A Nice Chicken Fried Steak Covered In Rich, Creamy Gravy.

There is a very vocal group of people who, when push comes to shove, want nothing more than to belly up to a nice chicken fried steak covered in rich, creamy gravy.

After New Year's Eve, at least some of those people think they have to give up their favorite food, but those people are wrong! With a little creative cooking, even chicken fried steak can be healthy. Of course, there are going to be some people who don't care and just want the best chicken fried steak imaginable.

Healthy Chicken Fried Steak

At some level, calling this chicken "fried" steak is a bit of a misnomer. We're going to bake it, but it will be encrusted with Panko breadcrumbs for a nice crunch.

Ingredients:

• 2, 4-ounce eye-of-round steaks that have been tenderized*
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 2 cups skim milk (divided)
• 1 cup Panko
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon flour
• Pepper to taste

*You can ask your butcher to tenderize the steaks. If you do it yourself, make sure to really beat the steak so that it gets tender, otherwise you will have beef chewing gum.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Trim all fat from the meat; sprinkle the salt and pepper over the steaks and let them sit until they are at room temperature. Next, mix the egg and 1 cup of milk; dip the steaks first in the egg mixture, then in the Panko; let them rest so a good crust forms.
3. Next, heat the olive oil in a skillet until it is very hot over medium-high heat; cook the steaks 2 to 3 minutes per side then put them in the oven for 8 minutes.
4. When the steaks are done, remove them from the skillet and let them rest. Quickly add the flour and stir in the drippings left in the pan (if the pan is dry, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil). Let the flour mixture cook for a minute, then add the milk; bring to a boil and add the black pepper. When the gravy is thick, serve.

Not-So-Healthy Chicken Fried Steak

Chicken fried steak the unhealthy way can only mean one thing: butter.

Ingredients:

• 2 cube steaks
• Salt and pepper
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon each onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper
• 1 cup Panko
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator and sprinkle them with salt and pepper; let them rest until they are at room temperature.
2. Next, mix the eggs and milk in one bowl. Mix the flour, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper in a second bowl and put the Panko in a third.
3. Dip each steak into the egg/milk mixture, then into the flour, then into the egg/milk mixture a second time, and finally into the Panko; cover both sides in Panko and let the steaks rest.
4. After about 5 minutes, slice the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and melt them over medium-high heat. Immediately after the butter is melted, add the oil; wait about 30 seconds for the oil to be very hot and then add the steaks; cook 4 to 5 minutes per side.
5. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the oil/butter mix and add the flour; mix and let it cook for about 1 minute, then add the heavy cream and bring it to a boil; add black pepper to taste, reduce the heat to medium, and serve when the gravy is thick.