Sometimes you just need something decadent.

With steak.

.

That doesn’t cause you to not be able to pay your car payment for the month.

That’s where this recipe comes in.  I found it on one of those videos on Facebook – the ones that make every single thing they cook look delicious.  My husband can attest to that.  He even stated something stuffed with avocados looked delicious – and if you ask him, avocados are the boogers of food.

However, steak can still be quite pricey. Unless you do what I do and buy London broil.  On sale.  Then it’s super cheap. And really, you don’t need a fancy cut of steak for this meal because it gets cooked down and covered in cheesy goodness anyway.

So, let’s just cut to the chase – you’re going to need a lot of cheese for this.  And you’ll most likely have a lot left over.  Butttt, you can never have too much cheese, can you?  Worst case scenario is that you have to freeze it for a future date.  Oh no!

Also, I apologize for the lighting in this picture, the sun was going down and there were shadow strips all in my food – so I blocked the sun with my body… which resulted in a less than spectacular shot of mac and cheese.

Andddd I didn’t quite have a full box of pasta.  But I had two boxes half-way filled.  Same thing, right?  Both pasta shapes held the cheesy sauce perfectly, so choose whichever you prefer.  Or both.  Or whatever you have on hand.

 

Steak Mac ‘n Cheese

serves 4 * total cost: $8.78 * cost per serving: $2.20

• 3 tbsp butter, divided – $0.33
• 1 lb London broil, chopped into 1 bite-sized pieces – $3.08
• 1 1/2 tsp minced garlic – $0.06
• 1/4 c flour – $0.05
• 2 c milk – $0.34
• 1/2 c cream cheese (1/2 block) – $0.98
• 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese – $1.00
• 1/2 c shredded Monterey jack cheese – $1.00
• 1/2 grated parmesan cheese – $0.78
• 1 tbsp dried parsley – $0.06
• salt and pepper – $0.10
• 13.25 oz whole wheat pasta – $1.00

In a large pan of boiling water, cook pasta according to directions on box.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp of butter and add the steak.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook until browned on all sides. Remove steak from pan and set aside.

Add the last tablespoon of butter to the skillet, along with the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  Add the flour and whisk for an additional minute.  Then slowly pour the milk in, simmering until milk begins to thicken.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cream cheese and whisk until cheese melts completely into sauce.  Then add the cheddar, Monterey jack and parmesan cheeses to the skillet.  Cook until completely melted and then add dried parsley.

Once the pasta is finished, add the pasta and steak to the cheese sauce, mixing to coat evenly.

Serve and enjoy!