Breaded Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Gravy

This is an easy recipe to prepare for dinner or supper. It does take some time to make, but it is worth it in the end.  The pork chops are tender and flavorful. If you are short on time, you can use condensed cream of mushroom soup in a can, but it is so much better if you can make your own cream of mushroom soup.

Ingredients

6 pork chops
1 onion, thinly sliced into half rings
seasoning salt
pepper
garlic powder
2 eggs beaten
1/4 c. flour
2 c Italian-style breadcrumbs
3 Tbs. oil

Gravy

1 (10 1/2 oz.) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c milk
1/3 c white wine

Or make your own condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 Tbs. butter
1 (8 oz.) mushrooms, drained
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. flour

Directions

Heat oven to 350°. 

Season the pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Rub the seasonings into the meat on both sides.

In a low side-dish, beat the eggs until smooth. In another low sided dish or pan. Then, in another low-sided dish, add the flour add the bread crumbs

Dip both sided of the pork chop into the beaten eggs and allow the excess to drip off. Then dip the pork chop in the bread crumbs, coating both sides.  Repeat the process with the remaining pork chops. 

In a heavy cast iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Place the pork chops in the skillet and cook on each side until they are browned.  Place the pork chops into a 9 z 13-inch baking dish. Top with onions. Cover with foil or a lid.

Bake for about 1 hour.

Toward the end of the baking time, start the gravy. 

If you are using the cream of mushroom soup.

In a bowl, combine cream of mushroom soup, milk, and white wine. Mix until smooth.  Stir until well blended.

Or if you are making your own cream of mushroom soup gravy.

In a saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the mushrooms and cook until they are warmed through. 

Stir in chicken broth, onion powder, and garlic powder.

In a bowl or cup, mix the milk and flour until smooth. Slowly pour in the milk into the chicken broth mixture, whisking constantly.  Cook and stir until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the pork chops from the oven. Pour the gravy over the top of the pork chops and onions. 

Cover the pan again and bake for another 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy.

Garlic Parmesan Primavera

Garlic, pasta and vegetables mixed together into a flavorful dish.  This can serve as a great side dish, or you can add some sausage and it can be the main meal. It is a hardy, colorful dish packed with healthy vegetables.  

Ingredients

10 oz. pasta
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 c. broccoli or cauliflower, cut into florets
1 carrot, sliced
1 sweet bell pepper, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium squash, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
10 asparagus spears (trimmed), cut into 1 inch pieces
2 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Fill a large pot with water. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to box directions. Drain.  Leave the pasta in the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, add oil to a cast iron skillet. Heat until hot.  

Sauté the carrot, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, celery, onion, garlic, and asparagus.  Fry until tender. 

Mix the vegetables in with the cooked pasta.  Add the butter.

Stir in the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder.  Add salt and pepper to taste. If

Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat until the cheese is melted and everything is hot.

Serve and enjoy.

Bacon Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

This is an easy recipe to make, and it is one that we serve often.  Tender juicy breast of chicken stuffed with bacon, cream cheese, onion and garlic.  Your family will love this dish.

Ingredients

4 to 6 pieces bacon
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pepper, chopped (sweet bells, or a chili pepper)
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. pepper jack or cheddar cheese, shredded
salt
pepper
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 c. butter, melted
1 c. bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° Line a baking pan with parchment paper, or lightly spray the pan. Or you can use the cast iron skillet that you fry the bacon in.

On a heavy cast iron skillet, cook bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon onto a paper towel to absorb excess grease, and then crumble the bacon into a bowl when it is cool enough to handle.  Do not drain the skillet of the bacon grease.

In the skillet that you cooked the bacon in, add the diced onion, garlic, and bell pepper.  Sauté the vegetables until they are softened. This takes about 6 minutes. Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and add it to the bacon. Allow the mixture to cool

Stir in the cream cheese, shredded cheese and salt and pepper to taste. 

In each chicken breast, cut a slit or pocket in each one. Make a horizontal slit along the thin, long side. Do not cut all the way through on any of the ends but the one you started with.  You are just making a pocket in each one to hold the cream cheese mixture. 

Stuff a fourth of the cream cheese mixture in each of the pockets.  Press edges of the chicken together to seal.  You can also insert a toothpick to help with this. 

Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. You can also sprinkle some garlic powder, onion powder and or creole seasoning over the chicken as well for a more flavorful chicken.

In a shallow bowl, pour in the melted butter. 

In another shallow bowl, add the bread crumbs. 

Dip the chicken into the melted butter, coating both sides. Allow the excess to drip off before dipping the chicken breasts into the bread crumbs, coating both sides. 

Place the chicken in the prepared pan, or in the skillet that you fried the bacon and vegetables in.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reads 165° on a meat thermometer.

Cream Cheese Vegetable Spread 

Cream cheese has gotten expensive and if you buy the ones that are already flavored for you, it is even more costly. This is a quick and easy way to save some money. You can make this spread with as many vegetables or as few vegetables as you like.

 Ingredients

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, room temperature
2 Tbs. carrot, diced fine
2 Tbs. onion, diced fine
2 Tbs. celery, diced fine
2 Tbs. bell pepper, diced fine

Directions

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and allow it to come to room temperature. This makes mixing the vegetables with the cream cheese easier.

Add the carrot, onion, celery, and bell pepper to the cream cheese.

Mix well to distribute the vegetables evenly throughout the cream cheese. 

Spread on bagels, or crackers, or use it as a dip for vegetables. 

This keeps in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. 

Notes:

You can add more or less vegetables for your own personal taste. This recipe can also be cut in half if you won't be using it up within a couple of days.

Use red, green or yellow bell peppers for a colorful vegetable spread.

Garlic Bread Sticks

One of our favorite things to make are garlic bread sticks.  We love the taste of garlic. You can use more or less garlic to suit your preference. These go great with Marinara Sauce.

Ingredients 

1 1/4 c. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbs. sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs. butter or oil
3 Tbs. Parmesan cheese
1 3/4 tsp. salt
3 c. flour or bread flour if you have that

Topping

3 Tbs. butter, melted
salt
garlic powder
Italian seasoning

Parmesan cheese

Directions

Combine warm water, yeast and sugar in a large bowl. Place in a warm location for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom. This shows that the yeast is active and alive.  

Add in 1 cup flour. Beat well with a wooden spoon.  Stir in the garlic, butter, Parmesan cheese and salt. Continue to mix in the remaining flour until you have a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. It all depends on the humidity in the air for the amount of flour that you need.

 

Lightly oil the bowl that you mixed the bread in.  

 

Place the dough back into the bowl, turning once to ensure that all sides are oiled.  Cover with a tea towel and set the bowl in a warm location until doubled in bulk. This takes about 60 to 90 minutes.

Lightly grease or line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

When the dough is doubled in size, divide the dough into 12 portions. Roll each piece of dough out into a 9-inch log or rope. Place the bread onto the prepared baking sheet, keeping them about 2 inches apart.

 

Cover the bread sticks and place in a warm location until they are doubled in size.  This takes about 40 minutes or so, depending on how warm it is.

Bake at 350° for 18 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown.  

 

While the bread is baking, prepare the topping. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. 

 

Remove from the oven and brush the tops of the bread sticks with melted butter. Sprinkle the tops with salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and Parmesan cheese. 

Serve with marinara sauce if desired.  These bread sticks are great on their own, or serve them with spaghetti, or pizza.  

Notes

We sometimes add 2 to 3 tablespoons dry milk powder along with the flour. Dry milk has become expensive and sometimes hard to find. So we use it if we have it, but these are just as good without the dry milk.  

Mexican Style Taco Meatloaf

With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a flavorful meatloaf that your family will love. This is an easy recipe that tastes like a taco.  It is super easy to assemble. The longest time in this recipe will be in the baking.

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs
3/4 c. cheese, shredded  (like pepper jack, sharp cheddar, colby)
3/4 c. salsa,
1 c tortilla chips crushed or soda cracker crumbs or 1/4 c. soda cracker crumbs and 1/4 c. oatmeal
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. taco sauce or salsa

Directions

Heat oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 x 5- inch loaf pan, or you can use a large cast iron skillet.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, onion, egg, salsa, tortilla chips, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. 

Mix the contents thoroughly with your hands, but be careful to not over mix. If you mix it too much, the meat loaf will be tough.

Place the meat mixture in your prepared loaf pan or the cast iron skillet.

Pour the taco sauce or salsa over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until done.  The Internal temperature of the meatloaf should read 160° on an instant read meat thermometer. If you are using the cast iron skillet, bake for 30 minutes, then test to see if it is done. Since it is flatter, it won't take as long to bake.

Notes

You can use a package of taco seasoning if you prefer. Or you can use 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning

You can use cheese nachos or spicy nachos as well instead of tortillas.

Pork Chops With Sauce

These flavorful pork chops stay tender and juicy.  This is an easy to prepare recipe that your family will enjoy. 

Ingredients

4 pork chops
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Tbs. oil
1 c. chicken stock or broth
1 Tbs. vinegar
2 tsp. honey
1 Tbs. butter

Directions

Let the pork chops stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, salt, paprika, and pepper.

Rub both side of the pork chops with the seasoning mix.  Set aide.

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet, over medium high heat. Add the seasoned pork chops. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side until it is browned. Turn the pork chops over and brown the other side.

Cover the skillet and turn the heat to low.  Cook the pork chops until they are completely cooked through. This takes between 6 and 12 minutes, depending on how thick the pork chops are. Use an instant meat thermometer and cook until the internal temperature reads 145° on a meat thermometer.

Remove the pork chops to a serving plate and cover them with a lid or a sheet of aluminum foil. While the meat is resting, it is time to make the sauce.

Add the chicken stock or broth, vinegar and honey to the skillet.  Be sure to scrap the bottom to get all the tasty bits off. Turn the heat to medium high and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced by half.  

Remove from heat. Stir in the butter. 

Add the pork chops back in the pan and spoon some of the sauce over the top.  Heat until the pork chops and sauce are hot.

Serve and enjoy.