Our Everyday Food Journey

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The Friday That Steak Salad Lost and Steak Won

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by

Carol
in , , , , ,

2025 Summer 4 – Friday

July 11, 2025 – by Carol in 2025, Summer 4, Friday, Weekly Meals

🍽️ The Menu

  • What was planned: Thai Beef Salad with rice noodles, romaine, cucumber, grape tomatoes, red onion, herbs, and a chili-lime dressing.
  • What we actually ate: Cast Iron Seared New York Strip Steaks with Creamy Mashed Potatoes (and not a single chopped vegetable in sight).
  • Why? Because I opened the fridge, looked at the herbs, and said “Not today.”

📸 Final Plate

Sliced seared steak with pink center and cheddar mashed potatoes on two different plates
The final plate – seared New York strip, sliced and served medium rare with dreamy mashed potatoes.

🔍 About the Meal

I meant to make the Thai Beef Salad. I really did. The steak was defrosted, the recipe was queued up, and everything was in place… until I imagined standing at the counter chopping romaine, cucumber, onion, cilantro, and mint while my cast iron skillet gave me the side-eye.

So instead, I pivoted.

Dry-brined steaks went into a screaming hot pan for 3 minutes per side. While they rested, I made boxed mashed potatoes taste like a five-star side dish with heavy cream, Kerrygold butter, shredded cheddar, and sour cream.

No regrets. No vegetables. Just comfort food and cast iron.

📷 Photo Journal

Two raw New York strip steaks on a paper towel seasoned with salt and pepper
Seasoned at 4:50 p.m. – salt, pepper, and patience for the win.
Infrared thermometer showing 447.1°F in front of black square cast iron griddle
That’s not a typo. Cast iron, fully preheated, clocked in at 447°F.
Cheddar, butter, sour cream, and heavy cream on top of prepared potato flakes
What goes into fake mashed potatoes to make them taste real.
Finished mashed potatoes in the pot with spatula showing creamy texture
Mashed potato magic – every bite buttery, fluffy, and just cheesy enough.

📝 Friday Notes

The Thai Beef Salad will have its moment another time — probably next summer. For now, this no-effort steak night was exactly what I needed. Bonus: I didn’t waste a single tomato, cucumber, or sprig of mint. They’ll all live to be chopped another day.

🎬 Behind the Scenes

Sometimes the plan changes. Sometimes you look at a cucumber and it just looks back at you like, “Good luck.” This was one of those nights. But honestly? That first bite of steak said I made the right call. And the mashed potatoes? They’re going in the hall of fame for emergency sides.

📷 #OurEverydayFoodJourney

Tag us with your own “pivot meals” — the ones that weren’t planned but still hit the spot. Or let me know: would you have chopped the salad?

#weeknightdinner #steakandpotatoes #comfortfood #oureverydayfoodjourney #mashedpotatoes #realmeals #nojudgmentfridays