Butter Crumb Pork Chops, Maple Glazed Sweet Pototoes, Creamy Succotash with Bacon, Thyme & Chives

Butter Crumb Pork Chops

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
1 tsp minced garlic
Pepper
2 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp water
4 pork chops
1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 375^ F. In a shallow bowl, combine the garlic, pepper, eggs and water; mix well. Put the cracker crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip the pork chops in the egg mixture and then in the cracker crumbs until well coated. Place the chops in a 9x13" pan. Place chunks of butter around the chops. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15-20 minutes more or until the chops are completely cooked and tender. (Adapted from allrecipe.com's "Famous Pork Chops")

I did not like these...the crumb/breading was mushy, even though I even ran the pork chops under the broiler for the last few minutes of cooking trying to crisp them up.


Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced 3/4-inch thick
4 tbsp butter, melted
Pinch salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place the potatoes and butter in a 9x13" pan in an even layer. Cover with foil and bake 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Combine salt, syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon. Remove foil from pan, and drizzle syrup mixture over potatoes. Return to oven, uncovered for 15-20 minutes longer. (Adapted from allrecipe.com's "Maple Glazed Sweet Potatoes")

I didn't like these either....they were like Wanna-Be Candied Sweet Potatoes only with a vastly inferior, very runny "sauce".


Creamy Succotash with Bacon, Thyme & Chives

4 slices thick cut bacon, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
14-oz pkg frozen Fordhook lima beans
1/2 cup water
Salt & pepper to taste
10-oz pkg frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp fresh snipped chives

Fry the bacon over medium-high heat in a large skillet until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tbsp bacon drippings. Add onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add lima beans, water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered until cooked. Stir in corn and thyme and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in half & half and heat through. Serve topped with bacon and chives. (Adapted from allrecipe.com's recipe by the same name)

And I didn't like this either, but John did. I prefer plain, old regular Succotash...hold the cream!

Succotash and Fried Apples

Succotash

3 slices bacon, diced

1 small onion, diced

14 oz pkg frozen Fordhook lima beans

1/2 cup water

12 oz pkg frozen Birdseye Southwest Style Corn

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cooke the bacon in a large skillet until nearly crisp. Add the onions and cook until tender. Add the lima beans and water and simmer until beans are done and water has evaporated. Add the corn and season to taste. Cook until thoroughly heated.

Fried Apples

3 tbsp butter

4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp cinnamon

3 tbsp sugar

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet. Add the apples, salt, lemon juice, cinnamon and sugar and cook until apples are tender and starting to brown a bit, stirring often.

We had the Succotash and Fried Apples with Broiled Smoked Sausage tonight and it was good! The apples and the sausage were awesome together, but I personally didn't care for the Southwestern style corn in my Succotash. John loved it though, and swore it was the best I've ever made - but what does he know?

Lima Beans with Pork 5.29.09

For dinner tonight we are having an old stand-by, which I make at least once a month, in one form or another. Lima Beans are a favorite at my house, but this recipe is also good with any type of white, dried beans.

Lima Beans with Pork

1 lb bag dried lima beans, washed
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
1 handful shredded carrots, chopped
1 can Cream of Onion soup
1 large carton Chicken Broth
1 lb boneless pork chops, cut into cubes or strips
Water, if necessary
Pepper (I love McCormick's Smokehouse Black Pepper, so I'm using that this time)
Salt, if needed and to taste
Hot, cooked Buttered Rice

Combine the beans, onion, celery, carrots, Cream of Onion Soup and Chicken Broth in a crockpot and stir to combine. Add the pork, pepper and enough water (if necessary) to completely cover the ingredients by about 2 inches. Cook about 8 to 9 hours on low. Place a mound of hot, buttered rice in the middle of each serving plate and surround with the beans and pork. Very tasty garnished with chopped parsley and some crumbled, cooked bacon.

Note: This is even better if you brown the pork in a skillet before adding it to the crockpot. The chopped vegetables also add a layer of flavor if you take the time to saute them first. This isn't necessary, but I usually do this if I have more time (like today!)

Oven BBQ Pork Chops 5.7.09

Tonight we had one of my favorite easy meals, Oven Barbecued Pork Chops, Lima Beans and Rice.

Oven Barbecued Pork Chops
Pork Chops, about 3/4" thick
Onion, sliced
Garlic Salt & Pepper
BBQ Sauce

Put however many pork chops you need to cook in a single layer in a baking dish. Season to taste. Top each with a slice of onion. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375^ for about 1 hour. Remove the foil and spread each chop with BBQ sauce and bake another 15 minutes. Then stick a fork in it, cause it's done!

Lima Beans
Frozen Fordhook Lima Beans
Water
Salt
4 strips bacon
Hot, cooked rice
Butter

Put the frozen lima beans in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook about 15 minutes. Drain. In the meantime, fry the bacon in a skillet until crispy. Remove bacon and set aside to cool. Add the lima beans to the bacon fat in the skillet and saute them about 10 minutes, stirring often, until done. Serve over hot, cooked rice, topped with a pat of butter and crumbled bacon. Delicious!