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: Quinoa Chicken

It's time for another recipe swap hosted by Sarah at A Taste of Home Cooking. This month's theme was blogger's choice. I was assigned to read through and select a recipe from The Jey of Cooking. I've visited Jey's blog before and was excited for the opportunity to try another recipe from her selection. It was a tough choice and I plan on pinning some of my many options. After much debating, I decided to make the Quinoa Chicken. I hadn't made quinoa in awhile and was eager to use the bag in my pantry. This chicken dish was fabulous! To make the recipe more weeknight friendly, I cooked the quinoa on the stovetop the day before and kept it in the fridge before roasting. If you are looking for a healthier alternative to a crispy breaded chicken, I suggest you give this a try. It was a great change of pace dinner for us and it'll surely be a repeat in our kitchen.

You will need:
*1 Cup Quinoa, rinsed
*2 Cups Chicken Broth
*4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
*1/4 cup Dijon Mustard
*1 Tbsp. Fresh Thyme, chopped, plus additional for serving
*Olive Oil Cooking Spray

1. Preheat oven to 300.

2. Combine the rinsed quinoa and chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.  (This is the step I did the night before)

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread cooked quinoa onto the sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 30 minutes. Cool a bit, then transfer to a shallow bowl.

 

4. Increase the oven temperature to 425. Place a baking rack over the previously used baking sheet. 

5. Combine the chicken, Dijon mustard, and thyme in a bowl; mix to coat. Place the coated chicken into the quinoa, one piece at a time, pressing to coat both sides then transfer to the baking rack. Spray the chicken lightly with olive oil and bake about 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with additional thyme if desired.