I have to say that a quiet peaceful dinner for two is a rarity in our house… but hey we do have to 2 toddlers so its expected and that is part of family life. Most dinners are spent telling our 3 year old to sit still and telling our 1 year old to not throw his food or to stop rubbing his hair with his very messy hands. Yes, that adorable messy baby is our Ryan! Love him to pieces but the kid is a complete disaster after every meal! What better meal to make at home and not break the bank as you would at a restaurant…. FILET MIGNON!!! Oh, and lets not forget the twice baked potato, sautéed asparagus and glazed carrots!

 

Once in a while we make time for ourselves and hand the kiddos over to Nana or Grandmas for long enough to have an at home date night. Now, while I absolutely love going out to dinner at a fabulous restaurant I do enjoy making a fancy pants meal at home too…. heck we even save a few bucks!! This Filet Mignon with Twice Baked Potatoes & Glazed Carrots is elegant and so delicious!

There are several elements to this meal so lets dive in shall we…

Filet Mignon
Keep it simple here.
A beautiful piece of filet mignon generously seasoned with salt, pepper and garlic powder. You can of course you your favorite seasoning if you want a stronger flavor.

I always take the meat out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before cooking to allow the temperature to come down a bit. You do not want to add a super cold piece of meat to a hot pan, the meat will not sear quick enough.

With your pan over medium high heat add a few drizzles of oil and place the steak into the hot pan. You want a good sear on each side. Cook for approx 4 to 5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the steak and your preference of doneness. If you are not comfortable with simply feeling the meat and knowing if its ready then get yourself a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature at the center of the steak.  Follow these guidelines… Rare 120-125 degrees, Medium Rare 130-135 degrees, Well Done 160 degrees. Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

*Keep in mind that once you remove the steak from the pan the internal temperature will continue to rise an approximate additional 10 degrees* 

Twice Baked Potato

“Bake” the potato in the microwave, lets be honest it takes forever in the oven! Once it has cooled enough to handle cut off a strip from the top of the potato (lying on its side).  Using a spoon, remove the guts of the potato and place into a bowl. You want the skin in tact so leave enough to keeps its structure. Add a little bit of butter and milk along with your fillings of choice. I added chopped cooked bacon, scallions and cheddar. Mix all the ingredients together and put the filling into the potato skin and brush the top with melted butter. Place in a oven at 350 degrees and bake until the top is slightly browned and the center is hot.

Asparagus

Snap the bottoms of the asparagus off and discard. In a sauté pan over medium heat toss the asparagus spears, olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook until tender.

Glazed Carrots
I used 1 bunch of full sized carrots but you can certainly use baby carrots.

In a sauté pan add a couple inches of water and bring it up to a simmer (enough to just cover the carrots). Add peeled carrots in and cook until tender. Drain any remaining liquid and toss in a couple tablespoons of butter, a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar, salt and pepper. Toss to coat the carrots and allow them to cook for 1-2 more minutes.


*the amount of butter and brown sugar will be a little more if you use an entire bag of baby carrots*

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