Sounds interesting, right?  That’s what I thought when I first came across this hearty salad.  I think I’ve said it before, but I rarely like salads to be my main course.  I LOVE them as a side, but do not prefer them as the star.  However, when I saw this salad I thought that, while it sounded interesting, it also sounded hearty.  I mean, I still get my steak and potatoes!

This was a SUPER easy way to prepare both the steak and the potatoes.  I used the microwave and one skillet to achieve a freshly seared steak AND crispy potatoes.  While I seared the steak, I popped the potatoes in the microwave to give them a head start (you’ll want to avoid having raw insides and burnt outsides).  By the time the steak was ready to rest, the potatoes were ready to be added to the skillet to finish cooking . . . not to mention they were infused with a meaty flavor from the browned bits left behind by the seared steak.  Talk about delicious!

The dressing was very tasty!  I think it was the thyme that really complimented the beef here.  I will tell you that the reason this recipe has a tad bit more calories than expected is because of the dressings (those darn dressings will get us EVERY time).  So, if you’re really watching calories then you’ll want to half the amount of dressing you put on your salad.  (Just so you can see, I did end up putting the calorie count for the dressing alone.  You can find it at the bottom of the post.)

I really loved this salad . . . even as my main course.  It was LARGE, meaty, and filling.  Oh, and very tasty to boot!

Steak and Potato Skillet Salad
Adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Dressing
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon red onion, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or 1/8 tsp. dried)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Salad
1 pound boneless top sirloin steak, about 1-1/4 inches thick
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound potatoes (about 3 medium), scrubbed and cut into wedges
3 romaine lettuce hearts (about 1 pound), torn into bite-sized pieces
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion

For the dressing:  Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl until bell combined; set aside.  (Alternatively, you can put it all in a food processor and process until combined.)

For the salad:  Pat the steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper (about 1/8 teaspoon of each).  Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Brown the steak well on the first side, about 3 minutes.  Flip the steak, reduce the heat to medium, and continue to cook until the center of the steak registers 120 to 125 degrees on an in, 5 to 7 minutes longer.  (This is for medium-rare.  If you prefer it more or less done, cook for more or less time accordingly.  I cooked mine until they were 130 degrees.)

Transfer the steak to a carving board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.  Cut the steak across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Meanwhile, toss the potatoes with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Cover the microwave on high until the potatoes are tender, 5 to 10 minutes, stirring the potatoes halfway through the cooking time.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat until just smoking.  Add the potatoes in a single layer and cook until well browned on both sides, about 5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Whisk the dressing to recombine.  Toss the lettuce and onion with 1/2 cup of the dressing, then divide it among four plates.  Arrange the steak and potatoes on top of the salads, drizzle with the remaining dressing, and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/4 of Recipe)
Calories:  380
Protein:  29g
Carbs:  29g
Fat:  16g (3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  4g

Nutritional Information – DRESSING ONLY (Per serving)
Calories:  83.4
Protein:  0.1g
Carbs:  5.5g
Fat:  7g (1g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.1g