A Tender Steak With Blue Cheese Crust Recipe

Steak and blue cheese are a perfect match aren't they?  The rich funkiness of the blue cheese intensifies the big beefiness of the steak. Mixed with bread crumbs and herbs, blue cheese forms a crunchy, melty crust on top of beef, which may be guilt-inducing in its deliciousness but ultimately contributes only about 40 calories to the dish (compared to Outback's blue cheese crust, which adds about 400 calories and 30 grams of fat to their dish Victoria's Filet). Tenderloin—or filet mignon—works best here, but if you're looking for great results for half the price, sirloin is just fine. This blue cheese crusted steak recipe will save you over 600 calories and almost twenty bucks! See, eating in has its benefits. Cook with your favorite roasted vegetables to keep your guilt (and health) in good balance, then dig in and enjoy yourself!

Nutrition: 330 calories, 17 g fat (6 g saturated), 600 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

1⁄2 cup bread crumbs (preferably homemade, or panko)
1⁄4 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 sirloin or tenderloin steaks (4–6 oz each)
Salt and black pepper to taste

How to Make It

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, and rosemary in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet, grill pan, or stainless steel sauté pan over high heat.
3. Season the steaks all over with salt and plenty of black pepper.
4. Sear the first side of the meat for 2 minutes, until well browned.
5. Flip the steaks and top each with a quarter of the bread crumb mixture, using your fingers to gently press it into the meat.
6. Transfer the steaks to the oven to finish cooking (ideally in the pan if it's oven-proof, but if not, a baking sheet or dish will do).
7. The steaks should be done in 5 to 6 minutes, when they feel firm but still springy to the touch (an internal thermometer should read 135°F for medium- rare).
8. This should happen at the same time that the bread crumbs have browned nicely and formed a crust.
9. Let the steaks rest for a few minutes before serving.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!