Pork Chops & Fries

Just popping in for a quick recipe share!  We love pork in our house...especially the thick cut pork chops.  I found this recipe online somewhere and this is my second time experimenting with it. Here's what you need:

1-2 cups fruit preserves--very important: I used strawberry the first time and apricot the second time.  It was ten times better with the strawberry.  It gave it more flavor I think.  I've tried different amounts of it and decided that, like chocolate, more is always better :)
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce--I love Heinen's brand
2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup dijon mustard--this is another item I could never live without! 

I know this sounds like a weird combination but it's surprisingly normal.  B likes it, so you know it can't be that out of the ordinary.  After you mix your sauce ingredients, grab whatever pork chops you want to use.  As I said, we really like the boneless thick ones.  I would especially recommend these if you plan on leaving them in the crock pot all day.  Put the pork chops and sauce in a freezer bag and freeze.  When you want to cook them, throw them in the crock pot on low for 6 hours.  We had ours in for 8 today and they came out a little drier than normal.  Nothing worse than dry pork.  Except dry beef.  That might be worse. 

 You're probably wondering what those beautiful things are next to the pork chop.  Those are the Bob fries.  We started making these back in the day when we were dating.  I don't know about you, but I have a serious carb addiction.  I actually crave bread and butter on a daily basis.  I also love french fries but I don't love how unhealthy they are. 

Well good news!  These are just as delicious and way healthier.  I usually use russet potatoes but we went a little crazy and bought yukon gold the other day.  I would love to use sweet potatoes but my hubby doesn't like them :(






 So grab your potatoes and chop them up.  My wonderful, strong, loving husband does this for me with my (name drop) Pampered Chef (!!) french fry cutter.  I was NEVER able to get my potatoes to look like fries.  I tried a million different variations and they always came out looking like chunks. It really doesn't even matter, they taste the same (duh).  It's just more fun when you feel like you're eating real live fries.

The french fry cutter is great, but it takes some muscle.  I cut the potatoes in half and I still can't do it sometimes...which is why it became a man's job. (just like opening spaghetti jars)  After you cut your potatoes, in chunks, strips, cubes, octagons, whatever, throw them in a bowl.

Then add olive oil and whatever seasonings you like.  I definitely tend to overdo it on the olive oil because I think it makes it taste better.  But by all means, do what you want.  (as if I was dictating your life by writing this blog)  It changes every time but today we added S&P, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and chives.  During the summer I love adding our home grown herbs.  Speaking of summer, I don't think it's ever coming back to Ohio.  I had to walk back and forth from the mobile unit to the school today in 2 inches of snow (apparently no one plows school parking lots??).

Anyways, mix it up and pour it on a lightly greased baking sheet.  This has taken some experimentation but I have finally found the perfect temperature and time for baking these.  This information is gold: 400 degrees for 40 minutes.  Easy to remember, right?  They come out a little crispy on the outside and potatoe-y on the inside.

So that was our quick and easy meal tonight.  The potatoes cooked during exactly one episode of the Walking Dead.  Which is a great show to help you work up an appetite :)

Get excited for this: I plan on doing another round of homemade noodles this weekend and documenting the process.  So don't go anywhere!