What's For Dinner???

Do you ever feel like you’re in a food rut? Nothing sounds good to eat; you cook the same meals week after week. Well, I have felt like this lately and decided to do something about it. I pulled out all my dusty cookbooks and vowed to cook something new each night for the next seven days. I sat down and made a menu and grocery list. I tried to find recipes that had ingredients that I already had at home or that were on sale at the grocery store. Last night on facebook I posted that I was making stuffed cornbread and bacon pork chops and creamy corn and avocado salad. I had several people ask for the recipe…hence this blog post. Both of these recipes were easy and can be made in advance for an easy late night supper. When I saw the stuffed pork chop recipe it sounded so good; however, I was a little reluctant to try it because it was not a cooking technique I’m familiar with. I was presently pleased to find out how easy it was to make. This picture and recipe are from the Betty Crocker Complete Cookbook.


Corn Bread and Bacon Stuffed Pork Chops

6 pork rib or loin chops, 1 to 1 ¼ inches thick (about 4 pounds)
4 slices bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped (½ cup)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (½ cup)
1 cup corn bread stuffing crumbs
½ cup water
½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
½ teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
¼ teaspoon pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees

2. Make a pocket in each pork chop by cutting into side of chop toward the bone.

3. Cook bacon in 12-inch skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Stir in onion and bell pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender; remove from heat. Drain. Stir in stuffing crumbs and water until well mixed. Stir in cheese.

4. Sprinkle both sides of pork with seasoned salt, marjoram and pepper. Fill pockets with about 1/3 cup corn bread mixture. Cook pork in same skillet over medium heat, turning once, until brown. Place pork in ungreased rectangular pan, 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

5. Bake 45 minutes. Uncover and bake about 15 minutes longer or until pork is slightly pink when cut near bone.

The corn salad recipe and picture are from the Taste of Home Church Supper Cookbook.

This recipe serves 12. So, I halved it and we ate the leftovers today as a dip with tortilla chips. It was even better the next day and the avocados did not discolor.

Creamy Corn and Avocado Salad

6 cups frozen corn, thawed
3 cups chopped seeded tomatoes
1 cup cubed avocado
2/3 cup sweet red bell pepper
2/3 cup green bell pepper
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1. In large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, avocado, peppers and onion.

2. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients.

3. Pour dressing over salad; toss to coat.

4. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until chilled.

Overall the new dishes were a big hit. If you don’t count the gagging sounds that came from Zane every time he got a piece of onion in his mouth. I hope this motivates you to pull out your cookbooks and try something new for dinner tonight!