Three Easy Chopped Steak Meals

We often have from one to three extra teens at our house any day of the week, and especially on weekends. This week I'll be sharing meals on the blog that are fairly easy and inexpensive to fix when extra people are at the table. Below are the meals I will be sharing:

1. Today: Chopped/Cubed Steak

2. Tuesday: Homemade Pizza

3. Thursday: Chicken and Dumplings

Chopped steak, also known as cubed steak in some areas, is usually the least expensive of the cuts of steak. It's low in fat and very easy to cook with. The first method of cooking chopped steak that I'd like to share is grilling, which is the easiest and quickest. Figure on one to two steaks per person if they are about the size of a hamburger patty. My teen boys and husband eat two each, while my daughter and I eat one each. When buying the chopped steaks always buy a 2-3 extra and if they aren't eaten at the meal they can be warmed up the next day for steak sandwiches or salad.

Grilled Chopped Steak

Ingredients:

1 to 2 steaks per person

Seasoning Salt

Adobo Seasoning

Season each steak on one side with the seasoning salt, and the other with the Adobo seasoning. Place on the grill, cooking five minutes on each side. At this point you can remove the thinner or smaller steaks, and continue cooking any that may need to grill longer. It's important not to overcook this type of steak or it will toughen. When done remove from grill and allow to sit in a platter for 5 minutes or so before serving. Note: if you can't find Adobo seasoning use a little bit of chili powder and garlic powder in it's place.

Pan Fried Chopped Steak

Ingredients:

1-2 steaks per person

Seasoning Salt

Cajun Seasoning

Season the steaks with seasoning, and place in a large skillet that has been sprayed with pan spray. Cook on one side until the steak is browned well, then turn over. At this point the cooking time varies depending on how done each person desires the steak. Sometimes the steaks create quite a bit of liquid. Remove most of this to a bowl when it builds up, and set aside. After the steaks have finished cooking remove them to a platter. Toss in a can of mushrooms that have been drained into the same skillet. Cook til they are heated through, add the steak broth, and cook it down for a couple minutes until it thickens slightly. This can be served over the steaks or on the side. Onions can also be added with the mushrooms before stirring in the broth.

Chopped Steak with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1-2 chopped steaks per person

Seasoning Salt

ground black pepper

1 can mushroom soup

Season the steaks with the seasoning salt and place in a pan that has been sprayed with pan spray, or a very small amount of oil can be added to the pan instead. Brown the steaks for 6 minutes or so on each side, removing any juices that are in the pan. While the steaks are cooking place the soup into a bowl, adding 1/2 cup of the juices from the pan. Whisk this together well. After the steaks have been cooked on each side pour the soup over the steaks. Turn the stove down and simmer the steaks for about ten minutes. Remove the steaks from the pan, and spoon some of the soup over them on a platter before serving.

Notes on Side Dishes: I serve all three of these with garlic bread, baked potatoes and salad or a vegetable.

~Brenda