Pork Chops in Spiced Apple Pan Sauce w/ Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

If you are anything like me you will love this recipe. For some reason I cannot eat pork without dipping it into applesauce. I don't know why but that is just the way it is. When I saw this recipe in my 30-Minute Get Real Meals by Rachael Ray I knew I had to give it a try. Now this is only my second recipe that I have made from this book. I will be honest that I am not an overly uhge fan of her recipes. Some sound good but others I have to wonder, what was she thinking? I will say that the pork in the apple pan sauce were a very good pairing but didn't have ingredients for the rest of the meal, so I made garlic cheddar mashed potatoes. I thought of how everyone always says that apples and cheddar cheese go well together and thought "why not put cheddar in my mashed potatoes?" and that is how I came up with this combo.
I found that this dish was easy to make and definitely didn't look like your typical pork chop dinner. I liked that it looked fancy with the apples and the pan sauce but I loved the fact that the pork was all done in one pan. I hate recipes when you have pots and pans on all burners of your stove. You can use whatever apple you have on hand or prefer and whatever cut of pork you like. I used tenderloin since that is the only cut that my husband likes but this recipe will work with whatever you choose. If your potatoes are tender while your pork is still cooking just turn the heat off and let them sit until you are ready. Otherwise if you finish making the potatoes before the pork is finished you potatoes will get cold.

• 4 boneless pork loin, 1 1/2" thick
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsp. margarine/butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
• 1 apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 pinches of ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 c. chicken stock
• juice of one lemon

Cheesy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

• 4 red potatoes, skins on and cubed
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 Tbsp. skim milk
• 1 Tbsp. fat free plain yogurt
  
• salt
  
• pepper

1. In a medium pot bring potatoes and garlic up to a boil over medium heat with water just above the potatoes. Boil until tender about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over high heat add oil. Liberally season pork chops with salt and pepper and sear on both sides for 2 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove the chops from the skillet and set aside.
3. Add the butter to the skillet, add onion, thyme, sliced apple, nutmeg and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently for 3-5 minutes or until apple and onions are tender. Add the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer
4. Add the pork chops back into the skillet and cook 5-7 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Add the lemon juice and stir.
   
5. Now back to the mashed potatoes. Drain the potatoes and put back into the pot. Add milk and yogurt and mash until desired consistency. Add cheese and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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