Father's Day #2

Here's the recipe for the creamy, cheesy potato casserole that accompanied the steak sandwich in the Father's Day feast:

Potato Casserole
1 1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1 1/4 cups (5 oz.) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh onion
5 teaspoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (30 oz.) package frozen hash browns, thawed
1 (10.75 oz) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup
cooking spray
1 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; spread evenly into a 13x9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cornflakes over potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

My Notes
With the exception of a couple of changes, I followed this recipe exactly. I forgot to crush the cornflakes so they were whole and didn't settle into the casserole as much as I would have liked. I also forgot to sprinkle the casserole with fresh parsley. I specifically went in search of fresh parsley at the farmer's market yesterday with this casserole in mind and then I forgot it. Oops! The casserole turned out great and was a big hit. I think everyone went back for seconds. The recipe is supposed to yield 10 servings and I think that is pretty accurate. We had four people and after the meal we had a couple servings leftover.

Father's Day

My parents came over for lunch today and in honor of father's day I cooked a meal that would make any man's mouth water. It involved meat, potatoes, cheese and butter. 'Nuff said. On the menu today was a steak sandwich and potato casserole. I have to give credit to The Pioneer Woman for the steak sandwich recipe. Over there she calls it "Marlboro Man's Favorite Sandwich". I call it delicious. Here's the recipe copied exactly from The Pioneer Woman with my notes to follow:

Steak Sandwich
2 to 3 pounds cube steak
1 large onion OR 2 small/medium onions
4 French/deli rolls
butter,man
Lawry's seasoned salt
Worcestershire sauce
tabasco

Slice onions and cook in 1/4 stick butter until soft and light brown. Remove and set aside. Slice cube steak against the grain. Season with Lawry's. Heat 2 tbsp butter over high heat (in the same skillet) until melted and beginning to brown. Add meat in single layer. Cook one side until brown, then flip and cook until brown, about a minute on both sides. Add 1/2 (at least) Worcestershire sauce, 5 to 6 shakes Tabasco and 2 tbsp butter. Add cooked onions. Stir to combine. Butter halved rolls and brown on skillet. To assember, lay bottom half of roll on plate. Place meat mixture followed by a spoonful of juice from the pan. Top with other half of roll, cut in half and devour!

My Notes
I used salt, cayenne pepper and garlic powder in place of Lawry's and I used 4 small onions. I chose hoagie rolls for the bread and I toasted them under the broiler instead of browning them in a skillet. A little mayo on the bread took the sandwich up a notch. My dad and my husband (and myself) love this sandwich. It's always a big hit and worth the extra time in the gym.

Back in the Kitchen

Since we began our weight loss journey back in October, I have lost 53 pounds and my husband has lost 77. If someone tells you that weight loss is easy, they are lying. It is very hard work and a daily struggle. Now that we have returned to the land of making choices about food again, I have been experimenting with healthier recipes. One of our favorites is the following recipe:

Chicken & Vegetable Lasagna

9 no-boil lasagna noodles

1 jar (large) marinara or any ol pasta sauce

1 rotisserie chicken "savory" (remove skin and pick off the bones)

1 lb. bag frozen mixed vegetables

1 bag of low fat mozz cheese (or shredded parmesan if you're not worried about the fat)

pepper

nutmeg

In a 9x13, layer sauce, noodles, sauce, chicken, veg, cheese, noodles, sauce, chicken, veg, cheese, noodles, sauce, cheese, black pepper & nutmeg on the top. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and cook another 10 minutes to brown the cheese. Easy and tasty.

Eating healthy is not only about making good content choices, but also about portion size. That has been key to our success. When I make a dish, I immediately portion it out in storage containers; otherwise, I would eat until I was stuffed and then put away the leftovers. I also do this with fruit and vegetables. When I get home from the grocery, I wash and prep the f & v and then put them into 1 cup size storage containers in the fridge. This makes it very convenient to grab & go. Another plus is that we don't waste produce anymore. I don't know why, but I know this happens to everyone. You bring home produce from the grocery with the best intentions, but when you go to the fridge for something to eat and the grapes are sitting in the drawer still on the vine and not washed, you grab something else that is more convenient and leave the grapes to rot. I find that if I just go ahead and wash and prep everything immediately, I am more likely to eat something healthy when I'm feeling the munchies.