My Favorite Chicken Fried Steak

This was always a favorite dinner at my house. 
And they are on sale this week.
Comfort food for sure.
~Shelly

Tips for the Best Chicken Fried Steak Recipe

• There is no need to deep fry. I shallow fry to golden perfection with a cup of oil – or less. I prefer to use vegetable oil.
• A heavy skillet works best. I use my favorite cast iron skillet but any large, heavy bottomed skillet will work.
• Do not overcrowd the pan. Two at a time is the way to go. Preheat your oven to 225-250 F to keep it warm and crispy while you’re making the gravy.
• Buttermilk keeps the steaks nice and tender and the TABASCO® Sauce adds loads of flavor without being overly spicy. I make mine with about 2 teaspoons but you can go up to 4 teaspoons if you want to up the ante. I like to keep it relatively calm and my family can add a couple of dashes on top if they like.
• You’ll notice the baking soda and baking powder in the breading. This gives it a perfectly crispy coating that you won’t find in other recipes.
• After breading the cube steaks, really press the flour in. You want the steaks to be completely coated with the breading.
• Do not flip the steaks more than once. Wait until they are nice and golden brown before flipping. You don’t want to disturb that crunchy coating.

Don’t Forget the Gravy!

There are a few secrets to the best Chicken Fried Steak Gravy.

1. Do NOT scrape the skillet. Leave all of that goodness in there. Simply remove the grease and add back in just enough to make the creamy gravy.
2. Let the flour cook and brown before adding liquids. This builds up flavor and removes that raw flour taste.
3. Slowly whisk in the milk AND cream (yes, I use a little cream in this gravy) This keeps lumps from forming and you end up with a smooth, creamy Chicken Fried Steak Gravy.
4. Season at the end. My gravy usually doesn’t need any additional salt but I add LOTS of freshly ground black pepper.

Ingredients

Harter House tenderized cube steaks (about 1/3 lb each)  On Sale this week, July 9 - 15, 2025
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
2 tsp kosher salt or sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tsps TABASCO® Sauce (original)
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

Chicken Fried Steak Gravy

• 4 tbsp grease
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 to 3 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• In a shallow bowl, whisk together flour, one teaspoon black pepper, one teaspoon salt, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a separate shallow bowl, whisk together buttermilk , TABASCO® Sauce, and eggs. Set aside.
• Pat cube steaks dry with a paper towel, removing as much moisture as possible. Season with one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes and pat dry again with paper towel.
• Dredge the cube steaks in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, then dredge in the buttermilk-egg mixture, letting excess drip off, and then once again in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. 
• Place breaded cube steaks on a sheet pan or metal rack and press any of the remaining flour mixture into the cube steaks making sure that the entire steak is completely coated. Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 225 to 250 F.
• Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. How much oil you need depends on the size of your skillet. You want it to be about 1/4-inch deep. We aren't deep frying the steaks, just shallow frying. 
• Test the oil by dropping a bit of the breading into in. The oil should sizzle and bubble around the breading. Look for the oil to be glistening but not smoking - about 320-340 degrees F. Now we're ready to fry.
• Place two steaks into the pan at a time and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Do not flip more than once or the breading will fall off. Do not fry more than two steaks or the pan will be too crowded and the breading will fall off. 
• Remove steaks from pan and drain on paper towels. Place in preheated oven. Turn skillet heat to medium.

Chicken Fried Steak Gravy

• Pour the remaining grease into a heat safe bowl or glass measuring cup (I used my Pyrex). Do NOT scrape the skillet clean. We want all of those bits of yumminess to remain in the skillet so they can flavor the gravy.
• Add back in 4 tablespoons of the grease to the hot skillet.
• Whisk in flour and continue whisking for two to three minutes or until nice and golden brown.
• Combine the cream and milk and slowly drizzle in about 2 1/2 cups into the skillet, whisking constantly. It might look a little crazy right at the beginning, but it will all come together.
• Continue whisking and bring the gravy to a simmer. Cook until the gravy is smooth and creamy, about 5 to 7 minutes. If the gravy gets too thick, add in a little more milk. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Mine didn't need any salt but LOTS of pepper!)
• Serve chicken fried steak with gravy and mashed potatoes and your favorite green veggies. ENJOY!

This recipe from; momontimeout.com

Easy Cheese Danish

This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Who doesn't LOVE a Cheese Danish? 

INGREDIENTS

2 Cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
2 (8 oz.) packages Cream Cheese
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white

GLAZE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 359 degrees F.
Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Lay a package of crescent rolls in the pan and pinch the openings together.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and 1 egg together until smooth. 
Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls evenly and then lay the second pack of crescent rolls on top of the cheese mixture and brush with egg white.
Bake for 35 - 45 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Let cool for 20 minutes and top with the glaze.

Pepperoni and Cheese Crescents

 

1 (8oz) can Pillsbury refrigerated Crescent Rolls
24 slices (about 5 oz.) Pepperomi
2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup pasta or pizza sauce, heated

Heat oven to 375 Degrees
Separate dough into eight triangles, and pat out each triangle slightly.

Place 3 slices of pepperoni, slightly overlapping. on center of each triangle. 
Top each with about 1 tablespoon cheese.

Roll up, starting at shortest side of triangle, and rolling to opposite point.
Place rolls, point side down, on ungreased  cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.  
Remove from cookie sheet.
Serve warm crescents with warm pasta sauce for dipping.

Enjoy

Butter Sauce, for dipping

Sometimes, it's the sauces that make all the difference,
Try this fresh butter sauce, loaded with herbs.

INGREDIENTS

6 Tablespoons butter, melted 
             (I like grass-fed Kerrygold butter)
juice and zest of half a lemon
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
1 tablespoon fresh chopped chives
2 teaspoons minced thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a small bowl combine melted butter, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, cayenne, and paprika.  Whisk the sauce to combine.

Stir in parsley, chives, crushed red pepper flakes, and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with grilled meats or chicken bites, for dipping.

NOTE 
Feel free to double quantities if you want more sauce. 
For thicker butter sauce, add more mustard.

Easy Chimichurri Sauce

This Easy Chimichurri sauce is packed with fresh herbs, parsley, and oregano and it's spicy enough for everyone to enjoy.  Use it on steak, tacos, or meatballs.  It's even great on pasta.

Chimichurri sauce can be used for a wide range of things including marinades, dipping sauces, or drizzled over meat and vegetables!  Perfect for getting a taste of freshness added to your plate.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)

1 cup fresh parsley (stems and leaves)

1 Tablespoon dried oregano

2 gloves garlic

3/4 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 - 1 teaspoon course salt

INSTRUSTIONS

Blend everything in a food processor until smooth.

Adjust seasonings to taste.

Transfer to an airtight container until ready to use.

Freeze it in an ice tray so that it's nicely portioned for future meals.  Once the "cubes" have frozen solid, transfer to a plastic freezer bag.  Defrost and use as needed.

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

 

I will be making this recipe again this weekend.  

I absolutely recommend making more of this sauce, so that you can drizzle it over the cooked salmon.  I say cooked, but it's really pretty rare.  ~Shelly

1/2 cup bourbon

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons brown sugar light or dark; do not omit or the glaze will not thicken

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 clove minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 2-pound side of salmon (I prefer skin-on for cooking)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt / OR I used Chef Paul's Salmon Seasoning instead of salt & pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Chopped green onions optional for serving

 

In a medium saucepan, combine the bourbon, maple syrup, brown sugar, Worcestershire, soy sauce, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium high. Continue to simmer rapidly, stirring almost constantly. The mixture will look very active and almost foamy. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and reduced by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

 Position racks in the center and upper third of your oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. For easy clean up in case the glaze leaks, line a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, then place a large piece of aluminum foil on top. Remove the salmon from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes while the glaze cools and the oven preheats.

Place the salmon on top of the foil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Rub to coat, then brush the glaze all over the top.

Fold the sides of the aluminum foil up and over the top of the salmon until it is completely enclosed. If your piece of foil is not large enough, place a second piece on top and fold the edges under so that it forms a sealed packet. Leave a little room inside the foil for air to circulate.

 Bake the salmon on the center rack for 15 to 18 minutes, until the salmon is almost completely cooked through at the thickest part but still has several minutes to go. The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your salmon. If your side is thinner (around 1-inch thick) check several minutes early to ensure your salmon does not overcook. If your piece is very thick (1 1/2 inches or more), it may need longer.  

Cook with the skin on.. Never serve with the skin.

 Change the oven setting to broil, then return the fish to the oven, placing it on the upper third rack. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Watch the salmon closely as it broils to make sure it doesn’t overcook. You also can use an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part of the fish; fish is cooked at 140 degrees F (I like to pull mine out a few degrees early, then let it rest a few minutes so that the carry over cooking allows it to reach temperature).

 Remove the salmon from the oven. If it still appears a bit underdone, you can wrap the foil back over the top and let it rest for a few minutes. Do not let it sit too long—salmon can progress from "not done" to "over done" very quickly. As soon as it flakes easily with a fork, it's ready. 

Serve with additional Bourbon Glaze drizzled over the top.

I prepared 3 large salmon fillets for a party of 37 people, along with Sweet and Savory Green Beans, Sweet Potato Casserole, Salad, Breadsticks and desserts.  (salmon was cooked at the event venue)  It was a real hit.

For the Bourbon Glaze, I prepared the recipe times 8.  

 

Recipe adapted from wellplated.com

Simple Scones

Ingredients
2 Cups All Purpose Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 Cup raisins (or dried currants)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 large egg

Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

Cranberry-Orange Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cherry-Almond Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting dried cherries for the raisins.


Tip
Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.


This recipe comes from
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/79470/simple-scones/