About a million years ago, when I was waitressing my way through college, I worked at a prime rib house. The name of the restaurant sounded more like a strip club than a steak joint -- I kid you not, it was The Gentleman's Choice. We were known for our prime cuts of beef plus a very decent bar. Our signature dish was, obviously, prime rib. But those thick slabs of beef were always a bit of a turn off for me. I was happy to avoid the meat overload with au jus and a baked potato side dish in favor of the simpler steak sandwich. While the prime rib plates seemed excessive for my tastes, the sandwich offered great beef flavor but in a crusty bun (and I really love the crunch). Since that time, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for a good steak sandwich.

Now although the sandwich from The Gentleman's Choice is my Platonic ideal, I can very rarely even try to duplicate it as the main ingredient is thinly sliced prime rib -- something only occasionally available at my house the day after Christmas. I'm also not one to make roast beef very often (actually, never). So a couple of years ago, after watching a Barefoot Contessa episode where Ina Garten roasted an enormous (and very expensive) filet of beef (which is essentially one large filet mignon) for her steak sandwich lunch, I went to the butcher feeling completely depressed. I wanted my own hearty steak sandwich, but knew that tenderloin and prime rib decadence wasn't in the cards for me as I didn't have Ina's budget. After chatting with the butcher about my dilemma, he came up with a solution: cube steak.

Yes, this 1950s staple is my route to affordable steak sandwich success. Made from either the top or bottom round, cube steak undergoes a serious pounding that helps tenderize it into submission. So, although you start off with a chewier piece of meat than the upmarket prime rib roast or tenderloin, you end up with something that works beautifully when pressed into a bun. As a busy mom, I also love that this dish takes less than 10 minutes to make.

Since my discovery, I've made various iterations of the steak sandwich, topping it with everything from cheese and onions for a mock Philly cheese steak, to mushrooms, onions and gravy for unadulterated comfort food. Sure, I would still love a thinly-sliced prime rib sandwich every now and again, but between Christmases, I'm happy to stick with the more inexpensive variety.

Comforting Cube Steak Sandwich

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
8 slices of cube steak
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 cup brown or white mushrooms thinly sliced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup beer, wine or broth
More salt and pepper to taste
4 crunchy rolls
Horseradish and mayonnaise (optional)

Preparation:
1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat.
2. Place flour on a flat plate and then add the remaining seasonings to the flour.
3. Dredge the meat in the flour and then set aside.
4. Heat the 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil in a large pan (I like to use my cast iron). When it bubbles and the pan is not, lay half the meat into the pan. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until done.
5. Remove meat from the pan and then add the remaining butter and oil, repeat step #4 and then remove the meat from the pan.
6. Add the onions and Worcestershire sauce to the pan along with extra oil if needed and sauté until soft. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to sauté until they are soft and integrated into the onions. Remove vegetables from the pan.
7. Lower the heat and then add the beer, wine or broth to the pan, scraping up everything on the bottom of the pan. Because the meat was dredged in flour you should be able to make a nice gravy from the pan drippings, but if the gravy is too thin, make a slurry with some flour and more wine or beer and add to sauce to thicken.
8. Slice rolls (you can preheat these if you like) and then place two cooked cube steaks on each, topping with onions, mushrooms and gravy. Serve with a slather of some mayonnaise mixed with horseradish if desired.

Mock Philly Cheese Steak

If you're interested in a sandwich that's more like a Philly cheese steak, just omit the mushrooms and add some sliced peppers to the pan instead. Also, instead of making gravy just top the sandwich with cheese sauce (recipe below).

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:
8 slices of cube steak
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 large red pepper thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup cheese sauce (see recipe below)
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
More salt and pepper to taste
4 crunchy rolls

Preparation:
1. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat and then marinade in Worcestershire sauce for at least five minutes.
2. Heat the 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil in a large pan (I like to use my cast iron). When it bubbles and the pan is not, lay half the meat into the pan. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until done.
3. Remove meat from the pan and then add the remaining butter and oil, repeat step #2 and then remove the meat from the pan.
4. Add the onions to the pan along with Worcestershire sauce from the marinade. Add extra oil if needed and sauté until soft. Add the sliced peppers and continue to sauté until they are soft and integrated into the onions. Remove vegetables from the pan.
5. Meanwhile, make your cheese sauce (recipe below).
6. Slice rolls (you can preheat these if you like) and then place two cooked cube steaks on each, topping with onions and peppers. Slather on some cheese sauce and serve.

Cheese Sauce

Makes: a little over 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup whole or 2% warmed milk
1 cup grated cheese (mild cheddar, provolone, Swiss, Gruyere, American, a mix of each or whatever you like)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
1. Heat butter in a medium sauce pan.
2. When butter start to bubble, add in the flour and mix to create a roux.
3. Slowly add in the milk and whisk to incorporate.
4. Turn off the heat and mix in the cheese. It should melt in nicely.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I've always loved road trips. When I was a kid, my sister and I would lounge in the back of our parents' blue Caddy: heads on the leather seat; feet propped up on the door near the open windows. We would nap, read, play the license plate game (where you got to punch your sister if you spotted an out-of-state license plate first), sing American Pie at the top of our lungs, and argue. Between bickering and giggling, we would also enjoy quite a few scrumptious meals.

I realize that many people think "scrumptious" and "road trip" are two terms that should never go in the same sentence, but my parents were smart enough to avoid the trail of McDonalds and Jack In the Boxes that seemed to attract all the other families roaring down the highway at about 70 cents a gallon. My parents overlooked these "restaurants" as others ignore bugs smashed on a windshield. They knew they were there. They were just unappealing and so took no notice of their existence.

Instead of fast food, my mom would make fabulous road trip meals. One of my favorites was the Neopolitan equivalent of the Spanish tortilla (i.e., eggs and potatoes) set inside crunchy Italian bread. After sitting for a few hours in its foil wrapping, the eggs and potatoes would adhere to the squishy inside of the bread and the flavors would meld into one of the best sandwiches around. My mom would also sometimes get leftover meatballs from her Italian gravy and make meatball sandwiches in the same Italian bread she used for the eggs. These, combined with a nice piece of fruit and an orange soda were a full meal.

Years later, my husband, kids and I now take our own road trips, although our excursions are a little different than the ones I took as a kid. First of all, my children are securely strapped (sitting up) in booster seats. We're also paying far more for gas than my parents ever dreamed was possible way back when. But some things never change. Although the license plate game hasn't made its way to our kids' repertoire yet, they love to play Punch Buggy (where you get to punch your sister if you see a VW bug), with no punch-backs (meaning she can't turn around, see the same VW bug, and punch you back -- that would be unfair!). They also giggle and argue, read books, and sing random songs for hours on end.

Our excursions usually take us down I-5 to San Diego and LA (where our families live). Anyone who has ever driven down this populated, but seemingly desolate, asphalt line knows there are few non-fast food choices to be had, other than a Split Pea Andersen's and the Harris Ranch Restaurant, which I have never been able to set foot in after seeing those sad cows wallowing in manure for miles upon miles. So, just like my mom, I’m making our own road trip feasts.

I have kept the tradition of making car picnics for each journey and have been known to bring along my mother's menu of freshly made potato and egg sandwiches and fruit. I additionally like to stash some homemade banana nut muffins, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, hard boiled eggs, dried apricots, and popcorn. Hidden away in my purse are chocolate treats, ginger chews in case anyone feels nauseous, and licorice.

Now that the price of gas is almost $5 a gallon, I wonder if the tradition of the summer road trip is going the way of the dinosaur. Should you take one, however, I'd love to hear what meals, if any, you're carrying along. Finally, if you're looking for a good sandwich recipe, feel free to make my mom's potato and egg on Italian bread.

Mama Mella's Egg and Potato Sandwiches

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large potato chopped into small cubes
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large loaf of Italian bread

Preparation:
1. Heat olive oil in a large pan
2. When the pan is hot, add the potatoes and heat until they're cooked through and golden brown on the outside.
3. Season potatoes with salt and paper to taste
4. Scramble the eggs in a bowl.
5. Lower the heat on the stove to low and then add the eggs.
6. Stir as if making scrambled eggs and cook until done (I like to take mine off the stove when they're still soft)
7. Insert into cut bread to make individual sandwiches.

Note: I sometimes add parsley and pancetta to this recipe, which is something my mom never did, but I think tastes great. To do this, just add the pancetta to the pan with the potatoes and then add the parsley while scrambling the eggs.