The weather here (in New Jersey) has taken a decided turn. We've pulled the comforter out and I've got my fuzzy slippers on standby. I've been nesting a little bit, finding a lot of comfort in cooking and baking up old-favorites, recipes I've discovered thanks to this little blog.
This past Sunday, happy that the rain and stormy weather had stopped (luckily, it hadn't been too bad for us to begin with), I thought I'd try something new. I pulled out a recipe I'd saved from a magazine for a very easy one pot meal for dinner. Who can resist a one-pot meal?
And I'd saved it for now because it calls for apple cider. Since apple and apple-picking season is in full swing here, it's good timing because it isn't hard to get your hands on some apple cider right now. My husband loves cider so I had him in mind, while my little one loves pork chops/meat. However, I failed to remember how much the little guy does not like apple cider so he wasn't a fan of the potatoes, which had absorbed much of that sweetness from the cider. All in all, it was still a nice change worth trying. Just make sure you and your family like apple cider!
This meal takes little effort - not much beyond gathering the groceries for it. Everything - layers of thinly sliced potatoes and onions, 2 cups of apple cider, then the pork chops - literally gets placed in the pan with some herbs on top. It bakes in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Check on the pork chops and remove them by the time they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. By that time, the vegetables should be tender. Then, just slice, plate, and serve.
Admittedly, the dish does come out rather anemic-looking but I think it's a fair trade since you don't have to turn on the stovetop to brown anything. It's not exactly a rich dish but it made a hearty, satisfying dinner with very little hands-on work. I've been craving my husband's grilled pork chops that we enjoyed so much during the summer and while this may not be those smoky pork chops seared on the grill, it still hit the spot on a chilly Fall night.
