Blue plate specials conjure up memories of diner-style comfort food at its best. Easy, yummy and affordable—and at the heart of it all was a big helping of mashed potatoes cooked and seasoned to perfection. Try these new takes on popular diner specials that you can whip up at home with little time and effort.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
RIBEYE CHICKEN FRIED STEAK WITH SAWDUST GRAVY
SERVES 4
Steak
4 thinly sliced (⅜-inch) ribeye steaks
2 teaspoons blackened seasoning
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
Canola oil, for frying
Gravy
2 tablespoons pan drippings
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh coarsely ground black pepper
Cut off excess fat around the edges of the steaks. Using a meat mallet, pound steaks on both sides until thin and tenderized. Season generously with blackened seasoning. In a shallow bowl, add buttermilk and allow steaks to marinate for 30–60 minutes. Add flour to another shallow pan. Shake off excess buttermilk from steaks and dredge in flour on both sides, patting flour firmly onto steaks to help it stick. (If you prefer the steaks extra crispy, dip again into buttermilk and dredge a second time in flour.) Place steaks on a rack and set aside.
In a cast-iron skillet, add ½ inch of oil and heat to 350 F. Working in batches, cook steaks until golden brown on each side, 3–4 minutes. Repeat until all steaks are cooked. Remove to a rack or large platter and keep warm.
To make the gravy, remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from skillet. Increase heat to medium-high. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add milk and continue to whisk vigorously until gravy starts to boil slightly. Reduce temperature to medium-low and let gravy continue to cook until it thickens to desired consistency, 6–8 minutes. (If gravy is too thick, add milk, 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency. If too thin, add flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency.) Add salt and pepper and stir well. Serve over warm steaks with mashed potatoes or vegetables.
Meatloaf with mushroom gravy
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 6
Meatloaf
1 ½ pounds ground beef (85/15 or 90/10)
1 small onion, grated or minced
2 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 large egg
½ cup rolled oats (or dried breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup milk
Mushroom gravy
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups unsalted beef stock
½ tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 F. Using clean hands or a large mixing fork, combine ground beef, onion, garlic, egg, oats, tomato paste, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, parsley, cheese and milk. Do not overmix! Shape on a sheet pan lined with foil or put into a loaf pan sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Bake in preheated oven 45–60 minutes or until the loaf reaches an internal temperature of 160 F. Test temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer at 45 minutes.
Make gravy while the meatloaf is cooking. In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and butter. Sauté mushrooms, stirring until tender and liquid is evaporated. Whisk in flour until well blended; turn temperature down slightly and let cook until flour starts to turn a nutty brown color. Add stock and continue cooking, whisking, until gravy starts to thicken. Add Worcestershire, salt and pepper and continue simmering for 3–4 minutes. When meatloaf comes out of the oven, cover with some of the mushroom gravy and place the rest on the table for those who would like to add more.
Fried porkchops with pan gravy
Photo by Karen Hermann
SERVES 4
Pork chops
4 bone-in pork chops, ½- to ¾-inch thick
1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cup self-rising flour
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ cup canola oil
Pan gravy
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Prepare pork chops by making cuts ½-inch apart all around the fatty edges. Place buttermilk in a shallow pan and add the chops. In another shallow pan, combine flour, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. Working in batches, shake off excess buttermilk from chops and dredge in flour on both sides, patting flour firmly onto chops to help it stick. Place chops on a rack and set aside for 15–20 minutes.
In a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, add oil. Working in batches, carefully place chops in oil and fry for 4–5 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through to an internal temperature of 145 F when measured with an instant-read meat thermometer. Repeat until all chops are cooked. Remove chops to a rack or platter and keep warm.
To make the gravy, remove all but two tablespoons oil from skillet and return to medium heat. Add flour and whisk until combined. Cook for 2–3 minutes until golden brown. Gradually whisk in broth until gravy thickens to desired consistency, 5–7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place chops on a serving platter and cover with gravy.
Chef’s tip: How to keep pork chops from “doming” in the skillet. Fried pork chops tend to dome in the pan, which means the first side you cook curls up in the pan. Therefore, when you flip them to cook on the other side, they do not lie flat or cook evenly. This happens because the fat edge around the pork chop cooks faster and compresses. This is easily remedied. With a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the fat edge of the pork chop every half-inch. When the chop is frying, the edges will fan out, and the chop will continue to lie flat and cook evenly in the pan.
Easy roast beef and gravy
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 6–8
Roast
3-pound eye of round roast
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Gravy
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 ½ cups beef stock or pan drippings
Remove roast from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Pat dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, combine oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Rub the oil mixture generously all over roast and place in a roasting pan with wire rack.
Preheat oven to 500 F. Roast for 15 minutes to sear. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F and roast another 40–50 minutes to a temperature of 130 to 135 degrees for medium rare. At 40 minutes, check temperature with an instant-read meat thermometer. (Eye of round can get tough if overcooked.) Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil for 15–20 minutes. The temperature will continue to rise as the roast rests.
To make the gravy, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until combined with butter. Slowly whisk in beef stock or pan drippings until smooth, and let simmer until thickened, 5–7 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
To serve, thinly slice roast against the grain. Layer on top of mashed potatoes and generously top with gravy.
Easy diner-style mashed potatoes
SERVES 4
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes or russets, peeled and quartered
1 clove garlic, smashed (optional)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup half-and-half or milk, warmed
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Additional unsalted butter (optional)
Chopped chives, for garnish
Place potatoes in a large saucepan of cold, salted water, covered by one inch. Add the garlic clove and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return to the pan for 1–2 minutes. This removes the excess moisture from the potatoes. Discard the garlic clove.
Add the butter to the potatoes and mash using a potato masher. Slowly pour in warmed milk and continue mashing until reaching desired consistency. Taste and add salt and pepper and stir to combine thoroughly. Transfer to a serving bowl and add additional butter on top if desired. Garnish with chives.