Bacon Cheddar Pork Chops

Many of you have noticed Bacon Cheddar Pork Chops on my weekly menu plans, and I have gotten several requests for the recipe.  So, I figured it was about time to share it.
I came up with these a while back when I needed to make something for dinner, but was running low on groceries.  I hadn't yet made a trip to the store because of an illness I suffer from called 'Grocery Store Crowd Avoidance Syndrome' - also known as GSCAS.  If you are also a sufferer of GSCAS, I completely understand your condition - and you can rest easy knowing that you can find support here.  
Anyhows - back to these pork chops.  Looking through what groceries I did have, I pulled out a few things & set to work to see what I could come up with. What I came up with was marvelous, and became a main dish staple in my home.  Everyone raved over it the night that I created it, and my 2 year old devoured a whole pork chop himself.  And even though I have made it countless times, the raving never stops - and it still gets devoured by every member of my family.
Ready for the recipe?  Of course you are.  Why else would you be here?  Oh wait, that's right.  For the GSCAS support group.  We meet down the hall, second door on the right.
Here's what you need:

Set out two pie dishes, or similar kind of dish.  In one dish, whisk together 2 eggs and a couple splashes of milk - and in the other, mix together your bread crumbs, shredded cheese, & bacon bits.
Now, I've tried freshly fried bacon with this too...but it just doesn't taste as good.  Go figure.

Dip the pork chops into the egg mixture & then dredge into the breadcrumb mixture.  Shake any excess off, and then repeat - making sure to press the breadcrumb mixture into the pork chops on both sides the second time around.
Lay in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.  If you have a cast iron, use it as it helps form a beautiful crust.  However, if you don't have one - don't worry about it.
Sprinkle any remaining breadcrumb mixture on top of the pork chops, and press down lightly.

Bake in a preheated oven (set to 400 degrees) for 30 minutes - carefully flipping the chops halfway through.
Sprinkle with a little bit more cheese & pop them back in the oven for a couple of minutes, just enough to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven, and garnish with chopped green onions if desired.

Serve 'em up to your family and watch how fast they get gone.  

Bacon Cheddar Pork Chops

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Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, medium thickness pork chops
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1.5oz real bacon bits (half of a 3oz package)
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1.5 cups shredded cheddar or cheddar blend cheese
• chopped green onions to garnish

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Set out 2 pie dishes, or similar dish.  In one, whisk together the eggs & milk. In the other, mix together the bacon bits, bread crumbs, & 1 cup of the shredded cheese.  
Dip the pork chops in the egg/milk mixture & then into the breadcrumb mixture. Shake off any excess crumbs & then dip back into the egg/milk mixture again. Dredge in the breadcrumb combination & press the mixture into each side.
Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, and place the pork chops in.  Cast iron works best as it helps crisp the crust better, but it's not a necessity if you don't have one.  Sprinkle on any remaining breadcrumb mixture, and press down lightly.
Bake for 30 minutes, carefully flipping over halfway through cooking.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese & return to the oven for 2 minute, just enough to melt the cheese.
Garnish with chopped green onions.



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Baked Ham & Swiss Sliders

One of my favorite things to do with leftover ham (with the exception of my ham & bean soup) is to make these tasty little baked ham & swiss sliders. After baking a ham, it's one of the things my family looks forward to me making with the leftovers.  
However, you don't have to have leftover ham in order to make them.  
We crave these a ton & they're super easy to whip up, so when we don't have any leftover ham I buy some sliced ham in the deli to use instead.  Either way, it's delicious - and it's definitely a must try, and destined to end up in your dinner rotation.

Let's get started.
Mince up your onions & saute them in the melted butter in a hot skillet for 5 minutes.  Stir in the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, & poppy seeds. Cook until the onions are soft & translucent.

Cut your Hawaiian sweet rolls in half - as in the entire package all at once. Place the roll bottoms in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish & spread it with 3/4 of the onion mixture.

Top with your ham...

And then your swiss....

Place on the top half of your buns.

Spread the remaining onion mixture on top of the rolls.  

Cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Remove it from the oven, and cut down the lines to make your individual sliders.

Ya'll are going to love these, trust me!!

Baked Ham & Swiss Sliders

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Ingredients:

• 1 package of 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 stick of butter
• 3 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 1/2 pound sliced ham
• 8-10 slices Swiss cheese

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a skillet on medium heat.  Add the onions, and cook for 5 minutes.  Stir in the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, & poppy seeds and cook until the onions are soft (about 10 more minutes).  Slice the rolls in half all at once & place the bottom half in a 9x13 casserole dish.  Spread on 3/4 of the onion mixture; top with the ham, cheese, & top half of the buns.  Spread the remaining onion mixture on top of the buns - then the remaining 1/4 of onion mixture..  Cover with aluminum foil & bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and slice down the seems to make individual sliders.

This recipe has been entered in the Mr. Food Ultimate Weeknight Meal Contest!

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Pork Tacos

Being able to eat twice from the same meal is something that I strive to do, but I don't really like to eat the exact same thing when I do that.  There has to be some sort of twist on it so the leftovers don't taste like....well, leftovers.  
Earlier this month, I made my Sweet Chipotle Pork Roast, and had a good bit of the roast leftover.  About this same time, I was browsing through my Secret Recipe Club assignment, Jaida over at Sweet Beginnings, and I fell in love with her Taco Tuesdays.  As I was looking through all the taco recipes, the Pork Tenderloin Tacos jumped out at me - even more so since I had a good bit of leftover pork roast in the refrigerator.  

So, instead of buying a whole new roast, I just cut the roast from the other night's dinner up in cubes, seasoned it just as the recipe stated, and cooked it on medium in the skillet for about 6-8 minutes.  Let me tell you, it was fantastic!!  

I served it with my leftover pico de gallo that I had made the day before - and reveled in my new meal that consisted more of leftovers than anything else.  And, it didn't even taste like leftovers!!

Pork Tacos

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Ingredients:

• 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• About 4 cups leftover diced pork (or use fresh if you have no leftovers, just increase the cooking time)
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chili powder
• salt & pepper to taste
• corn or flour tortillas (depending on your preference)
• cilantro, lime, & shredded cheese to garnish (optional)

Instructions:
Heat the olive oil in a skillet, and saute the onions until translucent.  Add the diced pork and sprinkle with the seasonings; stir well to coat.  Cook for 6-8 minutes on medium heat until thoroughly warmed.  Serve with pico de gallo, salsa,or tangy slaw (recipe to follow).
For the tangy slaw combine 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, juice from a lime, 1 tsp sugar, 1 bag coleslaw shreds, 2 small green onions, & 1/4 cup fresh cilantro.  

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Honey Baked Ham

Every year around Easter time, I always buy a couple of hams.  One to serve on for Easter dinner, and another to put in the freezer for the summer.  I love having a big ol' ham in the summertime, but I don't like paying a fortune for it - which is why I buy it when I do because the price is lower.

Now, I don't know about you - but I like my hams sweet, and reminiscent of the expensive honey baked hams that cost a fortune.  This, my friends, does not cost a fortune to prepare.  Quite budget friendly actually, and even more frugal since after the initial ham dinner you are left with all that great leftover meat, not to mention the ham bone.  

Honey Baked Ham
Ingredients:
1 bone-in spiral sliced ham 1/2 cup brown sugar2 cups honey2/3 cup butterpineapple rings & cherries (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, honey, & butter on low heat.  Keep glaze warm while baking ham.  
Brush the glaze over the ham & use toothpicks to secure the ham & cherries if using. Bake for 75 minutes, making sure to baste every 15 minutes.  During the last 3-5 minutes of baking, turn the broiler on to caramelize the top.  Less if you like it less crispy, and more if you like the tops a little more crunchy.  
Remove from the oven, and let sit a few minutes before serving.





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Sweet & Savory Baked Pork Chops

This recipe is something I have been wanting to share with you all for a while.  It's my 'go-to' dish for pork chops, and it's awesome, ya'll.  
And, so - so simple!

Not counting salt & pepper, this dish has just 5 ingredients - and only takes minutes to prep before finishing off in the oven.  I created it when I was going to make another dish, and realized I didn't have the ingredients to do. Happens to all of us right?  This time though, it proved to be a good thing - and I ended up with a pork dish that my husband went on & on about how delicious it was.
It's a little bit of sweet, a little bit of savory, and a whole lot of flavor.  

And, I'm serious by how little time it takes to prep.  Follow along with me - you'll see.
Sprinkle some thin to medium cut pork chops with salt & pepper.  Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, and add in the chops.  Cook on medium-high heat until nicely browned on each side.

When browned, transfer the pork chops to a baking dish and sprinkle the top with steak seasoning (optional).  

Stir the onions into the butter in the hot skillet.  Stir in the brown sugar & Worcestershire sauce, cook on medium-high heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The onion mixture will turn dark & lovely.

Pour this mixture over the pork chops.  

Cover with tinfoil, & bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  The sauce doubles in the oven, so make sure you spoon every bit of extra sauce on the pork chops - and into cups to dip individual bites in.  
Such a simple thing - but oh, so good.

Sweet & Savory Baked Pork Chops

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(serves 4)
Ingredients:

• 4 thin to medium cut boneless pork chops
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 large sweet onion (like vidalia), sliced
• salt , pepper, & steak seasoning to taste

Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a skillet on medium-high heat.  Season the pork chops on each side with salt & pepper.  Cook for a few minutes on each side, until nicely browned.  Transfer the chops to a 2 quart casserole dish, leaving the burner on. Sprinkle the pork chops with steak seasoning.
Add the sliced onion, brown sugar, & Worcestershire sauce to the butter in the skillet.  Cook for 7 minutes.  The mixture will be dark & lovely.  Pour the onion mixture evenly on top of the pork chops.  Cover with tin foil & bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with the sauce spooned on top, and/or with the sauce in a dipping cup.




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Spicy Pop Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/ Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

I was watching Ree Drummond's (a.k.a. Pioneer Woman) new show on Food Network a couple weeks ago, and watched her prepare her Spicy Pop Pulled Pork & Cilantro Slaw Sandwich.  My mouth was watering the whole time, and I knew - I HAD to make this, and I had to do it soon!

I am so glad that I didn't wait on this one.  And, I just had to share it with all of you.  It's just THAT good.  The meat gets all dark on the outside, and nice and moist on the inside.  And the cilantro slaw is the perfect contrast to the pork.  I really believe that the slaw is what makes this whole sandwich.  On Ree's blog, she made this a while back - but she added jalapenos to the slaw.  I did the same, and it was just delicious.
I switched the recipe up a little, but stuck to the roots for the most part - and it is just out of this world good.  This will be made again & again!

Spicy Pop Pulled Pork Sandwiches w/ Cilantro-Jalapeno Slaw

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adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pork butt (pork shoulder)
• 1 whole onion, peeled & quartered
• salt and pepper
• 2 cans Dr. Pepper soda
• 11oz can of Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• 2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar
• 12 whole good quality Kaiser or Deli rolls
• 12 tablespoons butter
• 1 16oz package shredded coleslaw mix
• 2 whole jalapenos, seeded & minced
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
For the meat:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Generously salt & pepper the pork roast, then set it on top of the onions in your covered roaster.
Pour the can of chipotle peppers over the pork (include the sauce).  Pour in both cans of Dr. Pepper.  Add brown sugar to the liquid & stir in.
Place lid tightly on pot, then set pot in the oven.  Cook for at least 6 hours, turning roast 2-3 times during the cooking process.  Check meat after six hours; it should be falling apart.  Use 2 forks to test.  If it doesn't fall apart, return to the oven for an additional hour.
Remove meat from the pot, and place on a cutting board of other work surface.  Use 2 forks to shred meat, discarding large pieces of fat.  Strain as much of the fat off the top of the cooking liquid as you can & discard it. Return the shredded meat to the cooking liquid, and keep warm until ready to serve.  
For the slaw:
Combine the coleslaw mix & sliced jalapenos in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix mix, milk, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, & cayenne pepper.  Pour over coleslaw mix.  Toss to combine.  Cover & refrigerate for 2 hours.  
Before serving, toss in cilantro leaves.
For the sandwiches:
Butter both halves of your rolls, then brown them on a griddle or skillet until golden and crisp on the surface.  Load up each sandwich with shredded pork, & then REALLY load them up with the slaw.

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