My favorite color is brown....

....GOLDEN BROWN that is!!!  There is absolutely nothing green on this plate tonight.  My plate only included the drab and neutral colors of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and gravy!

I'm jumping back on the wagon in approximately 34 hours and I've been thinking and even talking about this meal for quite a while now.  I was originally going to go to our local Cracker Barrel a few weeks ago when I first fell off the wagon, but decided I would try to save a few calories and make it myself.  By no stretch of the imagination am I trying to say that this meal is healthy, but I would like to think it's a tad healthier. :) 

According to WW website the Cracker Barrel version of Chicken Fried Steak, Mashed Potatoes and Country Gravy would have been 18 points.  Now...I'm sure it was also served with a nice fluffy biscuit which would have been an additional 4 points...slap on some butter...another 2 points...maybe some jelly to sweeten the deal for another point.  Still, I was surprised that after doing the calculations on my version below I was only saving myself 2 WW points and I had to clean up my own kitchen!  Boo!  Geesh...I thought I would save a lot more than that?   Even with using my Turkey Sausage Gravy recipe it end up calculating out at a whopping 16 WW points.

However, I suppose it could have easily been slimmed down quite a bit more by NOT shallow frying the steaks in shortening, but instead spraying the breaded cube steaks with cooking spray and baking them.  In fact...I did the math and it would have saved me 110 calories and 12 grams of fat and brought it down to only 13 WW points.  Not to bad, huh?  Maybe next time?  Now...onto the golden brown fried goodness.  You do know...if you add an "N" between the "E" and the "D" of the word fried....you get friend.  Terrible! LOL :)

CHICKEN FRIED STEAK

w/MASHED POTATOES & COUNTRY GRAVY   

Click Here For Nutrition Facts

Ingredients

For Chicken Fried Steaks
1/4 Cup butter flavored Crisco shortening
4 - 4oz. cube steaks
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup 1% lowfat milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. course ground pepper
1/2 tsp. paprika

For Mashed Potatoes
1 lbs. of yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. course black pepper

*For Turkey Country Gravy*
15 oz. roll of Honeysuckle White Breakfast Turkey Sausage
1/2 cup brown rice flour
5 cups of 1% lowfat milk
2T kosher salt
2T course ground black pepper


Directions for Turkey Country Gravy

*PLEASE NOTE* The ingredients listed above will make approximately 9 cups of gravy. You will only use 1/3 (approx. 2 1/4 cups) of the prepared gravy with this Country Fried Steak recipe.  The gravy freezes well.

In a large deep skillet or stockpot brown turkey sausage on med-high heat.  When cooked through add brown rice flour to the skillet.  Stir to combine and cook for approximately 1-2 minutes.  Turn heat up to high and pour in milk.  Continue stiring until gravy comes up to a boil.  When gravy comes to a boil turn heat back down to med-high and cook until gravy is thick.  Season with salt and pepper.  Gravy will become a slightly thicker as it cools.


Directions for Chicken Fried Steak and Mashed Potatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place cubed poatoes in a large pot filled with water to cover.  Bring to a boil.  When pot is boiling...turn heat down to med-high and continue to slow boil for approximately 8-9 minutes or until potatoes are tender. 
3. While potatoes are cooking.  Place the shortening in a large skillet and heat to med-high.
4. In three seperate shallow dishes place 1/2 cup brown rice flour, 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, and 1/4 cup 1% milk.  In the dish with the brown rice flour season with salt, pepper & paprika; stir to combine.
5. If you wish, season each cube steak with an additional sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Then take each cube steak and starting with the flour dredge both sides of steak.  Next dredge into the dish with milk, then panko, then again back through the flour.  Shake off any excess breading and place carefully into the heated skillet.  Repeat with remaining cube steaks.
6. Cook cube steaks on each side for approximately 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from skillet and place on a baking sheet.  Finish cooking the steaks through in the preheated oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees.
7. While the steaks finish cooking.  Drain the water from the potatoes and whip together with 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup milk and season with salt and pepper.  Set aside.
8. When steaks are cooked through, remove from oven and serve with mashed potatoes and the prepared turkey gravy.
9. Enjoy!