Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Like Mom Used To Make..

I have a recipe box that my mom gave me for Christmas one year. It is filled with our family "recipes" written out in her hand. Since she passed away in 2003 to cancer it is one of my most prized possessions. These "recipes" are pretty simple - chicken breasts and a box of flavored rice baked together in the oven, pork chops and stuffing (stove top), and beef and noodles. I realized in reading them over that they involve few ingredients and none are expensive. They are definitely budget recipes. Since I prefer to eat whole foods rather than processed (less expensive and better for you) I've revamped them. I'm also in the midst of my "pantry" raid - I'm using the items in my freezer and pantry and only purchasing necessities. Here's what's for dinner tomorrow night:

Pork Chops and Whole Wheat Stuffing

2 -4 pork chops, seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder
Quick bread stuffing - 6-12 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted and buttered, combined with chopped and sauteed onion and celery, seasoned with salt and pepper - add chicken stock to desired moistness

Place the stuffing in the center of a baking dish with the two seasoned chops on either side, combine a can of cream of celery soup and 1/3 cup milk and pour over the chops

Bake at 400 degrees for 30 -40 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese if desired. Serve with a green salad or steamed veggies.

I have everything on hand with the exception of the soup and celery. I use celery a lot in salads etc so it's a typical purchase for me. Even if you had to purchase all the ingredients it wouldn't be super expensive. If you purchase pork chops in a value pack and split them into the number portions you need you can save money there. While a box of Stove Top isn't expensive I can get multiple uses out of the bread and celery and avoid the high sodium content of the processed item. I usually buy a store brand of the soup which is less than a dollar. Typically I would make 4 chops rather than 2 so that I have leftovers for lunch but since I only have 2 pork chops on hand I've scaled the recipe down for me.

What are some of your favorite pork recipes?

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