Southwest-Style Slow-Cooker Pork Chops

Thank you Pillsbury.com for today’s recipe….I know crockpot season may almost be over at least for me since I really only use it during the winter month BUT this looked too good to pass up. It’s not the same old pork chops! Tender chops slow-cooked with flavorful creamy mashed pinto beans make a tasty dinner for four.

Prep:  10 minutes     Cook time: 4 hours & 10 minutes     Servings:  4

Ingredients

4 – bone-in center-cut pork loin chops, 3/4 inch thick (about 2 lb)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Old El Paso™ taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, drained, rinsed

Chopped fresh cilantro, if desired

Directions

1. Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the seasoning. Cook pork chops in skillet 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until brown.
2. In 3- to 4 1/2- quart slow cooker, mix remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/2 teaspoon seasoning, the salsa, corn and beans until well blended. Top with pork chops, overlapping as necessary, pressing gently into bean mixture.
3. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 to 5 hours.
4. Remove pork chops to serving platter. Cover to keep warm. With fork or potato masher, mash beans slightly until slightly thickened. Serve pork chops over beans. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Additional Tips

• Browning the pork chops before placing them in the slow cooker adds flavor to this dish.
• Substitute black beans or red beans for pinto beans in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts:  Calories 360, Total Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Cholesterol 85 mg Sodium 1110mg, Potassium 760mg, Total Carbohydrate 32g, Dietary Fiber 7g, Sugars 9g, Protein 33g.  Daily Exchanges: 1 1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 4 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 0 Fat;

Since I am the Queen of leftovers – LOL.  I love when there are 4 servings because it ensures I have a meal or two to freeze for hubby’s dinner.  Since he works the swing shift, he uses Thirty One’s Picnic Thermal.  It holds his dinner, snacks  and LOTS of other stuff. We actually weighed it one day and it was 35 pounds! So whether you are headed to the beach, campground or family picnic with your favorite foods. The Picnic Thermal Tote has a Leak Lock^® thermal lining to hold ice when you need to keep things cool for a longer time. A removable, adjustable shoulder strap makes it easy to carry when you have your hands full, and the zip-around closure ensures everything stays put while you’re transporting it from the car.

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Tasty Tuesday: Apricot Ginger Glazed Pork Chops

This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy free and peanut/nut free AND it still tastes good!  The rich glaze really dresses up the pork chop, and the unique flavors give it a not-another-pork recipe zip and zest

The best part is that it’s quite easy and quick too, so that’s my favorite kind of fancy–fancy without all the fuss.

Thank you Tracey Bartolomey of pawTree for sharing this recipe with us.

PREP TIME: 10 mins     COOK TIME: 15 mins     SERVES: 4

 

INGREDIENTS

1 and ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon pepper
4 boneless pork chops
olive oil for coating pan
another 1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or ½ teaspoon if jarred)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
½ cup chicken broth
⅔ cup apricot preserves* see note

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat with olive oil.
2. While the pan is heating, combine the salt, garlic, onion and pepper. Lightly dip one side of the pork chops in the mixture.
3. When pan is hot, place the pork, spice side down, in the hot pan. Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture on the top of the pork chops. Cook the pork for 3ish minutes and then flip and cook an additional 3ish minutes (until both sides are nicely browned). Remove the pork from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Reduce the heat and add the additional 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds while stirring. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Use a spatula to scrape up the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan and continue to simmer for 1 minute.
5. Whisk in the preserves. Bring the sauce to a simmer and return the pork to the pan.
6. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes on each side or until cooked through.
7. Remove from heat and let the pork chops rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve over rice or quinoa and spoon the sauce from the pan over each piece of pork–don’t let that stuff go to waste! Use every precious drop.

NOTE:  Apricot preserves in the jam/jelly section of the grocery store may be hard to find. When it is, apricot-pineapple preserves work just as well!  The original recipe is from Allergy Awesomeness

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