Pork Chops, Homemade Apple Sauce and Mac & Cheese

Last week I caught an episode of 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray. She made her version of a farmhouse dinner. It was a super simple meal that included pan seared Pork chops with a maple and mustard glaze, a warm apple and raisin sauce and whole wheat mac & cheese with broccoli. It looked amazing and something that the kids would eat without question.

I started off by omitting her homemade mac & cheese and subbed a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese dinner -3 cheese blend with shells and used frozen broccoli florets. The 3 cheese blend is no where near as orange and cheesy as the original blue box and not the overly salty like their yellow box of shells and cheese. I used boneless pork chops and in lieu of apple cider for the sauce, I used an organic apple juice and regular raisins.
Dinner turned out delicious and if I'm adventurous another time I make this, I'll do my own homemade mac & cheese and add broccoli to it. If you take the short cut and make a box of mac & cheese, steam your frozen broccoli and drain and then add it to the pasta as you're mixing in the cheese sauce or follow Rachael's tip for adding fresh broccoli in the pasta water during the last few moments.

Pork Chops, Golden Apple and Raisin Sauce, Whole Wheat Pasta Mac-n-Cheddar

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1/2 pound whole wheat shells or penne pasta
• 4 golden apples, cored and chopped
• 1 cup cloudy apple cider
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• A handful golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 large center cut pork loin chops, 1 1/2-inch thick
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 pound extra-sharp white cheddar
• A few grates nutmeg, to taste
• Dash hot sauce
• 2 cups broccoli tops, cut into small florets
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown or grainy Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

Heat a large pot of water for pasta. Season water with salt and cook pasta to al dente.

Add apples to a medium pot and stir in cider, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Place pot over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side.

While chops cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook a minute then whisk in milk and season with salt and pepper. Grate cheese and stir into sauce and season with nutmeg, to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. Reduce heat to low.

Add broccoli to pasta last 2 minutes of cook time. Drain and return to pasta pot. Add cheese sauce and stir to coat.

Add mustard and syrup to chops and glaze, 1 minute.

Serve pork with apple sauce, macaroni and cheddar with broccoli along side.