We all love a one-skillet dinner. It’s family-style eating at its best. Theres more. A skillet that goes from stovetop to table cuts down on cleanup time too — we all appreciate that. One-skillet dinners are usually not overly complicated, but, when you’re seriously in a pinch (you know, those stress-filled times — time and patience ran out, an ingredient got left at the grocery store, or, a popup snowstorm made for bad traveling), if it can be made with a few pantry ingredients and a package of pork chops or chicken breasts you’ve had tucked in the freezer, it’s a welcome stress relief — FYI, there’s no shame in an occasional save-the-day convenience-food recipe.
‘Tis the season to add a new snowstorm dinner to the repertoire:
2 1/4 cups cream (Note: half-and-half or milk may be substituted, but, cream really makes for a rich delish dish .)
~Step 1. In a wide-bottomed 3 1/2-quart enameled casserole or 3 1/2-quart chef’s pan with straight, deep sides, melt the butter over low heat. Place the chops in pan and lightly season with freshly ground sea salt and peppercorn blend — go light on the salt. Increase heat to medium. Sauté chops until golden brown on the first side, about 10-12 minutes. Flip chops over, lightly-season second sides, and sauté until golden on second side, about 8-10 minutes. Turn heat off. Transfer chops to a plate and set aside.
~Step 2. Add the 3 cups water to the pan. Using a spatula, gently loosen the flavorful browned bits (the fond) from the bottom of the pan. Add the spices: the nutmeg, the dehydrated garlic and onion, and, pepper. Open the two boxes of scalloped potatoes and stir in the seasoning packets, followed by the cream — don’t add the potatoes just yet.
~Step 3. Over low heat, stir constantly until the majority of the lumps from the seasoning packet mixture have turned the mixture into a smooth sauce, about 1-1 1/2 minutes. Add and stir in the dehydrated potatoes. Adjust heat to medium-high. Stir constantly until mixture reaches a boil, then, lower the temperature to a gentle but steady simmer. Continue to cook, uncovered, until the sauce is thick and potatoes are almost cooked through, about 14-15 minutes. Place the still warm pork chops atop the potatoes. Cover the pan and continue to simmer gently until potatoes are cooked through and pork chops are steaming hot, another 14-15 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to rest 5-10 minutes, then serve.
An in-a-pinch family-style pantry-cooking recipe at its best:
Special Equipment List: 3 1/2-quart enameled cast iron casserole or 3 1/2-quart chef’s pan w/straight, deep sides & lid; 1-quart measuring container; 2-cup measuring container; spatula
Cook’s Note: I know I’m not alone on this point, C-19 has changed what I store in my pantry — truth told, it’s not bad, just different. In preparation for those potential lockdowns that could happen at any time, I’ve stocked several boxes of Rice-a-Roni, four boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese, a big box of Hungry Jack instant mashed potatoes, and, a few boxes of Stovetop stuffing mix and Betty Crocker cheesy scalloped potatoes. Thanks to them being staples in my mom’s pantry, I knew these easy-to-make convenience-food side-dishes not only have a long shelf life, they’re tasty. Here’s ~ How to Doctor Up a Box of Scalloped Potatoes ~.
“We are all in this food world together.” ~ Melanie Preschutti
