A Classic Weekend Dinner in 60 Minutes

Everybody needs to have a “go to” dinner that is easy to make and also good enough to serve when you are entertaining friends or family. This one is ours – perfectly grilled steak, grilled asparagus, and roasted potatoes. Best of all, it can be on the table in 60 minutes!

Photo by Laurie Geis

While I was still working before retirement the thing I always looked forward to most during the week was Friday evening. The long work week was behind me, with the whole weekend in front of me. I find cooking to be incredibly relaxing, so I always wound down with a glass of wine, and a favorite playlist while I cooked dinner. But I rarely looked forward to spending hours in the kitchen cooking after an exhausting week of work, so I created what has become Laurie’s and my classic weekend dinner. It requires little preparation, and only takes 60 minutes to make from start to finish!

The star of this dinner is perfectly grilled steak (click below for the seven keys to a perfectly grilled steak), served along with grilled asparagus with grated parmesan cheese and crisp and creamy oven roasted potatoes.

Seven Keys to a Perfectly Grilled Steak

The perfect wine match for this meal is a nice Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. I’d recommend either a J Lohr Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon ($14) or a Decoy by Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon ($19). If you are in the mood for a splurge, go for the Ramey Claret Napa Valley ($35). All these wines have rich fruit up front with nice tannins to tame the fat in the steak (we’ll be talking about tannins more in a future post).

The timeline for this dinner is pretty simple. While preheating the oven, prepare the potatoes and asparagus and season the steak. Once the potatoes are in the oven, preheat the grill. Grill the steaks and once they are done, keep the burners on and grill the asparagus while the steaks are resting.

Perfectly Grilled Steak recipe (serves 2)

There are few things better than a perfectly grilled steak for dinner, regardless of the season! I usually grill extra steak to have for leftovers during the week (the possibilities are endless, but some of our favorites include steak tortilla wraps and steak stir fry).

1 Prime NY Strip, Ribeye, Porterhouse, or T-bone steak, cut 1½ to 2 inches thick

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Rub the steak all over with the vegetable oil. Liberally salt both sides of the steak and let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat the grill by turning all but one of the burners to high for 15 minutes. Sear the steak over direct heat, about 3-4 minutes. Turn the steak over and sear the other side for 3-4 minutes. Insert a thermometer probe into the short side of the steak and halfway through the length of the steak (make sure to use a thermometer designed for high heat – either a wireless or wired thermometer with a digital readout is best so you can monitor the temperature of the meat while you are cooking), move steak to the other side of the grill for indirect cooking, and close the grill lid. Remove the steak once the temperature reaches 115 for medium rare, 125 for medium, or 120 for what I consider the perfect temperature for steak. Place steak on a cutting board, season with freshly ground pepper, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Grilled Asparagus with Grated Parmesan Cheese (serves 2)

Grilled asparagus is one of our go-to sides during the summer. The key to making this dish shine is to ensure you don’t overcook the asparagus – it should be lightly charred and crisp-tender. Asparagus varies greatly in size, from pencil thickness to spears that are ½ inch or thicker. Adjust cooking times appropriately!

1 lb. fresh asparagus spears

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tbsp. freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Wash and trim the asparagus by taking one of the spears and bending it until it breaks – cut all the other spears to equal length and discard the trimmed parts. Place the asparagus on a plate and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Preheat the grill on medium high for 10-15 minutes. Lay asparagus in a single layer perpendicular to the grill grates and grill for 2 minutes (1 minute for thinner asparagus, 3 minutes for thicker). Turn the asparagus with tongs to grill the other side for 1-3 minutes depending on thickness of the stalks. Transfer the grilled asparagus to a plate, sprinkle with the parmesan cheese and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Serve with a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Crisp and Creamy Roasted Potatoes (serves 4)

These roasted potatoes go with almost any dish, but they are a perfect match with a grilled steak! The key is placing the potatoes on the pan cut side down, a lot of olive oil and a hot oven to ensure the potatoes develop a crisp crust and stay soft and creamy on the inside.

24 oz. small yellow or red potatoes (about 1 inch in diameter)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. garlic salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rinse and dry the potatoes. Cut each potato in half cross-wise and place in a rimmed baking sheet. Toss with the olive oil, garlic salt and pepper and turn all potatoes cut side down on the baking sheet. Roast the potatoes for 50 minutes to an hour until browned and crisp on the outside & tender and creamy inside. Serve immediately.

Enjoy your weekend dinner and let me know what your favorite weekend dishes are to make!