Your basic steak and garlic mashed potatoes dinner......

The other night was the first night that my college graduate was back home....I almost had a full house, so I wanted to make something that I knew everyone liked...Steak, garlic mashed potatoes and broiled green beans.  What's not to like?

I started by marinating the steak tips in something very basic, that most people have on hand.....Good Seasons Italian dressing mix.  I made a batch and let it soak for a few hours.



Right before they went on the grill, I added some garlic powder and onion powder, as well as some black pepper.    They only took about 20 minutes to cook on a nice, hot grill.  I try to leave the cover down and let them get a good sear on one side...probably about 10 minutes or so.  Then turn them and close for another 10 minutes.  The smaller pieces cook faster, so I take them off and let the thicker ones cook for a few more minutes.





I use the "squishing" method to check for doneness.... if they are too squishy then they are too rare.  If they are too firm, then they are really well done.  I try for middle of the road, and 99% of the time I am right on!

As for the beans?  You know the vegetable roasting routine by now..... Put the beans in a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, and grate some salt and pepper on them.  Pop them into a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Give them a stir and leave for another 5-10 minutes.  When they start to get a little bit brown and are tender, take them out and add some shredded Parmesan cheese.  That's it!

Now for my specialty.....garlic mashed potatoes.  I can't believe I am sharing my secret recipe!  One could say I have quite a reputation for making them taste so good!  Now, normally, you would boil some potatoes, mash them, add some garlic, butter, etc.... this way takes quite a while, and sometimes you just want to whip up something in half the time.  Well, listen to this....

Believe it or not, I make a batch of Potato Buds instant mashed potatoes.  My first secret is to use chicken broth instead of water.  Add in the milk and butter that it calls for, along with 3 or 4 crushed cloves of garlic. Just before it begins to boil, remove from the heat and stir in the potatoes.  Add salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 of a block of cream cheese, probably about 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and to thin them out if need be, I use either half and half or in this case, butter milk.  You want to make sure they are "garlic-y" enough.  If you need to add more, you can either add another crushed clove, or simply some garlic powder.  There is no real measurement of how much to add.  Just keep tasting and adding until you have them just right!

You won't believe how delicious they taste.  No one will know you used instant mashed potatoes, except for anyone who has read this blog!