It’s Friday night, the night I’ve been looking forward to all week and no work tomorrow, so a proper chilled Friday night. Normally we treat ourselves to a takeaway, but being on a mission to save money and home cook our meals, I knew I would have to cook. I had some pork loin chops which I had defrosted in the fridge yesterday, but was too tired to cook them last night after a full day at work (instead, we had a couple of frozen meals of leftovers of meals I had cooked two weeks ago and frozen).
Anyway… Friday night and I didn’t feel much like cooking but had to use those chops, so I set to work – peeling potatoes, slicing them, in a leisurely way – sitting in the kitchen and listening to music, glass of wine a few inches away!. And.. I thought…. how nice on a Friday evening to be sitting next to my partner, chilled…. the 22 year old and 19 year old ‘kids’ drifting in and out….. a cosy night in! And how nice to prepare and cook a meal for those near and dear to me. So I set to work….. and, as you know from above, the recipe includes potatoes, since I was peeling them! And the recipe only needed everyday ingredients that most people would normally have in their kitchen….
Cheesy Oven Baked Chops with Potatoes (Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 kg potatoes, peeled and sliced to a medium thickness
1 onion finely sliced
50 mls water
50 mls wine (You can instead substitute the 100 mls of liquid above (i.e. wine and water) for cider or stock
2 tbspns olive oil
4 medium to large pork chops
100 gms Cheddar cheese (I used Cathedral City http://www.cathedralcity.co.uk/)
1 tbspn of Wholegrain Mustard (I used Rosebud Preserves (Masham, North Yorkshire) English Country Wholegrain Mustard http://www.rosebudpreserves.co.uk/)
4 tbspns milk (I used semi-skimmed which I get delivered from my local milkman http://www.milkandmore.co.uk/home)
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 230c/fan 210c/gas 8. Toss the potatoes, onion, liquid (i.e. wine, water etc) and olive oil, salt and pepper, in a large bowl. Place in a large, lightly greased Pyrex http://www.pyrexware.com/ (ovenproof) dish.
Bake for 30 minutes, until the potatoes start to brown. Next, place the chops on the potatoes and cook in the oven for another 10 minutes.
Whilst the potatoes and chops are in the oven, mix together in a medium bowl the grated cheese, wholegrain mustard and milk. When the chops and potatoes have been in the oven for 10 minutes, remove and spread the cheese mixture over each chop evenly. Place under a medium to hot grill until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown.
Serve immediately, with garden peas.
I have the thumbs up from partner and son…. They say it’s absolutely delicious. A Friday night simple, quick and tasty meal. The two boys were greedy and ate two large chops each – it should serve 4. But, it’s Friday night and much tastier than a takeaway I am told… and a family evening.
A simple and traditional English Friday night meal, with all the atmosphere of a family Friday night.
“Most Simply Traditional”
What a lovely looking meal Fiona, and it’s often the way that simple unplanned meals are the best! Karen