Swiss Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes

I'm honestly amazed I hadn't posted this recipe before.

This, my friends, is Dane's favorite meal. He's told me that if he were on his deathbed and got to choose his last meal, this would be it. And for good reason! The hour-long simmer renders the meat meltingly tender and the veggies candy-sweet. Put it on top of a fluffy bed of silky smooth, garlic-y mashed potatoes, and you've got some of the world's most comforting food. Give it a try and you'll completely understand why Dane practically begs for it to be on the menu every week.

And talk about a budget-friendly meal! Simmering allows you to use traditionally tougher, less expensive meats yet still reap flavorful and tender results. You can use round steak or cubed steak as you prefer - I've made it with both and had great results either way. I used cubed steak this time around because we happened to have some in our freezer. The rest of the ingredients - carrots, celery, onion - are things that most people already keep in their produce stockpile... at most you might have to buy the can of tomatoes, depending on whether you keep the Italian-seasoned ones on hand. The only downfall is the time it takes to cook, really. But the prep work is easy, and once you get it simmering you can just step away and use your free hour for all kinds of important things, like playing cafe world on facebook housework or watching last week's episode of Grey's anatomy studying or taking a bubble bath laundry.

So trust me... give it a try and you'll fall in love too. :)

Swiss Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
adapted from The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
makes 4 servings, roughly 425 calories each

Ingredients
For the Swiss Steak
1 pound boneless beef round steak or cubed steak
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, with juices
1 small onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced

For the Garlic Mashed Potatoes
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
3-4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
For the Swiss Steak
1. If using round steak, trim fat from the meat and cut into four serving-sized pieces. Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. If using round steak, pound the flour mixture into the meat with the notched side of a meat mallet; if using cubed steak, rub the flour mixture into the meat.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown the meat on both sides (2-3 minutes per side). Transfer the meat to a plate and drain excess fat out of the pan.
3. Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pan, and sautee for 1-2 minutes. Mix in the undrained tomatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the meat back into the pan, burying in the vegetable mixture. Cover and simmer about 1 1/4 hours. Skim off any noticeable fat, and serve over the garlic mashed potatoes (directions follow).

For the Garlic Mashed Potatoes
1. Scrub the potatoes well and cut into even 1-inch pieces. Place in a large pot and fill with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Add the whole garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Boil until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and transfer to a bowl.
2. Roughly mash the potatoes. Add the milk and butter and continue to mash until the desired consistency is reached. Mix in the garlic powder and add salt and pepper to taste.