Pork Chops
Need another way to enjoy pork chops? We are big fans of pork chops at our house, but so often I want an easy, no-grill, no-prep dinner when I come home from work. This Sweet Apple and Pork Dish works great as a make-ahead meal or a freezer meal. It is my favorite pork chop meal to prep ahead, freeze, and enjoy for an easy after-work-dinner. The best part is that it’s done in one skillet or 9×13 dish making clean-up a non-issue.
Jump to Recipe
Sweet Potato “Stuffing”
The original recipe is one that a dear friend has made for our family more than once. She layers hers with the fluffiest chicken stuffing. It is a delicious and savory combination that makes my mouth water just thinking of it! However, during my last Whole 30 challenge, I wanted to lighten this up by using a compliant topping. Naturally, sweet potatoes were my first thought and after I tried it, I was NOT disappointed. It was JUST AS GOOD! I suggest microwaving your sweet potato cubes to soften them before cooking or freezing this meal.
Freezer Meal
As mentioned earlier, this meal is a great freezer meal to prep ahead of time. I used to make 6-10 freezer meals every few months and that was my version of “meal prep” for a couple of years. I don’t do much of this any more; mostly because we’ve changed a lot of the food we eat and many of the fresh foods we eat just don’t seem to freeze well or taste as good after freezing. This meal is an exception to that! It is EASY to prepare, has simple ingredients, and it tastes just as delicious after freezing. I like to make 2-3 of these and pull them out when I’m feeling like a very easy, but healthy, week night meal.
Whole 30
This doesn’t have to be a meal you only eat on your Whole 30. We love it so much we eat it at least once a month; the fact that it is a great make-ahead and freezer meal, contributes to those statistics, though. But, if you’re looking to make your Whole 30 challenge a little easier, be sure to make a couple of these for your freezer. You won’t regret having 2-3 freezer meals to grab during those challenging days of your Whole 30. All ingredients in this recipe are naturally Whole 30 compliant, you will just have to check your chicken broth labels for: sugar, maltodextrin, and MSG.
Sweet Apple and Pork Dish
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced sweet potatoes
- 1 large onion
- 16 oz apple sauce unsweetened
- 4 apples sliced and peeled
- 6-8 pork chops 1 large package, about 2 lbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp parsley dried
- 1 tsp sage dried
- 1/2 tsp celery salt (could crush less celery seed as sub)
- 1 tbsp minced onions
- 1 cup chicken broth
Instructions
- Begin by dicing the sweet potatoes into small cubes and tossing in a bowl.
- Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with the dried parsley, sage, celery salt, and minced onions. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
- Add the chicken broth to the sweet potatoes. Cook in microwave on high for 4 minutes or until just fork tender (a little firm yet).
- While the sweet potatoes are softening, layer the pork chops in the 9×13 or other skillet. They should not over lap but may be tightly arranged in the pan. Dab with a paper towel to dry off and season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
- Slice the apples, removing the peels. Layer the apples on top of the pork chops.
- Slice the onions into large chunks. Pull apart the chunks and layer with the apples.
- Spread the apple sauce on top of the apples and onions.
- Finish with the softened sweet potato topping.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until the pork reaches 145-160 degrees.
Let me know how you liked it!
-Suzi