Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops with Baby Potatoes

I have officially entered “autumn mode.” It happens every August, don’t ask me why. I’m at the point where I am sick of the deck garden, my harvest wasn’t as large as I had anticipated, I’m tired of fertilizing every week, watering every day, and while I’m not all that eager for cold weather, I am ready to open the windows and let in some fresh air. I’m also ready to head toward the slow cooker and comfort food, and nothing says comfort food like a plate of tender, juicy pork chops, smothered in a rich, creamy mushroom sauce, paired with melt-in-your-mouth baby potatoes. This slow cooker recipe is a lifesaver for busy weeknights or cozy weekends when you want a hearty meal with minimal effort. The combination of savory pork, earthy mushrooms, and flavorful gravy makes this dish a family favorite. Plus, the slow cooker does all the heavy lifting, leaving you with a delicious dinner and a kitchen that smells amazing!

Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops with Baby Potatoes

4 large bone-in rib pork chops
1 8-oz. pkg. sliced mushrooms (baby bellas recommended)
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 1-oz. envelope ranch dressing mix
½ t. garlic powder
½ t. freshly ground black pepper

Pinch smoked paprika
1 1-oz. envelope pork gravy mix
1 10.5-oz can cream of mushroom soup
½ c. water
1 lb. Melissa’s Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes (or as many as desired)
 
Scatter the sliced mushrooms and onions evenly across the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker.

Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides generously with the ranch dressing mix, garlic powder, and black pepper.

Place the pork chops on top of the mushrooms and onions in the slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream of mushroom soup, pork gravy mix, and ½ cup water until smooth. Pour the mixture over the pork chops.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Check for doneness after 4 hours on low or 3 hours on high; pork chops should be tender and reach an internal temperature of 145°F.

About 30 minutes before serving, add the baby potatoes to the slow cooker, nestling them into the sauce.

Carefully remove the pork chops and potatoes to a serving platter. Spoon the creamy mushroom sauce over the pork chops and potatoes. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and enjoy! 

Serves 4

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

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Thanksgiving Side Dishes - Potatoes

I love potatoes and look for any excuse to make them.  I particularly love mashed potatoes (What can I say? I’m a simple girl at heart.), especially when they are submerged under a river of deep, rich, gravy.  But sometimes I like to mix things up a bit, and what better time to do so than when serving a holiday meal?  Here are four different ideas for potatoes, from the elegant to easy make-ahead, that will draw raves from your guests.  You can access the recipe by clicking on the name of the dish beneath the picture.

Brandy and Orange-Mashed Sweet Potatoes in Orange Cups

A real holiday dazzler, everything can be made a day ahead; brandy takes these over the top.

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Onions

These can be made two hours ahead and, really, who doesn’t love anything with bacon?

Wild Mushroom Potato Gratin

Thin layers of russet potatoes, sandwiched between a single layer of wild mushrooms, and topped with a mixture of creamy Fontina and nutty Gruyere make this a dish worth remembering.

Baby Potatoes with Cipolline and Dill

Blanch and peel the onions the day prior and these go together in a flash; deceptively easy and dangerously delicious.

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Seasonal Sundays

Baby Potatoes with Cipolline and Dill

Are you ready for a sumptuous side dish that tastes so delicious, and is so tremendously easy, that surely your mind will blow? Wait until you hear about this. Onions and potatoes. Nothing new you say?  How about Dutch Baby Potatoes and Cipolline Onions?  Sound more interesting? Whether it does or whether it doesn't, two men in my life who would happily pass up potatoes, both stuffed themselves with these to their surprise and to mine. Mr. O-P, a notorious hater of potatoes tried them only because I had dazzled him the week before with this recipe. He loved them!  My dad didn't get his short ribs and potato dinner until the following day. I'd given him enough meat and potatoes for two meals. He said the potatoes and onions were so good that he kept going back for more and eventually ate them all!

When I spotted this recipe in an old issue of Bon Appetit, I laughed at how boring it appeared. No way, I told myself, could butter, onions, and potatoes, in any combination, come together to make a dish that tasted anything other than mundane. Boy, was I wrong. 

I blanched and peeled the onions ahead of time, and made this dish during the first three innings of the ballgame. Now if you know me and baseball, you know that I wasn't paying one bit of attention to these potatoes. I had short ribs in the crockpot (tremendously good - short ribs, a packet of onion soup, and a cup and a half to Chianti, cooked on “low” all the live long day), a salad at the ready, and these potatoes. What a perfect pairing. On my busiest of days, this is going to be my “go to” meal. Company's coming?  Great!  They'll love them too.  

Baby Potatoes with Cipolline and Dill

Bon Appétit, November 1998

1 pound Melissa’s Cipolline onions
3 tablespoons butter
2 pounds Melissa’s Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes (each about 1 to 1 1/4 inches in diameter)
3 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Cook cipolline in medium saucepan of boiling water 3 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water and peel. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes; stir to coat. Cover skillet; cook potatoes until golden and almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes. Mix in cipolline. Cover; cook until cipolline and potatoes are tender and golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes longer. Mix in dill and 1 tablespoon butter. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl.

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Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Onions & Sage

Mr. O-P recently had hip surgery. He is now home (Less than 48 hours after surgery, what's with that?!) struggling to get used to the aftermath and recovery, while I struggle to get used to him. It is no picnic. It's pretty much been food from the freezer, warmed in the microwave as I sway in front of it, mesmerized by the turntable, bleary-eyed, and weary from the exhaustion involved in being a caregiver. 

Last night I managed to pull together a meal with minimal effort that we both truly enjoyed. I made Slow Cooked Spicy Kielbasa, Caesar salad, and tried a new potato recipe using a fresh crop of fall harvest potatoes from Melissa's Produce, and fresh sage from my garden. 

"Unusual," he commented as I placed my carefully plated dishes before him, raising my heaviest of skillets over my head, poised to bean him if he said anything else. Fortunately for us both, he clarified by adding that it all looked both interesting and delicious, and then he proceeded to devour everything in record time including seconds!  Whew. Crisis and a prison sentence averted!

I found the potato recipe on epicurious.com, cut it waaaay back to accommodate us two, and found it remarkably tasty, a definite keeper, and perfect for the fall season. My guess is that most people only think of apples when they think of the fall harvest, but it's also potato and onion time, and the perfect opportunity to experiment with as many varieties of both as possible. This recipe would be great for a crowd and is certainly company worthy. 

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon, Onions & Sage

Bon Appétit, November 2009 by Josie Le Balch

1 pound thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/4" strips
5 pounds assorted baby potatoes, rinsed, dried, halved*
2 large red onions, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
3/4 cup 1/3-inch pieces torn fresh sage leaves (from about 2 bunches), divided
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
Coarse kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp and golden. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 4 tablespoons drippings from skillet.

Combine potatoes, onions, 1/2 cup torn sage leaves, melted butter, and reserved 4 tablespoons bacon drippings in very large bowl. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss to coat. Spread potato mixture evenly on 18x12x1-inch baking sheet. Roast 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheet at room temperature.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Stir bacon into potato mixture and continue to roast until potatoes are tender and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer mixture to large serving bowl. Season to taste with more coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with remaining torn sage leaves and serve.

* I used Melissa's Peewee Ruby Gold, and Peewee Dutch Yellow varieties

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Potato Leek Soup - Three Ways

You may recall my introducing you to a fabulous new offering from Melissa’s Produce that I used in the Capellini recipe here.  So enamored was I, that I used them again in the recipe for fritters here.  I finally got around to making the Potato Leek Soup that is featured on the package yesterday afternoon.  This quick and easy recipe yields a light and tasty soup, perfect for those upcoming spring luncheons when you’re looking for something delicate to pair with a sandwich or salad. I changed it up a bit based upon what I had available, so used homemade chicken stock instead of vegetable. My seasoning “to taste” turned out to be about 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt. I used Melissa's Dutch Baby yellow potatoes that I washed and quartered, and a HEAPING half cup and full cup to make up the potatoes.

If your interest is in a thicker soup with a more velvety texture, double the amount of leeks and potatoes, and leave the liquid amounts the same. If you plan to serve it as a starter to a more elegant meal, make either version, but add 2-3 Tablespoons of dry sherry.  This is one versatile recipe!  I held out a few leeks to caramelize for a garnish on top as my garden chives aren't up quite high enough to snip.  Delicious!

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