Grilled Steak with Balsamic Bacon & Mushrooms

The other day my husband requested steak for dinner, and I was more than happy to oblige.  I also love a good steak!  I decided to go a little further and make a fancy little meal out of it with some other favorites like bacon and mushrooms.  I feel like I have made variations of this meal a bunch of times before, and really you can experiment with using different veggies, bacon/no bacon, and other flavors (though I am partial to balsamic).  Regardless, this version was super delicious and looks really fancy, even though it is really easy!  Here is what I did:

Grilled Steak with Balsamic Bacon & Mushrooms
(serves 2-3)

• 2-3 New York strip steaks (or cut of your choice)
• kosher salt & pepper
• 2-3 strips bacon
•  olive oil
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (white or cremini)
• 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 t fresh thyme, chopped

Preparation
Heat the grill to medium-high and season your steaks with salt & pepper on both sides.  Cook the steaks for about 5 min on each side (or until they are done, depending on thickness etc).

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high and cook the bacon strips until crispy.  Remove to a plate and crumble the bacon into little bits.  Leave the fat in the pan and add a bit of olive oil, and keep the heat around medium/medium-high.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and stir them around a bit.  Add the balsamic vinegar and stir around, then season with salt, pepper, and thyme.  Once the mushrooms are cooked, about 8 minutes, turn off the heat and stir in the bacon bits. 

To serve, top the steaks with the mushroom mixture.

I served this with some grilled sweet potato wedges and it was a great meal!  You could really impress someone with this meal, and it really is so simple to make.  Enjoy!