270. Barrington EATS: Perk Up Your Pork Chops

My company’s mission is to help anyone and everyone achieve more healthy cooking at home, with less stress time and money spent. At the simplest level, I get asked often for meal ideas you can just pop into the oven, with little prep time. There are so many, and they are not pre-packaged processed or ready-made foods. Trust me, with a little thinking ahead, this can be done with fresh ingredients right from your cabinets and refrigerator.  Pork chops are one of those things that make a great pop-in-the-oven dinner.

Some people fear baking pork chops because they tend to be dry. And they are if you don’t add other ingredients. But following are three simple ways to perfectly top pork chops for tasty tender results, each with just a few minutes prepping time…

Stuffed Pork Chops

Ingredients

Seasoning salt (or meat seasoning, poultry seasoning, other combined seasoning, or a dash each of salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder)

4 cups prepared stuffing (visit OrganizingDinner.com for easy recipe)

5 pork chops

1 tablespoon olive oil

Season pork chops. Drizzle oil in baking dish. Layer pork chops and stuffing. Cover and bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Baked Pork Chops with Apples

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

2 medium apples, peeled and sliced

4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

5 – 6 pork chops

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 cup apple, cranberry or orange juice (or a combination)

Drizzle oil in a large baking dish. Line with apple slices. Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon and cloves over apples. Arrange pork chops on top, and season them with salt and sage. Pour juices on top. Cover tightly and bake for 45 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Pork Chops and Peppers

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large bell peppers (any combination of colors, sliced)

1 medium onion, sliced

6-5 pork chops

1 teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons balsamic or other rich-flavored vinegar

1 tablespoon minced rosemary (optional)

Drizzle oil in large baking dish. Line dish with peppers and onions. Top with pork chops. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Top with vinegar and rosemary. Cover and bake for 50 minutes at 325 degrees F.

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About the Author

Kelly Donlea is a Barrington mom, chef, cookbook author the owner of Organizing Dinner, a company that brings sensible cooking solutions to busy people. She has published several cookbooks and one of her specialties is helping parents plan family meals with fewer trips to the grocery store. Kelly also offers cooking classes and demonstrations in your home or public facility. To learn more about Kelly, her recipes and her services, you’ll find her Facebook page by clicking HERE and her website at OrganizingDinner.com. Kelly is going to be sharing recipes, cooking tips and special features about chefs and popular menu items at area restaurants right here at 365Barrington.com.

Please join us as we discover local culinary treasures and new kitchen classics in our regular Friday food feature here at 365Barrington.com called “Barrington Eats” with Kelly Donlea!

If you’d like to us to feature you favorite chef, restaurant or food store or if you have a food related question that you’d like Kelly to answer, make a quick stop at the 365 Barrington Suggestion Box and leave us a note in the form which you’ll find by clicking HERE or simply leave your comment in the box below.