This is quite the meal. It's got Filet Mignon. It's got scallops. It's got bacon. The Crew says "You shouldn't have". The Picky Eater says "He didn't". I say, well at least it mostly uses one pan (the bacon, steaks, and scallops all get cooked in the same cast iron - just at different times).

This is one of The Picky Eater's favorite meals. Okay, how could it not be. It's probably the most high-end ingredients I cook with and it's not something we have very often at all. The only reason not to love this is if something goes horribly wrong (it didn't and it won't for you).

To me it is the perfect high-end, date night (or in this case Christmas Night dinner with The Picky Eater) meal. The steak is tender with a nice sweet note coming from the balsamic reduction. The scallops are so tender with that perfect sear and crust on the outside, and the zucchini is a nice accompaniment to bring a little green to the plate. And don't forget the rich and creamy garlic potato puree. It really is a nice plate of food.

It is a bit complex to get it to come together all at the same time, but it is quite the wonderful meal. The key is to partially cook the bacon in the cast iron, then cooking the steak in the same pan, and then while the steak rests, cooking the scallops in the cast iron pan full of goodness, as soon as those are done, through the bacon back in the skillet and toss with some of the balsamic reduction. Not only does it add tons of flavor as you move to the next protein, it means that you're not juggling three different pans (I only have for spots on the stove so every little bit helps). That being said, there's still a lot of moving parts. That's why I've rated this one hard. There's no one component that particularly difficult to pull off, but I find it a bit tricky to get it to come together all at the same time. You'll probably fair better, there are some days I find it tricky to tie my shoes so there you go.