Free My Prairie Cookbook by Melissa Gilbert

shallow dish, season with the seasoned salt and pepper, and set aside.
    â€¢ Cover the bottom of a large skillet, preferably cast iron, with enough oil to reach about ½ inch (12 mm).
    â€¢ Coat the steaks in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture, and add them to the pan (you will need to do this in batches). Cook until the bottom is nice and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the steaks and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful to not over-cook them. Continue this process until all the steaks are cooked, placing the finished steaks on a paper towel–lined baking sheet to drain.
    â€¢ After frying the steaks, make the cream gravy: Pour off most of the oil, leaving about ¼ cup (60 ml) behind along with all the brown bits. Add the flour, whisking until it is well mixed. Place the skillet back over medium-high heat and slowly add the milk while stirring constantly. Cook until the gravy comes to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve it hot over the chicken-fried steaks.

    Southwestern settlers used dried beef for their chili. My (bean-free) chili is made with fresh beef chuck and is great on its own. But here’s a fun and contemporary way to serve it at a Super Bowl party, or any party for that matter: Get some individual-size bags of Fritos (the kind for school lunches), put a bag in a bowl, slice the bag open lengthwise, kind of like a baked potato, and spoon chili over the chips inside. Then top with cheese and all the other toppings. Voilà . . . Frito pie.

    Serves 10
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    Â¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
    4 pounds (1.8 kg) well-trimmed boneless beef chuck (from about 5 pounds/2.3 kg total), cut into ½-inch (12-mm) cubes
    2 medium onions, chopped
    1 head garlic (about 15 cloves), chopped
    Â¼ cup (30 g) ground ancho chile powder
    2 tablespoons ground cumin
    Â½ teaspoon ground allspice
    Â¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    Â¼ teaspoon ground cloves
    1 (12-ounce/360-ml) bottle dark beer
    1 (28-ounce/800-g) can diced tomatoes, with juice
    2 teaspoons dried oregano
    2 tablespoons salt, plus more for serving
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
    3 tablespoons masa harina
    Coarsely grated sharp Cheddar cheese, for serving (optional)
    Chopped green and/or red onion, for serving (optional)
    Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving (optional)
    Diced fresh tomatoes, for serving (optional)
    Sour cream, for serving (optional)
    â€¢ Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the beef; sprinkle it with salt. Cook until browned, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a large bowl. Repeat two more times with 2 more tablespoons oil and the remaining two batches of beef.
    â€¢ Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the onions. Sauté until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the ancho chile powder, cumin, all-spice, cinnamon, and cloves; cook and stir for about 1 minute. Add the beer; stir for 1 minute, scraping up the browned bits.
    â€¢ Return the beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the canned tomatoes with their juice, 2 cups (480 ml) of water, the oregano, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover it with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently until the beef is just tender, 1¾ to 2 hours.
    â€¢ Let the chili cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate it uncovered until cold. Cover and refrigerate it overnight.
    â€¢ The next day, spoon the fat from the top of the chili. Bring the chili to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the tomato paste. Sprinkle the masa harina over the top; stir to blend. Simmer uncovered until thickened and the beef is very tender, stirring often and adding water by ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time if it is too thick, about 30 minutes.
    â€¢ Divide the chili among bowls. Serve it hot with desired garnishes.

    Everyone should have a family recipe for meat loaf, right? Well, here’s mine.