FB Foodie Friday - A Meal to Impress the Joneses

What do you make when the Joneses come to dinner?

Hi everybody, FB Hubby here for a little different FB Foodie Friday meal. Those of you who are used to reading these posts, know that Shannon challenges me to do dinner for four at $15 or less. However, this week she was talking about dealing with the Joneses. On Monday, I wrote how we cut cable and all the savings that have and will come from it. Then Shannon wrote about how we can often be judged for not trying to keep up with the Joneses, sometimes by our own friends and families. So, I decided to put together a meal that would be inexpensive, yet would still be a meal to impress the Joneses, should they come to dinner. Then, after a dinner that they think must have cost a lot, you can reveal to them how much it really cost, or you can just keep it to yourself and give them a Ok, so I used this GIF already on Monday, but you just got to love it!!!

The Steakhouse Dinner on a Budget.

Nothing seems more impressive than a steakhouse dinner. Many people will tell you that you need an expensive cut of meat like filet mignon or a New York strip to get a flavorful steak dinner. However, I have found that you can get plenty of taste out of a cheaper cut of meat by doing a little prep work on it. While out shopping, we found two large steaks each that were on sale. We grabbed some whole mushrooms, a few large potatoes, and some garlic. Total cost was around $17. Considering that it would be hard to find one steak in a real steakhouse for this much, it is certainly a great savings.

The Tasty Trick.

The trick to preparing the steaks is some olive oil, salt, and pepper. I took the steaks and liberally sprinkled kosher salt and pepper on them, pressing it into the steaks. I then rubbed a little olive oil on both sides of the meat, placed them in a ziploc bag, and refrigerated them for anywhere from an hour to 24 hours (the longer the better). When you are ready to make them, be sure to take the steaks out of the refrigerator 30 minutes ahead of cooking time. I then cut up and roasted the mushrooms with some garlic and olive oil, made garlic mashed potatoes, and grilled the steaks. Shannon came up with the final trick. Instead of trying to serve each person a half of a steak (which would not impress the Joneses), she sliced them up. This way, everyone can get a portion of the steaks and it looks great on the plate. I also think the slicing helps the flavors. We have made this meal several times and it always pleases our guests. We keep steak sauce around or will make a horseradish sauce (equal parts mayo, sour cream, and then horseradish mixed in) in case anyone wants it, but rarely does anyone ask. So now, make this meal to impress the Joneses the next time they come to dinner and let them try to judge your cost savings after that. Enjoy!!Here is the link to the recipes.