Baked Pork Chops

BAKED PORK CHOPS

Well, Matt said that this was the best pork chop recipe I've ever made, so that says a lot.  To me, pork chops are boring and rarely ever hit the spot.  However, I must say, this dish was pretty spectacular.   Definitely give it a try.

I followed the recipe pretty closely.  My only change was that I doubled the sauce using a can of cream of chicken.

Baked Pork Chops (Allrecipes)

Ingredients:

6 pork chops (I used 8 thinly cut pork chops)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
2 egg, beaten
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup (I also used 1 can of cream of chicken soup)
1/2 cup milk (doubled this)
1/3 cup white wine (doubled this)

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2.Rinse pork chops, pat dry, and season with garlic powder and seasoning salt to taste. Place the beaten eggs in a small bowl. Dredge the pork chops lightly in flour, dip in the egg, and coat liberally with bread crumbs.

3.Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the pork chops 5 minutes per side, or until the breading appears well browned. Transfer the chops to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and cover with foil.

4.Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour (I only baked about 40 mins). While baking, combine the cream of mushroom soup, cream of chicken soup, milk and white wine in a medium bowl. After the pork chops have baked for an hour, cover them with the soup mixture. Replace foil, and bake for another 30 minutes.

Creamy Taco Mac

CREAMY TACO MAC

Thanks, Annie, for another great recipe.  This was such an easy dish to make after a long day at work.  Soooo tasty and much, much better than the boxed stuff.

Creamy Taco Mac (Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:

1¼ lbs. ground turkey

8 oz. dry pasta shapes

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

4 tbsp. taco seasoning

3 oz. cream cheese

½ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper

Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese, if desired.

Source: adapted from Delish

Spicy Shrimp Po’ Boys

SPICY SHRIMP PO' BOYS

I was stumped on my meal plan for the week, so I headed over to Annie's Eats.  She has such great recipes, so definitely check her out. 

This was so easy to put together and it had such incredible flavor.  Highly recommended!

Spicy Shrimp Po' Boys (Annie's Eats)
Yield: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

For the remoulade sauce:
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. light mayonnaise
2 tbsp. stone ground mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ tbsp. pickle juice
½ tsp. prepared horseradish
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. hot paprika
Dash of hot sauce

For the sandwiches:
1 lb. medium-large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. Cajun seasoning blend
1 baguette (or 4 sandwich rolls)
Shredded lettuce
Sliced tomato

Directions:

To make the remoulade sauce, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. (If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can just mix it in a small bowl with a spoon.) Adjust seasonings to taste. Chill until ready to use.

To prepare the sandwiches, combine the shrimp with the olive oil and cajun seasoning in a medium bowl. Toss well to coat the shrimp. Heat a grill pan to medium-high and grill the shrimp just until opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.

Slice the baguette into 4 servings, and cut horizontally to open the bread. Spread some of the remoulade sauce onto both pieces of the bread. Layer the bottom slice of bread with shrimp, then top with lettuce and tomato as desired. Top with the remaining piece of bread and serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Ezra Pound Cake

Creamy Garlic Pork Chops

CREAMY PORK CHOPS

This is a recipe my mom often made.  It's super easy and is always a great go-to choice for a quick weeknight meal.  Matt really enjoys this one . I serve it with mashed potatoes or rice and a veggie on the side.

Creamy Garlic Pork Chops:

4 boneless center cut pork chops

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Lawry's seasoning salt (to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Campbell's cream of mushroom with roasted garlic soup

1/2 can skim milk (I use the Campbell's can)

1/2 cup sour cream

Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Heat olive oil and butter in skillet over medium-high heat.  Season chops on both sides with Lawry's & black pepper.  Add chops to skillet and brown on both sides (approximately 5-7 mins per side).

In a medium sauce pan, add cream of mushroom soup, sour cream and skim milk.  Stir to combine and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat.

Once pork chops are browned, place them in a greased 9x9 glass baking pan.  Cover the chops with the soup mixture.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 -1 1/2 hours, until pork chops are tender.

Benchiladas

BENCHILADAS

Thanks to Annie for this fabulous recipe.  It was incredibly easy to put together and was a big crowd pleaser!  I'll be putting this recipe into regular rotation. 

Cheesy Chicken "Benchiladas" (Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
8 oz. reduced fat sour cream
8 oz. Ranch salad dressing
flour tortillas (10-15) - we like Azteca, packs of 10
jar of salsa
shredded mexican cheese (I usually use close to 4 cups, I love cheese!)

Directions:

Cook chicken breasts by preferred cooking method until cooked through. Set aside to cool a bit.

While chicken is cooling, mix up the sauce. In a large mixing bowl, combine half of the sour cream and half of the Ranch dressing. In a small bowl, combine the rest of the sour cream and Ranch dressing. Stir both until well combined. Shred or chop the cooked chicken and add to the large mixing bowl. Mix well with sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9 x 13" pan (and possibly another, smaller pan if needed). Take one tortilla and top with a little less than 1 tbsp. of the sauce from the small bowl. Spread over the tortilla in an even layer. Add some of the chicken mixture to the center of the tortilla. Top with salsa to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, to taste. Roll up tortilla and place, seam side down, in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with remaining ingredients (usually makes 10-15 enchiladas).

Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (30 for a crispier tortilla). Allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

**I boiled my chicken breast in 4 cups of chicken broth for about 25 mins and then chopped it up after it was cooled**

Strawberry Bread

STRAWBERRY BREAD

This has officially become my FAVORITE bread.  I took a loaf over my parent's house last night and they feel the same way!  This is a must try!  You can find the recipe here.  Her pictures are much better than mine!

Strawberry Bread
Vintage Victuals

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped (frozen strawberries work too!)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
In a medium bowl, mix the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the juices start flowing!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease well two 8×5-inch loaf pans. Combine first 5 ingredients in large mixing bowl; make a well in the center. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients (except strawberries), stirring just until combined.

Gently fold in the strawberries with their juices. Divide evenly between the prepared loaf pans, and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaves come out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then remove to racks.

Note: this recipe also makes great muffins. Fill muffin cups almost full and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Creamy Shrimp Over Brown Rice

CREAMY SHRIMP OVER BROWN RICE

This recipe is a twist on the Creamy Shrimp & Grits recipe I found on With a Cherry on Top.  The recipe was a huge hit with my husband.  Would definitely make it again! 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. Shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Lemon

1/4 Tsp. Lawry's Seasoning Salt

2 slices Bacon, chopped

1 Sm. Onion, chopped

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, cliced

1 cup Fresh Baby Spinach, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 cup Scallions, sliced

2 Tbsp. Flour

14.5 ounce can of Chicken Broth

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Prepare rice, following directions on package.

In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp with the juice of the lemon and 1/4 tsp Lawry's; stir and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned. Add in the onions and red peppers; continue cooking until onions become translucent and peppers are tender. Stir in the garlic and scallions and let cook up for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, spinach and cook until thickened (about 5-10 minutes). 

Once the gravy has thickened, add in the shrimp and cook until pink (about 3-5 minutes).

Spoon the rice into a large shallow bowl and top with shrimp mixture; serve immediately.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce

SPAGHETTI WITH SAUSAGE AND SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

So delicious!  Great weeknight meal.  I added some red bell pepper and spinach.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage links
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat broiler.

2. Arrange sausage on a small baking sheet. Broil sausage 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pan from oven (do not turn broiler off). Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil sausage slices 2 minutes or until browned.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

4. Place tomatoes in a food processor; process until almost smooth. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed red pepper and minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and salt; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick. Add sausage and cooked pasta to pan; toss well. Top with fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.