Just reading this recipe's title may give you pause, but I can assure you it is wonderful. It is also novice cook simple, requires nothing you probably don't regularly have in your kitchen. I grew up on this recipe and so I imagine that it was originally in Woman's Day or on the back of a soup can. My grandmother, Southern Cook Extraordinaire, probably “doctored” it up, then my mom worked her magic on it and then when it came down to me, I added my own spin. It has always been one of my eldest son's favorite meals and I recently went over to his house so I could show him and my daughter-in-law how to make it. Since it is fresh in my head, I am gonna share it here. And FYI, this recipe does not belong in my Healthy Eating Hall of Fame. It is comfort food, plain and simple...literally.
Ingredients:
Pork Chops with Savory Gravy
4-6 Pork chops, (bone in and fat still on....using lean pork loin will result in an inferior version. This is a good thing, however because those chops are generally considerably less expensive.)
1 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 large bell pepper, sliced into thin rings
1 medium sweet onion, also sliced into thin rings
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (you can use more, less or none at all....but fair warning....don't over do it..garlic is a nice addition to the dish but you don't want it to overwhelm the flavor of the peppers, which it will do if you use too much)
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
Put a drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and a quick grind of black pepper in the bottom of a large pan frying pan. Brown the chops, letting them get a little crispy brown around the edges but don't let them burn. It takes about 10-12 minutes, turning once or twice and cooking over medium heat to achieve this. Salt and pepper them a little more, as they cook.
Once the chops are browned, remove them from the pan and add the onions and the garlic (there should be some drippings in the pan from the chops) and saute until the onion start to become limp. Deglaze the pan with a couple of tablespoons of water, stirring well. Add the green peppers and cook for just a couple more minutes. Add tomato soup and half a can of water. Stir until the peppers and onions are coated. If it seems a little too thick, you can add a little more water but you don't want it to get “runny”...remember that thick is good here. Lay the chops on top of the pepper/onion/tomato soup and lower the heat. Cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes, turning the chops over at least once. You want them to sink down into the liquid so that they are mostly covered in the sauce, but do that after they have cooked a while, not at the beginning.
While the chops are simmering, you can prepare the special mashed potatoes that makes this dish unique.
To serve:
Place the chops and the gravy in the same serving vessel. Use the gravy like you would any other.
Miracle Mashed Potatoes*
Ingredients:
5-6 large potatoes, peeled, cubed and cooked (this is not a good recipe to leave the skins on)
½ stick of butter or margarine (that is about ¼ cup if you don't have sticks)
Milk
Salt and pepper
Miracle Whip Salad Dressing*
Cook the potatoes in a salted water, until they are soft enough to mash. Drain off any excess water and add the butter and just a splash of milk before you start to mash them. You can add more milk if they seem too dry but do not add more butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Once you have the potatoes mashed to the consistency you want, add 1/2 cup of Miracle Whip and stir well to incorporate into the potatoes. Keep warm until ready to serve. *You can use regular mayo if you don't have Miracle Whip.
(By the way, if you don't make mashed potatoes often, here are a couple of tips. If you do not have a potato masher, you can use a big fork. I like to use my potato masher so that the potatoes are slightly lumpy but my mom always used the electric hand mixer. Makes no real difference how you do it, long as you mash them. Add milk, butter, etc. a little at a time and while the potatoes are hot. It will make a big difference. Lumpy mashed potatoes are not a crime but runny mashed potatoes kind of are.)
You can serve this with a couple of other veggies but keep it light, to balance the dishes. This is the basis of a pretty substantial meal and you don't want to over do it. We served it with green beans and homemade biscuits and that was it.
