Pork Chop Scallop

Last night I made Pork Chop Scallop from my Cook's Country Best Lost Suppers cookbook. It was incredible. I will definitely make this again with a few minor changes. Serves 4

4 (8 oz) boneless center cut pork chops, about 1 inch thick, trimmed

salt and pepper

2 T veggie oil
1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t dried basil

3/4 c heavy cream

3/4 c chicken broth

1 t Worcestershire

2 lbs russet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick

4 oz fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 carrot, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick

1 c shredded sharp cheddar

1. Move oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Pat pork chops dry, season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 T of the oil in dutch oven until just smoking. Place pork chops in pot and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer chops to a plate.

3. Heat remaining 1 T oil in pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and 1 t salt and cook, stirring occasionally until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir int he garlic, basil and 1/4 t pepper and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in cream, broth, and Worcestershire and scrape up any browned bits from bottom of the pan.

4. Add the potatoes, green beans, and carrot to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over medium-low heat stirring halfway through, until potatoes and carrots are almost tender (a paring knife should glide through the potatoes and carrot slices with slice resistance), about 10 minutes.

5. Gently pack the vegetable mixture into an even layer, then sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Arrange pork chops in an even layer on top of everything, then transfer the pot to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbling and the center of the pork chops register 140-145 degrees, about 15-20 mins. Let rest until center of chops registers 150 degrees, about 10 mins. This also lets the sauce set up a bit. Serve.

A few notes- next time I would season the chops with garlic salt and pepper instead of just salt and pepper. I also might leave the basil out next time. It wasn't bad but seemed a little odd to me. Next time I might add some parsley or some cayenne pepper or thyme. Also, I think this would be better if the pork chops were submerged in the mixture and then added the cheese. This recipe was amazing but chops came out just a little bit dry. I bet you could try this with chicken as well, or maybe even some kind of sausage, or leave out meat altogether!