Steak Dinner for Two - under $25!

I love my Bi-Lo grocery store. You may have noticed, a lot of the ingredients I use are Southern Home brand, which is Bi-Lo’s store brand. Our Bi-Lo is only two miles from our house (I’ve walked it!) and is always where I stop on my way home to either grab something quick for dinner, or to stock up for the week. Our Bi-Lo also has an excellent meat department for a local grocery store in the suburbs of Charleston. I, luckily, can usually find filet mignon (beef tenderloin) for a really decent price - much less than at a steakhouse. When they don’t have filet mignon, my next choice is ribeye and Ryan’s next choice is NY strip - both of which I can always find for a very affordable price. If you don’t have a Bi-Lo near you, don’t worry, you can still find affordable steaks at your local grocery store. You may just have to look beyond that top package or ask the butcher if they have more in the back or can cut you the right size - like if you only need one steak but there are 2 or more in the package, ask the butcher and they’ll open the package and repack just your one steak for you. I’ve done this countless times. Another great way to save money at your grocery store is to join whichever loyalty points membership they may have - oftentimes the BOGOs, etc. only apply to members of the loyalty program.

It was a rainy day here yesterday and Ryan is on the night shift so I thought a hearty steak dinner would be perfect for our Saturday night in. I stopped at Bi-Lo on my way home from some errands, grabbed a two-pack of filet mignon, one crown of broccoli, a bag of Caesar salad, and one sweet potato for Ryan.

Other ingredients I’m using that aren’t pictured are: butter, canola oil, and salt and pepper. And let’s just zoom in on that receipt right quick…

$22.67!!! Even if I bought another sweet potato for myself, my total still would have been around $25. I will note that there was another 2-pack of filets that were around $14 and they looked great, but these $17 ones just spoke to me. So this meal could definitely be done cheaper.
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The first step in making a great steak at home, especially a filet, is to let it come to as close to room temperature as you can before you sear it. Take your steaks out of the fridge at least one hour before you plan on cooking them. When you’re ready, preheat your oven to 425.

Dry the steaks by placing them on a plate and patting dry with paper towels. They will not sear if they have too much surface moisture. Preheat a dry oven-safe skillet on high while you heavily sprinkle all sides of the steaks with salt and pepper. It may seem like a lot but these steaks are thick and the flavor needs to permeate all the way through.

*It's important to note here - these are on a small salad plate. Not a dinner plate. We are not the Flintstones.

Then drizzle a little canola oil on each side of the steaks (about 1 tsp per side) and using a pastry brush or your fingers, spread it over the surface so that it’s all covered, but not fully dripping down the sides of the steaks.

Place the steaks in the super hot pan and let sit, untouched, until you see the bottom edge starting to cook, about 4-5 minutes. While this is happening, break down the crown of broccoli into florets and place into a microwave-safe bowl.

Take a pair of tongs and flip the steaks over to start cooking on the other side. That first seared side should be brown and have a nice crust on it.

After a minute or two, take some butter, and put 1 tbsp on each steak (or more, I won’t tell anyone!) and 1 tbsp into the hot pan. Immediately turn off the heat and place in the preheated oven for 5-6 minutes for medium-rare (cook for 1 minute longer depending on how done you like your steaks - 7 minutes, medium, 8 minutes medium-well, 9 minutes well-done).
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Splash some water over the broccoli, cover the bowl in plastic wrap, and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
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This is also a great time to mix together the Caesar salad kit.

​When 5-6 minutes have passed, remove the pan of steaks from the oven, place the steaks on a plate, and cover loosely with foil to let rest. When the broccoli has finished in the microwave, carefully (steam burns are real) peel back a small piece of the plastic wrap and pour out the water into the sink. Season the broccoli with a pinch of salt. Add butter if you like, and stir.

Now it’s time to plate! Remember that butter we topped the steaks with and added to the pan? I like to spoon a little bit of it from the STILL VERY HOT SO BE CAREFUL pan onto my steaks. That extra butter just adds a little unctuousness and more salt to the dish, and it’s butter so like, why would you not? Also, if you didn’t add butter to your broccoli (I usually don’t), then the extra butter and juice from the steak runs over to the broccoli and it’s just...divine.

Please enjoy this on your next night in! It’s a great dish to impress somebody but as you can tell, it’s also super easy - and that’ll be our little secret!

**If you don’t like steamed broccoli, fear not! You could also roast it in that same 425 oven for about 20 minutes. Other great sides would be: sauteed spinach, sauteed green beans, grilled onions, corn on the cob, a regular baked potato with all the loaded goodness.

***You may have also noticed I didn’t mention cooking the sweet potato. I just bought one for Ryan since he usually needs a starch with his steak, and I picked one of the ones that is already wrapped in plastic for the microwave. Since these take 7-8 minutes to cook, I put it in the microwave when I was seasoning the steaks, and it stayed hot in that plastic wrap until it was time to eat. He likes his with butter and cinnamon.

Here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 filet mignon steaks
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• Canola oil (about 1 ½ tbsp total)
  
• 1 broccoli crown
  
• Butter (about ½ stick)
  
• 1 bag Caesar salad, optional
  
• 1 or 2 sweet potatoes, optional
  

1. Let steaks come to room temperature for at least one hour before cooking.
   
2. When ready, preheat oven to 425.
   
3. Pat steaks very dry with paper towels. Set an oven-safe skillet on high heat on the stove.
   
4. Place sweet potato(es) in microwave for 7-8 minutes, if using.
   
5. Season steaks heavily with salt and pepper on both sides. Drizzle each side with 1 tsp of canola oil and coat the steak with the oil using a pastry brush or your fingers.
   
6. Place steaks in the very hot skillet, and cook for 4-5 minutes on the first side.
   
7. While steaks cook on the first side, cut up broccoli crown into florets and place into a microwave-safe bowl with a splash of water and cover with plastic wrap.
   
8. Flip the steaks over and sear for 1-2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp butter on top of each steak and 1 tbsp butter into the pan. Immediately turn off the heat and place the skillet in the oven. Cook for 5-6 minutes for medium-rare, and 1 minute longer per preferred doneness level.
   
9. Place broccoli into microwave for 4 minutes on high heat.
   
10. Assemble Caesar salad, if using.
    
11. Remove steaks from oven. Place steaks onto a plate and cover loosely with foil to rest.
    
12. Drain broccoli carefully, using plastic wrap to keep the broccoli in the bowl as the water pours out. Season with a pinch of salt.
    
13. When serving, spoon a little butter from the skillet onto the tops of the steaks.