Smothered Cube Steak-Change Up Recipe©

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Oven Temperature:  350° F

When this starts cooking the whole family will be hanging out just waiting for it to be done.  This smells as good as it tastes.  It is simple and hearty.

Ingredients

• 1.5 # about 6 pieces of Cube Steak
• 1 Can Campbell’s Tomato Bisque
•  1 Can Campbell’s Beef Consommé
• ½ cups of diced onions, and mixed color dice bell pepper of choice-Each will give the steak a different flavor
• 1 Stalk of Celery chopped
• 2 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce
• Dried Onion Granules for sprinkling on steaks while browning.  I’m not wild about the smell of frying beef.
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp of Parsley Flakes
• Salt & Pepper to taste.  I don’t add salt, because there is lots of it in the soups.

 Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 350° F

Sprinkle the onion granules on the steak. Brown the steaks on medium high in an oven-proof Dutch oven.  One Tbsp of olive oil is enough for browning, depending on where you buy the steak, as some has less water in it.  While the meat is browning mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, reserving about 1/4 of the beef consomme.  When all the meat is browned take it out of the pan and deglaze*(how to below) the pan using some of the beef consomme.  Place the meat back in the pan.  Pour the sauce over the meat making sure it is between layers.  Make sure there is enough liquid to cover the meat.  If you need more liquid, just add some water.  Bake for 1 hour or until meat is cooked through.

Reduce the gravy that is left in the bottom of the pan until it thickens to a good consistency for mashed potatoes.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a veggie.  I like spinach salad with mine.

How to Deglaze the pan:

Remove the meat from the pan.  Pour the beef consomme into the hot pan, and use a spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the browned on meat bits from the bottom of the pan.  This is the deglazing, and should be done while the fire is still under the pan.  Place the meat back in the pan and proceed with the recipe as defined above.

Change Ups©: 

• Add 1 can of flavored diced tomatoes, or stewed tomatoes, instead of the tomato bisque.
• Use soy sauce instead of the Balsamic and Worcestershire, and add 1 Tbsp of sweetener of choice.
• You can leave out the onion granules if you don’t mind the smell of frying beef.
•  Add 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek to either rendition of this sauce.
•  Serve over brown or white rice of choice.
• .Use wine to deglaze the pan, and skip the balsamic vinegar in the sauce.

 The term Change Up Recipe is a copyright of WTP.