It’s unusually cold here in Texas, and even more so in the rest of the country.  These smothered pork chops are a southern classic and will warm you up and fill you up on a cold winter’s night.  Seasoned pan-fried pork chops with a simple but flavorful onion gravy served with mashed potatoes – this is comfort food at it’s best!

Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients

4 bone-in pork chops, about 1 inch think
fresh ground salt and pepper
1 cup flour
2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive or vegetable

This baked ziti is a go-to recipe for me. Need to feed a crowd- done. Need a great freezer meal- done. Craving comfort pasta – done. Love cheesy goodness- done. This recipe is loaded with sausage, peppers and three types of cheese so you know it’s going to be good! It makes a heaping 13×9 pan of baked pasta. I make the full recipe and then divide it into two (sometimes 3)  smaller pans to bake one and freeze one for later or to give away.  Add a salad and crusty bread and dinner is served.

Baked Ziti with Sausage

We love pork chops at our house so I seem to love trying new ways to fix them.  These Balsamic Pork Chops are simple to make and have become a family favorite; they always come out tender and delicious.  I have used a few different balsamic vinegars such as raspberry and fig – they are always wonderful.  Serve them with roasted or mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce.

Another family pork chop favorite, especially in the fall,  are these Cider Pork Chops with Baked Apples.  We also love San Francisco Chops and Pork Chop Stew. Read More

I don’t know why it took me so long to come around to the idea of cooking bacon in my oven.  Old habits die hard I guess.  However, once I caught on to this approach to bacon, I’ve never turned back to the frying pan.  Oven bacon is faster, easier, and has a whole lot less mess to deal with.  It’s especially great when feeding a crowd!

Oven Bacon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then lay the bacon on the parchment, making sure the bacon strips do not overlap.  Bake until crisp

I know there are a lot of Cafe Rio Copycat recipes out there for this Sweet Pork Salad – I’ve tried many of them, and finally came up with the version I love the best!  This is one of my favorite meals – literally I could eat it all week (yes, sometimes I have…)

The salad begins with a warm tortilla, followed by black beans, then Cilantro Lime Rice, and next this amazing Sweet Pork you can make in your crock pot.

Next comes lettuce, tortilla chips, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole. Just add any of your favorites. Read