Steakhouse Baked Potatoes

We all love a good baked potato so I wanted to see if I could make it into a meal by adding steamed broccoli, crispy bacon and scallions all smothered in a delicious cheese sauce. These Steakhouse Baked Potatoes weren't quite as filling as I wanted - we like to eat a big dinner most nights - but if you have a late or hearty lunch these would be perfect as a light dinner.

Steakhouse Baked Potatoes

4 russet potatoes (about 1/2 pound each)
vegetable or olive oil
kosher salt
2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 cup packed)
4 slices bacon, cooked and cut into small pieces
4 scallions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Wash and dry the potatoes and poke each potato all over with a fork (so they won’t explode).

Rub some oil over each potato. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt over the potatoes and roll them around to cover completely.

Bake about 1 hour. Check the potatoes by inserting a fork into the center. It's done when the fork goes in easily.

While the potatoes are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season wit salt and then add the broccoli. Cook for 4 minutes, then drain and keep warm. You can also steam the broccoli.

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Sprinkle flour over melted butter; cook for 1 minute, stirring often with a whisk. Gradually add milk to the flour mixture in pan, and bring to a boil, stirring often with a whisk. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thick, then remove from heat. Add the cheese and stir until smooth.

The Ultimate Stuffed Potato

The other day I caught an episode of Tyler's Ultimate and he was making The Ultimate Stuffed Potato, basically a baked potato topped with a cheese sauce mixed with bacon and broccoli. I was practically drooling watching him assemble these potatoes (which were a side dish to a steak dinner, if you can believe it). I figured the potato alone was filling enough for dinner.

I made some modifications to the cheese sauce after seeing that it called for 1/2 stick of butter and only 1/2 cup of milk. I dropped the butter and flour to 2 tablespoons each and upped the milk to 1 cup to make a thinner sauce. I had to add a few splashes of milk to thin it when we were ready to eat since I made it ahead of time, so use your judgement. I also ended up mixing together the ends of a few different cheeses because I only had about 1 ounce of cheddar left in the fridge. American and a little Pecorino mixed in well and the resulting sauce was drinkably good.

I loved these potatoes and, once again, Baby Girl was stealing pieces of broccoli, bacon and cheese as we were cooking dinner. I baked her a tiny potato and she was a big fan. These are so, so good.

The Ultimate Stuffed Potato
Tyler Florence

4 large Idaho potatoes, scrubbed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
About 1-2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar
2 broccoli crowns cut into florets, blanched in salty water
1/2 pound bacon, medium dice, cooked until crisp
2 tablespoons chives, chopped (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place potatoes onto a baking sheet. Pierce with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place into preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour.

Melt the butter over medium heat and then whisking in the flour. Cook for 1 minute then add the milk. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then off heat fold in the cheese and stir until melted. Once melted, add the cooked broccoli and bacon. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When the potatoes are done make a cut across the top and squeeze it from the bottom so a small pouch opens up and the bottom is squared off. Spoon the filling over the top of the potato and season with pepper, to taste.

Potato Pancakes

It isn't often that I see a picture of something and need to make it immediately but sometimes that craving packs a powerful punch. Melissa posted these Potato Pancakes recently and the photo alone made me start salivating. I just happened to have some leftover baked potato in the fridge from the Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes so I whipped these up for lunch.

Holy yum is all I have to say. I used the flesh of maybe one potato to make two pancakes and with a little sour cream and applesauce these truly hit the spot. Melissa's version with grated potato and onion is more like the latkes my grandmother makes but mine were still nice and crispy, just softer inside.

Potato Pancakes
Slightly adapted from I Was Born to Cook, originally from Allrecipes
Makes two pancakes

1 baking potato, cooked and peeled
1/2 small onion, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
salt and pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
vegetable oil for frying
applesauce and sour cream, for serving

Mash the flesh of the potato with the grated onion in a bowl. Mix in the cornstarch, salt and pepper and flour.

Heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Divide potato mixture into two patties and add to the pan. Flatten with a spatula to make 1/2 inch thick pancakes. Fry until golden brown, turning once.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Serve with applesauce and sour cream.

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes

We love anything buffalo chicken and it had been awhile since I'd made anything with those flavors when Mary Ellen chose Ashley's recipe for Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes for a recent recipe swap. A baked potato stuffed with creamy, cheesy buffalo chicken? Sold!

This was a meal that almost didn't happen. I had it on the meal plan for a Monday so Sunday morning I went into the freezer looking for chicken breasts only to discover we were out of chicken. Ooops. Monday I went to the grocery store to pick up a rotisserie chicken, got home and realized we were out of Frank's hot sauce. Nothing to do at that point but sub another dinner from later in the week and push these back. Not a big deal, really, but frustrating when I'd been practically salivating over these potatoes all day.

My baking potatoes were more medium-sized but I still managed to fill 4 of them and have leftover filling, so I froze it for another time. I'm glad my potatoes were on the small side - the filling is quite rich and I wasn't able to finish my potato.

To tie the theme together I made a quick salad of celery, shredded carrot, grape tomatoes, romaine and blue cheese crumbles with ranch dressing. It was the perfect accompaniment.

Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Potatoes
As seen on Mary Ellen’s Cooking Creations, originally from Cheesecurd in Paradise

4 baking potatoes
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
6 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
2 tablespoons ranch dressing
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Bake the potatoes or heat in the microwave until tender (mine took 25 minutes in 5 minute intervals since I was cooking four). When they are done, allow to cool slightly then cut off the top and gently scoop out the insides, saving the potato flesh for another time, to make a well for the filling.

Mix the shredded chicken, cream cheese, hot sauce, ranch dressing, mozzarella cheese and 1 tablespoon blue cheese.

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with tin foil and spoon the chicken mixture into the potatoes. Top with the cheddar cheese and the remaining blue cheese crumbles.

Bake for about 20 minutes to melt the cheese.

Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes

We are big baked potato fans in this house, but I rarely make them. Why, I have no idea. I think of them as more of a side dish, which I then self-limit to being served alongside steak, which we don't eat often. And there you have it. But these Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes are a meal in themselves, especially served with a side salad or some steamed veggies. SP was a big fan, which I was happy about. He knows he needs to eat healthier meals but old habits die hard. Of course he joked how much better they would have been with bacon, so maybe I'll look into turkey bacon to make them healthier (or just use two slices divided between 4 potatoes). I doubled the recipe so we'd have leftovers.


I cooked the potatoes and poached the chicken, made the sauce and then assembled the stuffed potatoes during the day, which meant all I needed to do was put the baking sheet in the oven when SP called to say he was on his way home. As Jessica said, these are not an easy weeknight meal due to the amount of time needed to prep them, but if you're able to do all the work ahead of time it isn't too bad. I think these could even be prepped the night before and stored in the fridge until ready to bake. Regardless, these are delicious and filling.

Chicken and Basil Stuffed Twice Baked Potatoes
As Seen On Sunny Side Up in San Diego

4 baking potatoes
Olive oil and kosher salt for coating
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup half and half
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.

Scrub the outside of the potatoes really well, then pat dry with paper towels, prick each potato with a fork 6-8 times, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle each potato with about a teaspoon of oil and use a pastry brush to evenly distribute over surface then sprinkle with kosher salt. Flip the potatoes and repeat on the other side. Bake for an hour to an hour and a half, or until they are tender.

When the potatoes are close to being done, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the half and half and broth. Stir well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. In the meantime, chop the basil. After the sauce has simmered, add the basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Once the potatoes have finished baking, cut them in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the insides, leaving a thin shell around the edges, then return the shells, open side up, to the baking sheet. Place the potato guts in a bowl. Use a fork to slightly mash the potatoes. Pour the sauce into the bowl with the potatoes and stir to incorporate. Add the cooked shredded chicken and stir.

Fill the potato shells with the filling, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese, and return them to the hot oven for 10 minutes, switching to the broiler for the last minute or so if the cheese hasn't yet started to turn golden brown. Serve hot with a small side salad or steamed vegetables.

Christmas Eve Dinner

For Christmas Eve dinner I wanted to make something special, so I turned to one of our favorites - baked stuffed shrimp:


I just love the way the shrimp look all ready to go into the oven:


I also made baked potatoes and we had my favorite asparagus as a first course:


... roasted asparagus topped with a fried egg, salt, pepper and some grated Pecorino cheese. Delish!

Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Slightly Modified from Cook's Country Feb/March 2008

4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bottled clam juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley
4 scallions
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt
1 1/4 pounds extra-large or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs. Transfer crumbs to broiler pan bottom and bake, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove crumbs from oven and reduce temperature to 275 degrees.

Add parsley, scallions and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine crumbs, mayonnaise, clam juice, parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon juice and zest, mustard, cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt. Grease the broiler pan with vegetable or other light oil. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a 1-inch opening along the back of shrimp (where the vein was located) to butterfly it. Arrange the shrimp cut-side down on the broiler pan. Divide bread crumb mixture among the shrimp, pressing it into balls between the tails and body. Bake 10-15 minutes for extra-large shrimp or 20-25 for colossal. As soon as the shrimp turn pink, they're done.

Combine lemon juice and melted butter. Remove shrimp from oven and drizzle with lemon juice and butter mixture before serving.

Loaded Baked Potatoes

I wanted an easy dinner one night and had two broccoli crowns to use up so I thought loaded baked potatoes would be perfect.


I microwaved the potatoes, although baking in the oven would be better. I also steamed the broccoli in chicken broth and cooked the bacon in the toaster oven until it was crispy. Shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream rounded out the potatoes. These were amazingly good for being so simple.

BBQ Chicken, Baked Potato and Corn

We had some leftover chicken thighs in the freezer from the last time we made BBQ chicken. I served the thighs with corn on the cob and baked potatoes:


Unfortunately it rained the night I was planning to grill the chicken so we had to cook the chicken on our indoor electric grill.


I poached the thighs first for about 45 minutes and then put them on a smoking-hot grill to get a little char before basting with BBQ sauce. The chicken didn't get the same smokey flavor from the charcoal but it was still tasty.

Chili and Cheese Baked Potatoes

Two Sundays ago I defrosted a 3 1/2-lb package of ground turkey. I used half to make turkey chili that we served over baked potatoes:


I used my usual Emeril recipe for the chili and we just baked the potatoes in the microwave. For toppings we had grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped scallions. Hearty and filling.

Shrimp Scampi with Baked Potato and Zucchini

We wanted a fun meal on Saturday night so we picked up some frozen shrimp for shrimp scampi. We love baked potatoes with seafood so we cooked up two of those, along with some steamed zucchini:


The shrimp was very easy to make and tasted fantastic, with plenty of garlic and lemon flavor:


I topped my baked potato with butter, sour cream, salt and pepper and it really hit the spot. And zucchini are always tasty simply steamed.

Shrimp Scampi
Food Network Kitchens

1 1/2 pound jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Put the shrimp on a large pie pan or plate and pat them completely dry with a paper towel. Arrange the shrimp so they lay flat and are evenly spaced.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the butter to the skillet. When the foaming subsides, raise the heat to high, and invert the plate of shrimp over the pan so the shrimp fall into the pan all at once. Cook the shrimp, without moving them, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn the shrimp over and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl.

Return the skillet to the heat and pour in the vermouth and lemon juice. Boil the liquid until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir the zest and parsley into the sauce. Pour the sauce over the shrimp, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine.

Divide the shrimp among 4 plates or arrange on a platter and serve.

Baked Stuffed Shrimp and Baked Potatoes

The rest of our Christmas Eve meal included Baked Stuffed Shrimp and baked potatoes:


I had extra-large shrimp in the freezer so that's what I used for the recipe. These little guys look so gorgeous with the stuffing tucked into them:


For the baked potatoes I cleaned and dried them, then gave them a rub with olive oil, salt and pepper before baking them at 400 degrees for about an hour, maybe an hour and a half:


I served mine with a little butter and sour cream. Delicious! The whole meal was actually very easy to make. The asparagus had very little prep and just cooked in the oven. Same for the baked potatoes. The shrimp was the most involved, but it was still easy to put together. We ate ourselves silly and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Merry Christmas to all!

Grilled Steak Dinner

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous lately, so we wanted to have a nice summery meal. I got some beets at the farmers market by my office so I made another beet, goat cheese and arugula salad:


I also got some corn, cherry tomatoes and cilantro at the market for my grilled corn salad:


I realized I didn't have any red onion so I had to sub shallot. It wasn't quite the same, but it still worked well. We bought some sirloin steaks at the Amish butcher. SP got the grill nice and hot and cooked the steaks perfectly:


Just look at that char. Gorgeous. I seasoned the steaks simply with salt and pepper and finished them with a little sea salt once they came off the grill. Here's my plate:


We also had baked potatoes with sour cream and fresh chives. I made a rosemary butter to melt over the steaks:


It was a fantastic dinner. I love the flavor the grill imparts to anything you put on it.

Fourth of July

We had a quiet Fourth of July this year, which is pretty typical of most years. My parents are always in Maine this time of year, my mother-in-law was at another son's house, no one we knew was throwing a party...even our neighbors are out of town. We did a little shopping, rode our bikes around the neighborhood and then went to the farmer's market in town to get ingredients for dinner.

We started with a mozzarella, tomato and basil platter:


I wish I could say this was a tomato from my garden, but mine aren't nearly ripe enough yet. But it was grown locally and was very flavorful, especially with the milky, creamy mozzarella and the basil (which was from my garden). While I was getting the platter assembled and microwaving the baked potatoes, SP was grilling up some steaks we got from the Amish butcher:


The steaks are hormone-free and very flavorful, and the same price (if not cheaper) then what we saw at the grocery store. I served the steaks with a rosemary butter and chopped fresh chives for our baked potatoes.

Happy Fourth of July!!

Steak, Baked Potatoes, Broccoli

I told myself I wasn't going to cook this week. I just didn't want the stress of having to grocery shop, plan meals, worry about SP starving while I got dinner ready, etc. There's just too much else going on. Usually SP would take over in the kitchen, but his work schedule gets him home pretty late as it is, so we just decided take out was the way to go. Then I got sick. Then he started feeling sick. And by Thursday we just wanted to relax at home. I got out of work at a decent time so I stopped at the store on the way home and picked up two sirloin steaks, 2 huge baked potatoes and 2 heads of broccoli crowns.


This was a very simple, yet incredibly satisfying meal. And it took no time at all. I scrubbed the potatoes and threw them in the microwave for about 25 minutes. Done. The broccoli I just trimmed into large florets and steamed, then tossed with butter, salt and pepper. Done. While SP got the grill going I seasoned the steaks with salt and pepper and made a rosemary butter. I also snipped some chives for our baked potatoes. Dinner was ready in 30 minutes and we even sat outside to enjoy the nice break from the heat wave we've been having.

I just have to say, the chives on the baked potato were outstanding. We both commented on how incredible the flavor was. Something so simple and yet it was really tasty. Thanks for sharing the chives with me, Mom!

And a word about the steaks - the portion pictured above is about a third of one steak. I bought two steaks (totalling 3 pounds) so we'd have plenty for lunches the next day. And the kicker - the sirloin steak was on sale for $2.99/pound, so this entire meal cost less than $15. Score!

Cod Fillets with Caper Butter

In the final installment (at least for now) of our foray into the March 2008 issue of Everyday Food, we have Cod Fillets with Caper Butter:


Of course these are actually tilapia fillets, but the method is the same. This was an incredibly easy meal to prepare. When I got home I scrubbed two baking potatoes, dried them thoroughly, rubbed them with olive oil, salt and pepper and put them in a 400-degree oven to cook for an hour. While they were working I trimmed the asparagus and tossed that with more olive oil, salt and pepper and laid them out on a baking sheet. They went into the oven 10 minutes before the potatoes were done.

As for the fish, all that I had to do was line a baking sheet with foil and lay the fillets down, seasoned on both sides with salt and pepper. They went into the oven at the same time as the asparagus. The fish was served with a caper butter, which was softened butter mixed with 1 tablespoon finely chopped capers, 2 tablespoons minced parsley, salt and pepper. I cut up some lemon to squeeze over the fish once it was cooked and dinner was served. Quick, easy, and delicious.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

SP and I aren't that into celebrating Valentine's Day, but we do like the excuse to have a nice meal and spend some quality time together. We always have some kind of seafood on Valentine's Day and this year we decided to try something new - baked stuffed shrimp. The latest issue of Cook's Country had a recipe for Baked Stuffed Shrimp so that's what I made:


But before I get into that, let's talk about our first course. Initially the plan was to have roasted asparagus as our vegetable, but on the way into work yesterday I remembered a dish I used to love when I was in college. There was a restaurant in town that served roasted or grilled asparagus tossed in a light vinaigrette and served with a fried egg on top. The whole dish was showered with grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. It was outstanding and I've always meant to make it at home (especially for my mom, who loved the dish and who is probably mad at me now since she wasn't invited over last night). It's an easy dish to make, but as regular readers will know, asparagus isn't a vegetable that makes many appearances on our table. It just isn't on my radar for some reason. But I already had a nice bunch at home so it was simple enough to change plans and serve this as a first course. Here are the asparagus ready to be roasted after being tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper:


Roasted asparagus tossed with lemon juice, salt and pepper is always good, but the addition of the fried egg is what makes this dish amazing:


See how the yolk starts to ooze over the spears? It mingles with the lemon juice and oil to make a simple sauce that is just outstanding with the slightly charred asparagus:


What a great way to start the meal. This would also be a great brunch item if you placed the asparagus on top of a grilled slice of crusty bread and added another fried egg on top. Yum!

Now for the shrimp. As I said, we wanted to try something different but I was a little concerned about how this would turn out. I have a lot of faith in Cook's Country and they didn't disappoint. This could not have been easier to make and the great thing about the meal was that the asparagus and baked potatoes cooked together in a 400 degree oven and once the asparagus came out and I turned the oven down to 275 for the shrimp, I was able to leave the potatoes in the oven to stay warm. Here are the shrimp stuffed and ready to go into the oven:


My plate with the baked potato (dressed simply with a little butter and sour cream) and the baked stuffed shrimp:


The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the stuffing had a really amazing flavor. You could really taste the garlic, mustard, clam juice and scallions. I followed the recipe exactly except for the last step - broiling the shrimp after they bake in order to crisp up the stuffing. I decided not to do that step because I didn't want to overcook the shrimp. After we finished eating, SP and I decided that the only thing that would have made the dish better was some kind of sauce to go over the shrimp, even if it was just a little butter and lemon juice.

For the potatoes I rubbed the skins with olive oil, salt and pepper before baking them. I had been hoping for a crispy skin (I never eat the skin on baked potatoes because I can't stand the soggy skin) but they never got crispy. Maybe I'll try a higher heat next time.


Overall this was an outstanding meal and we were both really happy with our special Valentine's Day dinner.

Baked Stuffed Shrimp
Cook's Country Feb/March 2008

4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bottled clam juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley
4 scallions
2 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt
1 1/4 pounds extra-large or colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse bread in food processor to coarse crumbs. Transfer crumbs to broiler pan bottom and bake, stirring halfway through, until golden brown and dry, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove crumbs from oven and reduce temperature to 275 degrees.

Add parsley, scallions and garlic to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Combine crumbs, mayonnaise, clam juice, parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon juice and zest, mustard, cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl.

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt. Grease the broiler pan with vegetable or other light oil. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a 1-inch opening along the back of shrimp (where the vein was located) to butterfly it. Arrange the shrimp cut-side down on the broiler pan. Divide bread crumb mixture among the shrimp, pressing it into balls between the tails and body. Bake 10-15 minutes for extra-large shrimp or 20-25 for colossal. As soon as the shrimp turn pink, they're done.

Remove shrimp from oven and heat broiler. Broil the shrimp until the crumbs are golden brown and crispy, 1 to 3 minutes.

Christmas Eve

Since we do a lot of running around on Christmas Day, SP and I like to spend a quiet evening at home on Christmas Eve. We like to have some kind of seafood for dinner and this year was no exception. I fried up some calamari rings and served it with some of the leftover marinara from Sunday's pizza:


I tossed the rings in flour seasoned with salt and pepper and fried them in hot vegetable oil. Unfortunately I forgot the lessons of last year and crowded the pan, which meant the calamari didn't get that nice golden brown color. They were still good though, especially tossed with the red pepper flakes and chopped parsley.

SP mentioned a recipe from his childhood for Steak Diane and asked me to make that for Christmas Eve. The recipe calls for filet mignon, but after searching three supermarkets we gave up on finding any (it's a rather popular cut of meat for this season). SP bought a few pieces of sirloin and I made the dish using Emeril's recipe:


SP also asked for baked potatoes, which we had with butter and sour cream, and I rounded out the meal with creamed spinach made with frozen chopped spinach, heavy cream, salt, pepper and a little nutmeg.