the potatoes I peel about 2 pounds and slice about 3/16
inch thick. In a bowl add 1 can of Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup, 1/3 to ½ cup
of half and half cream or milk and a handful of shredded sharp cheddar. Mix
well and pour into a greased baking dish, bake covered. Add more shredded
cheese after removing the cover.
I like to use sirloin but I had four pieces of round steak
frozen I used. When I use round steak I add a little Adolf’s tenderizer, a little
salt and pepper. Dredge in flour then pound with a meat mallet a little on each
side. I don’t overdo it but I like that it gets some of the flour in the meat.
Brown in a skillet with a little olive oil remove the meat, pour off the excess
grease and deglaze with a little water. Add the meat back in and cover with the
gravy. Bake covered for one hour; remove the cover the last 20 minutes.
My basic scalloped corn recipe is 1 14 oz. can of whole
kernel corn and 1 can of creamed corn, a half cup of milk, 1 or 2 eggs, a cup
of saltine cracker crumbs and a teaspoon of sugar. Mix all together and pour in
a greased baking dish. Cut 2 to 4 butter pats in half and push down in the corn
mix. Bake at 350 deg. for 45 minutes.
With one egg it will be runnier and with two it will set up more.
For my corn this time I had a pound of frozen fresh sweet
corn to use, I added an 8 oz. can of creamed corn, a 1/3 cup of half and half,
2 eggs beaten, 2 tablespoons of sour cream, a cup of saltine cracker crumbs and
a teaspoon of sugar.
Start preparing your potatoes 2 hours before you want to eat
and this meal will be ready in just 2 hours.
I had baked a loaf of Pillsbury crusty French bread to serve
with the meal. My wife enjoyed her first home cooked meal she had in a while.
The steak was not fork tender but easily cut with a kitchen knife and all
tasted good.
Before I finished I went back and added some bread and gravy
to my dish, I love gravy bread!
Potatoes ready to bake
Steak seasoned
Steak ready to brown
Steak browned
Steaks done
Potatoes done
Corns done
My supper
