Pork Chop and Apple Bake

If you grew up on pork chops and applesauce, you'll love this recipe. It's definitely a plan-ahead kind of dish because it takes 1-1/2 hours to bake, but when it finally comes out of the oven and you can dig into the moist chops with your own homemade applesauce, it will have been worth the wait.



PORK CHOP AND APPLE BAKE

4-6 pork chops (1/2" thick chops work best)
4-5 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter
ground sage
salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and slice the apples. Spread the slices out in the bottom of a 9 x 13" baking dish.


To prepare the apples, we used an apple peeler, it's fast and easy. Check out Check It Out! for K2's recommendation.

2. Sprinkle the apple slices with brown sugar and cinnamon, then dot with butter.

3. Sprinkle one side of the pork chops with ground sage, a dash of salt and some pepper, then rub into the meat.


4. Transfer the chop, rubbed side down, to a hot frying pan over medium-high to high heat.


We don't use oil if it's a teflon-coated pan, but if you don't have a coated pan, use a light spray or touch of olive oil.

5. While the first side is browning, sprinkle the side facing up with sage, salt and pepper. Once the first side is done, flip over until the second side has a nice brown color as well.

You don't have to cook the pork chop through, just give it some nice color and then it'll finishing cooking while you bake it.

6. Arrange the browned chops on top of the apple slices in the baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and then bake at 400 degrees for 1-1/2 hours.


WARNING - if you open the oven at any point to check on the chops, just know that you will be assailed by the smell of cinnamon and apple deliciousness which will make the waiting that much more agonizing...so be careful and don't say you weren't warned.


Remove chop from pan, top with a hearty serving of homemade applesauce, serve it up with your favorite sides and enjoy!