Quick and Easy Homemade Steakhouse Style Dinner for 4 for Under $20

Few foods in the world are better than a perfectly cooked, medium-rare steak (in my humble opinion anyway). But, getting one from a restaurant will usually set you back at least $20 to $25, and that's on the low-end depending on where you go. I'm here to tell you for that same price, your whole family can enjoy their own steak dinner complete with sides!

Now, I'm not taking anything away from a good steakhouse, or any restaurant that serves steak on their menu. Despite my ability to do this at home, there are several places in the area that have great steaks, and like you, I'd rather have someone else cook from time to time. But also like you, I assume, regular steak dinners just aren't in the budget.

Recreating a good steak dinner at home on the cheap isn't terribly difficult. You just have to know what to look for.

The Steak

You could plop down $15 or more on an eight-ounce New York Strip, or some other high-profile cut, but there are other cuts out there that are just as good for half the price.

I do quite a bit of my shopping at Ruler Foods, and some time ago discovered a cut of steak called "Flat Iron." This longer strip of steak usually runs about $7 to $8 per pound. Depending on how many people you're trying to feed, and the appetite size of those people, you can divide the steak in half, thirds, or even fourths.

Season with your favorite spice mix (I used a Weber brand Chicago Steakhouse seasoning I picked up at the store for about $3.00), and throw it on the grill until the internal temp reaches 135 degrees for medium rare.

Side Dishes

As the picture above shows, we went with good ol' potatoes and corn on the cob for our sides. A small bag of red potatoes goes for roughly $4 to $5 dollars, and the corn was six ears for $2.

We simply diced the potatoes, threw them in a skillet with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme, while the corn was tossed directly on the grill.

You likely also noticed some sauteed mushrooms on top of the steak above. Including this recipe will likely push you over the $20 mark, but it's totally worth it if you ask me.

Total Cost

I'll leave the mushrooms off the total cost, but here's the breakdown of how I fed my family of four this solid steak dinner, and stayed under $20:

• Steak - $9.60 (we went with a nearly pound and a half piece of meat)
• Steak seasoning: $3.00
• Small bag of red potatoes: $4.00
• Six ears of corn: $2.00

GRAND TOTAL: $18.60*

*Note: The seasonings I added to the potatoes were already in our spice cabinet. If you need to purchase those, you're total will be higher, but should still remain under $25.

Between prep time and actual cook time, I was able to throw this meal together in about 45 minutes to an hour. Based on the taste and the reaction I got from my wife and kids, every minute was totally worth it.