Ranch "Chicken Fried" Cube Steaks

There's just nothing like good ole comfort food!  You know the kind I'm talking about...floured and fried and loaded with calories.

I have always loved cube steak.  My Mama used to make the floured and fried kind and it was yummy in my tummy.  She called it "chicken fried" which still really doesn't make sense to me since there is no "chicken" in it...LOL.  I don't fry foods often so this is one of the things I miss.  Craving the kind my Mama used to make set me on the mission of finding an alternative recipe that might still taste close to hers but wasn't fried.

I found a couple of recipes but they weren't exactly what I was looking for, so I changed the ones I found up a little and came up with this.  It was yummy if I do say so myself.  Don't be fooled by the picture - you really can't make cube steak pretty! :)

Ranch "Chicken Fried" Cube Steaks

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups Bisquick
• 1/2 cup Panko Italian Style Bread Crumbs (I used Progresso)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup ranch dressing
• 4 cube steaks
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

• Heat oven to 425°F
• Spray 13x9 inch pan with the cooking spray 
• In a shallow dish mix Bisquick, Panko, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt.
• Pour ranch dressing in another shallow dish.
• Coat cube steaks with ranch dressing, the coat cube steaks with Bisquick mixture, pressing in so coating sticks to cube steaks.
• Place in 13x9 inch pan.
• Drizzle with butter.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes (or until steaks are done to your liking)

Serve with mashed potatoes or rice smothered with white pepper gravy and another side of your choice and you have a great meal!  I chose broccoli - figured I would be healthy with at least one of the foods.  =)

Cheesy Creamy Ranch Potatoes

Potatoes just might be my favorite food.  There are lots of ways to prepare them and thousands of recipes out there.  My favorite way to eat a potato is definitely one of the unhealthiest ways - FRIED!  :)  I have always loved fried potatoes...especially when they are fresh cut (not frozen).  I've loved them since I was a little girl.  Loved them so much that when I was in elementary school one of my Granny's would get up and make them for me for breakfast before she would go to work - and she cut them country style (round).

Baked potatoes are awesome too - that was something I always loved to get at my other Granny's when she first learned how to "bake" them in the microwave.  :)  Nothing like a "baked" potato loaded with butter and salt...doesn't matter if it's baked in the microwave, oven or grill.

Last night I made a new recipe with potatoes.  They were baked...with lots of cheesy creamy goodness...so I'm sure lots of calories.  And should I even mention that they have BACON in them?? I used Yukon Gold Potatoes in this recipe but any type would work.  Here's the recipe so you can try it too.

Cheesy Creamy Ranch Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 cup ranch salad dressing
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

• Place potatoes in a large pan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil until tender, about 6 minutes.  Drain well.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Combine salad dressing, sour cream, 1/4 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, bacon, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder in a large bow.  
• Add potatoes to mixture and stir until potatoes are coated well.
• Spoon potatoes into an 8x10 baking dish.
• Top with remaining cheese.
• Bake potatoes until bubbly, about 20 minutes.