Recipe Swap: Breaded Pork Chops

Food is a connection to so many memories. Familiar smells, tastes, and moments. Breaded pork chops were a staple in my childhood. I remember helping with the Shake-n-Bake bag to coat the chops and eating them alongside green beans, which were one of the few veggies I liked as a kid.

Sarah at Taste of Home hosted another What's Cooking recipe swap. The blogger's choice theme was easy for me. I spotted these pork chops on Mary Ellen's blog and was already planning to try them soon. Once I was assigned her blog, the choice was made. I am terrible at not burning breaded items that I attempt to pan fry. As you can tell by the less than impressive photo, these suffered the same fate. I changed the cooking to finish in the oven to avoid charring them further. Luckily Dave and I do both enjoy a crisp dinner! When I try these again I'll definitely change up the directions to follow what I posted below. We enjoyed these chops with a side of roasted broccoli...that was clearly still cooking when I quickly snapped the above photo!

You will need:
*4 thin pork chops
*salt and pepper, to taste
*garlic powder
*3 tablespoons flour
*1 egg
*1 cup Italian bread crumbs (Italian)
*2 tablespoons vegetable oil
I don't measure when I'm seasoning, so I did not list amounts above. I lightly seasoned the chops with salt, pepper, and touch of garlic powder, and then generously seasoned the bread crumbs with garlic powder, pepper, and a touch of Italian seasoning (omitted all since It breadcrumbs) and salt.

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, and a touch of garlic powder.

2. Place flour in a shallow dish or bowl. Do the same with the egg and beat it with a fork. Put the breadcrumbs in a final dish/bowl.

3. Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, coat the pork chops by dipping them one at a time into the flour, then egg, and lastly coat with the breadcrumbs.

4. Add breaded pork chops to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Flip and brown the other side for 2-3 minutes. I then moved my chops into the oven to finish cooking (until they reach 160 degrees). You can continue to pan fry if desired.

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Recipe Swap: Grilled Pork Chops with a Balsamic-Maple Glaze

 

I joined my first recipe swap! Sarah at a Taste of Home Cooking hosts these recipe swaps through our cooking board and many blogs I read participate frequently. When I saw that this month's swap was grilling, I knew I should join in the fun. So I submitted the shrimp packets only to discover that someone else had already shared this great recipe. I then sent in our basic burgers that we still enjoy frequently. I'll admit that I was a bit nervous to be sent any grilling recipe. When I received these pork chops from Sweet Beginnings I was excited. We never think to grill pork chops so this meal was a great change of pace. Our grill has been having a few flame issues lately. I'm not quite sure why the front burner is a constant orange flame. The only change I made was pouring the glaze on top of these instead of grilling with it on at the end. I didn't want to risk dealing with a chop on fire. (This is also why the picture is sauce free. I forgot/was too hungry to take another. oops) This was a delicious dinner and it came together quickly.  I think we'll be making these again soon. Recipe swaps are also a fun way to try a new recipe that I might not have originally selected. I look forward to participating in more.

 You will need:
*2 good quality pork chops (I bought bone-in at our local butcher shop)
*ground coriander
*1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
*1/3 cup chicken stock
*1 tablespoon maple syrup
*1 teaspoon dijon mustard
*1 garlic clove, minced
*3-4 strings of thyme
*1 string of rosemary
*sprinkle of flour
*1/2 tablespoon butter

1. Heat the grill over medium-high heat. Season pork with the salt, pepper and ground coriander.

2. Grill the chops for 6-7 minutes per side. Rotate once during cooking.
For thinner chops, you do not need as long. You don't want to overcook them and dry out the pork. Pork continues to cook a bit when it sits after heating.

3. While your pork is grilling, prepare the sauce. Combine all remaining ingredients, except the flour and butter, in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer. Then whisk in the flour to slightly thicken. Whisk in the butter until melted.

4. When the chops are almost done cooking, remove from grill. Top with a hefty spoonful of the stove top glaze. Allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. We enjoyed some of the extra glaze on a side dish of green beans.

Here are the dishes made in the grilling swap:

Honey Mustard Pork Roast with Bacon

It seems appropriate to end 2012 by posting the first meal we had to start the year. This is an indication of how many photos and recipes I've tried that have yet to make the blog. Add keeping up with blogging to my 2013 resolutions list.

Pork is one of the foods that you can eat on New Year's Day to bring you luck for the coming year. We figured a little extra luck never hurts, so we chose a pork roast wrapped in bacon. This was simple to put together and delicious to enjoy with some prosecco. The arugula salad base added a nice peppery citrus flavor as well. I found this Giada recipe on The Way to his Heart.

I wish you a fabulous celebration to end 2012 and welcome 2013!

For the pork, you will need:
*1/4 cup Dijon mustard
*2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
*2 tablespoons honey
*2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
*2 garlic cloves, minced
*1 center-cut, boneless, pork loin roast, about 3 1/2 pounds
*12 slices bacon, about 1 pound
**kitchen twine



For the arugula salad base, you will need:
*3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
*Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
*about 5 cups baby arugula

1. Align an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven; preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a small bowl, add the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, honey, garlic, and rosemary; mix together until smooth.

3. Arrange the pork in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and spread the mustard mixture evenly over the roast. Once coated, start on 1 side and lay a piece of bacon, lengthwise, on top of the pork. Lay another slice of bacon on the pork making sure to slightly overlap the first piece. Continue with the remaining bacon until the pork roast is fully covered in bacon. Secure the bacon in place using kitchen twine. Roast for 1 hour.

4. After an hour, loosely cover the pan with foil and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the pork registers 160 degrees. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the roast to rest under the foil for 20 minutes. (You could prep the salad now-see step 5) Carefully transfer the roast to a cutting board. Remove the kitchen twine and slice the pork into 1/2-inch thick slices.

5. While the pork is resting, you can start the salad. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and oil until smooth; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the arugula on a large platter, or individual serving plates, and drizzle with the dressing. Arrange the pork slices on top and serve.

Mole-Style Pork Chops

I have another quick, easy, and successful pork chop recipe to share with you. This appeared in my inbox as a "Dinner Tonight" e-mail from My Recipes -an older Cooking Light recipe. The ingredients were stocked in our kitchen, so we gave this recipe a try shortly after receiving it. These are perfect protein for a busy weeknight dinner. The spices provide a nice flavor and the cooking instructions on the recipe were accurate for me.

You will need:
*1 tablespoon brown sugar
*1 teaspoon smoked paprika
*1 teaspoon ground cumin
*1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
*1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile peppers (omitted because we didn't have them)
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*4 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick (I used boneless)
*Cooking spray (I used my misto)

1. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients and rub evenly over both sides of pork. Lightly coat pork with cooking spray.

3. Place pork on the heated pan. Cover and grill 3 minutes on each side or until done. Let stand 3 minutes before serving.

Sage Roasted Pork Tenderloin

When I was growing up, my parents always made Sunday dinners. We often had roasted meat, potato, and vegetables. I find that when I am creating my menu plans, I occasionally reflect on this and think of making Sunday a roast kind of night. This pork recipe was another hit from Rachael Ray. I discovered the recipe when it was posted on Katie's Cucina and reduced the amount of pork as she did. This came together easily. We enjoyed it with some steamed kale with garlic. The leftovers reheated well the next day.

You will need:
*2 large cloves garlic, minced
*1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
*1 teaspoon dried sage
*1/4 teaspoon pepper
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*1 trimmed pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

1. Position a rack near the bottom of the oven; preheat to 500°. Combine the garlic, salt, sage, pepper, and oil in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix over the meat, and place the tenderloin in the middle of a roasting pan.

2. Roast for 10 minutes, flip over, and roast again until the internal temperature registers 155° on an instant-read thermometer, about 8-10 minutes more.

3. Let rest for about 10 minutes-this should cause the internal temperature to reach 160°. Slice into ½-inch-thick slices.

Pork Chops with Blue Cheese Sauce

We made another successful recipe from the Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook. This met our weeknight meal requirements of something quick and easy to prepare. From start to finish, this recipe took the two of us about 15 minutes. It paired nicely with some green beans to help soak up the sauce. You do have to like blue cheese to enjoy this recipe. I followed the original recipe use of ingredients with the one substitution of boneless pork chops instead of bone-in. I also grilled my meat until of using the broiler. The nutritional information can be found on the original recipe; just modify for any changes made. We had quite a bit of sauce leftover.

You will need:
*4 pork chops
*1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
*1 scallion, finely chopped
*1 garlic clove, minced
*1 teaspoon butter
*1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
*2/3 cup skim milk
*3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
*1 tablespoon white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth

1. Heat a grill pan or press to medium heat. Sprinkle the pork chops on both sides with pepper. Grill for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature is 160°.

2. While the pork is cooking, use a small saucepan to saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Sprinkle with flour and stir until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese and wine; heat through. Serve sauce over pork chops.

Pork Chops with Cinnamon Apples

I'm behind on posting recipes. We enjoyed this dinner back in October after we went apple picking. I'm in the process of baking Christmas treats for coworkers before school vacation starts, so I will be sharing some seasonal treats soon. Although apple season has passed, this is another great quick dinner to prepare on a busy December evening. The recipe is from Cooking Light's October 2003 issue.

You will need:
*1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
*4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch thick)
*1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
*Cooking spray
*1 teaspoon butter
*4 cups (1/2-inch) slices peeled Granny Smith apples (I used Cortland apples)
*1 tablespoon brown sugar
*1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (omitted)
*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*Dash of salt

1. Combine first the sage, salt, and black pepper; sprinkle over the pork.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add pork; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove the pork from pan. Cover and keep warm.

3. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, lemon juice if using, ground cinnamon, and dash of salt. Cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Serve the apples over the pork.

Saucy Pork Chops

It's official, fall is here! As the days start seeming shorter because darkness is creeping in earlier, I turn to quick to prepare dinners. This was perfect for a week night because it was easy to throw together. The cook time is lengthy, but that allowed me an opportunity to get some work done while dinner was cooking. These pork chops didn't dry out like many of my grilled attempts do. I recommend serving them over rice with a green veggie on the side. I discovered this recipe on Pineapple Grass who found it in the 5-Ingredients of Less cookbook.

You will need:
*1 can cream of chicken soup
*1/4 cup ketchup
*1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
*3-4 pork chops
*1-1/2 cups prepared rice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix soup, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce together. Set aside.

3. Arrange pork chops in an ungreased 8x8 pan. Pour soup mixture over the top of the chops. Cover with foil and bake for one hour.

4. Serve each pork chop on a serving of rice and top with remaining sauce.

Basil Pork Chops with a side of Caesar Penne

This dinner was taken directly from Katie's Cucina. The flavor combo sounded interesting to me so we gave it a try and it worked really well! A big bonus was how easy it was to prepare on a week night. I overcooked the pork chops on the grill so next time I will be a bit more cautious.

You will need:
* 4 boneless pork chops
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 2 tsp dried basil (divide use)
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
* 1 tbsp canola oil
* 1/2 cup Caesar dressing
(I love Ken's Caesar Vinaigrette-it is lighter and I only used about 1/4 cup)
* 1/4 cup sliced black olives, drained (I had to omit because Dave won't touch olives)
* 1/4 cup onions, diced
* 1/4 cup chicken broth
* 2 tbsp green onions, diced
* 1 tbsp minced garlic
* 2 cups penne pasta

Directions
1. Place pork chops in a zip lock bag and add brown sugar, 1-1/2 tsp dried basil, salt, chili powder, 1 tbsp canola oil. Seal bag and distribute ingredients evenly over pork chops.

2. Boil water for pasta and salt well. Cook pasta as directed. Drain pasta and return the empty sauce pan to the stove.

3. Add the diced onions, minced garlic, and chicken broth to the pasta pot for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat. Add Caesar dressing, olives, and green onions. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the penne pasta back to the pot, mix well, and cook on low until pork chops are done.

3. Spray a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray and cook pork chops over medium heat 5-8 minutes on each side or until browned and internal temperature reads 160F.
*I grilled mine which clearly didn't turn out so well. Next time, I will try a lower heat and longer cook time. In the summer, I try to grill anything I can!

Serve chops with a side of the Caesar penne.

Panko Pork

I love getting cooking magazines in the mail. This past Christmas I hit the jackpot and was gifted quite a few subscriptions. The Food Network magazine is one of my favorites, and when this recipe was in the latest issue, I knew we had to try it. Dave and I love going out for Japanese food and often order sake when we do. It was that rice wine ingredient, just a small amount of it, that made me realize this would be a recipe we'd enjoy. We also have bottles of sake on hand because many people have gifted it to us, yet we never drink it at home. Adding lean pork to our weekly menu also helps to break up the chicken rut that we sometimes fall into. I made a few minor changes from the original recipe and was happy with the way it turned out. (To view the original recipe, click the link above) We've been on a lucky streak with new dinners lately, and I have found another winner!

You will need:
*1 pound thin-cut boneless pork chops or cutlets, trimmed
*Kosher salt
*2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, sake or sherry
*1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated peeled ginger
*2 medium cucumbers
*1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar
*2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
*2 large eggs
*1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
*3/4 cup cornstarch
*Peanut oil for frying
*1/4 cup tonkatsu sauce (You can make your own by mixing 2 tablespoons each ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and sugar with 1 tablespoon water)

1) Season the pork with salt. Mix the rice wine and 1 teaspoon ginger and spread on the pork. Stack the pork chops and set aside.

2) Peel, quarter and seed the cucumbers; cut into 4-inch spears. Toss with the sugar and vinegar. (For a time saver-by a seedless cucumber)

3) Beat the eggs with 1/2 cup water in a shallow bowl or rimmed dish. Put the panko and cornstarch in 2 separate shallow bowls/dishes. Dredge each piece of pork in cornstarch, dip in egg, and then coat with the panko.

4) Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over high heat. Fry the pork in batches until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper-towel-lined plate.

5) Mix the tonkatsu sauce and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ginger in a bowl. Serve the pork with the cucumbers and sauce.

Garlic Lime Pork Chops with Cilantro Lime Rice

This dinner was amazing! Both Dave and I thought it was the best new dinner we have tried in awhile. The fact that this was tasty, filling, and healthy, will make it a regular in our dinner rotation. Both of these incredible recipes are from Gina's WW Recipes. You can find her recipe for the pork here, and the rice here. We have never had Chipotle, but this rice is made to be a copycat version of a kind that they make there. I cooked the pork chops on our Cuisinart griddler, and I did dry them out a bit. Next time, I will not cook them quite as long. I tend to always be nervous about undercooking! It often takes me a couple times to get a new recipe perfected to our liking. Even though these were a bit tough, we still enjoyed them.

Garlic-Lime Pork Chops
You will need:
* 4 (6 oz) lean boneless pork chops
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp chili powder (I omitted this because I did not have it, and I did not miss it)
* 1 tsp paprika
* juice of 1/2 lime
* lime zest
* salt and fresh pepper

1)Trim the visible fat off pork.

2) Put the pork in a large bowl. Season it with the garlic, cumin, (chili powder if using), paprika, salt and pepper. Squeeze lime juice on top and add some zest from the lime. Marinade for at least 20 minutes. Preheat the grill to medium heat.

3)Place the pork chops on the grill (See Gina's recipe for broiler directions) Grill the chops for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned.

4) I recommend you serve it with this rice recipe below.

Cilantro Lime Rice
You will need:
* 1 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice (I used brown basmati)
* juice of 1/2 a lime
* 2 cups water
* 1 tsp salt
* 3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
* 4 tsp vegetable oil

1) In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp of the vegetable oil, and salt. Boil the pot on high until the water just skims the top of the rice.

2) Reduce the heat to low and cover about 15 minutes.

3)Shut off flame and keep covered an additional 5 minute.

4) In a medium bowl, combine the chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil. Mix together and serve.

Parmesan Pork Chops

After our Thanksgiving feast on Thursday and eating the leftovers throughout the weekend, we needed a lighter meal on Sunday night. These were quick, easy, and tasty! We will be adding them to our menu rotation. It is perfect for a week night because it doesn't take long to cook or prep. I found this recipe on Delish blog and was glad to see how a Giada dish could be lightened up. We do not cook pork often, and this dish was a refreshing change from chicken and turkey! The one change I would make is probably to use grated parmesan next time. I used shredded tonight and it had some trouble staying on the chops when I added them to the pan. We ate this with the last of our leftover veggies.

You will need:
4 pork loin chops
garlic powder
4 Tbsp shredded/grated Parmesan Cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 400°F. Place Parmesan cheese on a plate. Season the pork chops generously with black pepper and use some salt. Sprinkle garlic powder evenly over the pork chops. Coat the chops with the cheese, patting to adhere.

2) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork chops to the skillet and do not move them. Allow the pork chops to cook until golden brown & crisp, about 5 minutes per side.

3) Transfer pork chops in skillet to oven and bake for about 8 minutes in your preheated oven. You want them cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

*You may use an oven safe skillet. That will make this even easier!

Easy Crockpot Pulled Pork

Another simple weeknight dinner! This was tasty and plenty for the two of us. The one thing that was a bit of a pain was cleaning the crockpot! We will surely make this again.

I have seen this recipe many ways in many places. Here is how I did it:

Ingredients:
24 oz. (two cans) Root beer
Bottle of BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 pound lean pork loin

Directions:

1) Place the pork loin in the crockpot. Pour the rootbeer over it and cook on low for 6 hours.

2) Remove the pork and shred it using two forks. (It came apart very easily!)

3) Wash out the crockpot before placing the shredded beef back in. Cover the beef with your bottle of barebque sauce. Cook on low for another hour to hour and a half.

4) Serve on hamburg rolls.