One Steak, at least Three Plates

This is a direct result of saying I would cook dinner (and not just for the 2 of us) without having looked in my fridge/cupboard/pantry first.

1. Mention steak as a component of dinner to the people you are feeding, because you are pretty sure there are at least 2 of those in your fridge.

2. Open fridge. Find one steak.

3. Pull it out of the fridge to get it to room temperature while you think.

4. Put some water on to boil because carbs are always helpful for stretching things.

5. Open fridge, find a pound of babybella/cremini/white if you keep those in the house but I, personally, do NOT like white mushrooms.

6. Put a bit of butter in a cast iron skillet over high heat and salt/pepper your steak.

7. Open the freezer looking for reinforcements and find some frozen peas.

8. Season your steak with salt and pepper and toss it into the now hot pan, searing it for 2-3 mins per side depending on how thick it is.  You want medium rare at most.

9.Notice your water is boiling and throw about a pound of egg noodles into it.

10. Chop up your mushrooms while your steak is searing.  Also chop up (or smush in your mortar and pestle if you feel like playing with that) 5 or so cloves of garlic.

11. Look at the boiling noodles and decide not to throw the peas in there, nuke them instead.  Rescue steak before it gets overcooked.

12. Put about 1 cup of beef stock (from bullion works) or chicken stock in a pinch into the pan the steak was in.  Scrape up all the browned bits and let it boil down a bit before adding about a stick of butter (this is NOT health food).

13. Add mushrooms to pan along with garlic and some salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Look at how small the steak is and open the fridge again and find some cooked bacon.

14. Chop up about 3-4 slices cooked bacon and add it to the pan with the mushrooms. 

15. Your steak has rested about 5 mins by now, so chop it into tiny bits and add it to the pan with the mushrooms (along with whatever juice is on the cutting board).

16. Your noodles should be done by now, so drain them and toss them in with the buttered noodles and the mushrooms and steak.

17. Either toss your peas in there or serve them on the side as you wish.

18. Congratulations. You have now stretched a steak to serve at least 3 people, possibly 4-5. Go thriftyness.