Is your mouth watering from that post title, because mine sure is! One of my fave blogs to visit when I need a good recipe is Madonna’s yummy blog, Make Mine Lemon. Since it’s selfish to hoard a good find and not share it with you, I asked Madonna if she would be kind enough to share a recipe with us here at BNOTP, and she happily obliged.
Take it away, Madonna!
Following post by Madonna from the blog: Make Mine Lemon
I want dinners that are an easy cook, with few ingredients, but taste like they are more complex. I want the ingredients to fit on a recipe card so I can put it in my purse, take it with me to the market to be sure I have “all” the ingredients for a complete recipe. Nothing drives me crazier than shopping, coming home only to realize I missed some major ingredient. I take a card or two or three and purchase the menu for a couple days. One of the cards I took was Pork Chops with Biscuits & Tomato Gravy by Rachel Ray. She said you can also make it with chicken, but since I just made chicken I thought I would try pork chops. You have to give Rachel her due; she does make it seem easy.
My Mom made a version of tomato gravy minus the cream and jalapeño peppers so I thought I would give it a try. Just so you know this is not Italian red sauce sometimes known as tomato gravy. This sauce is a more of a Southern thing although I suspect it originated in New Orleans since it contains “The Trinity”. The Trinity is usually a trio of onion, celery, and green bell pepper, but we now kind of prefer red peppers. It was made with a roux, and then you add tomatoes. Over the years I have tweaked Mom’s version. We put it on everything from mashed potatoes, rice and even fish. We called it “stewed tomatoes”. We did not put cream in it, but Rachel said we should so the flavor would linger on the tongue.
Once I made Mom’s version when it was my turn for girl’s night. They thought it was exotic which made me laugh out loud. I thought it was home cooking. My oldest sister had a boyfriend that used to pick up the ingredients, bring them over and beg her to make it for him. She did not keep him, but she still makes stewed tomatoes.
I did not make this in the same order as Rachel. Make the stewed tomato/gravy first. Give it some simmer time. It becomes a more flavorful. I did not mince the garlic or the jalapeño. I just poked a couple holes in the jalapeño and left the garlic whole and after it stewed, I mashed up what I felt tasted good to me. The garlic gets mellow and no chance of burning it. The guy that likes it hot gets the jalapeño.
I used two skillets like Rachel to hurry the meal along, but after the pork chops were done I took them out to rest, then transferred the gravy to the pork chop pan to make sure all the fond ended up in the gravy. It gets better the longer you let it simmer. All the flavors develop. I know I already said that, but…. When the biscuits went in the oven I then added the cream to the gravy continuing the slow simmer.
Rachel used Jiffy Mix for the biscuits and if you want easy and don’t have issues like I have with processed food go ahead, but I thought I would make drop biscuits and they are almost as easy as Jiffy. She suggested a 375°F temp, but I bumped it up to 400°F and the next time I will try 425°F. Pretend it is a mix. Mix up the dry ingredients store in a jar, grate the cold butter, and fluff the butter and the dry mix in a bowl. Store in the refrigerator until ready. Add the milk – don’t over mix – remember that is what makes them tough. If you want to add cayenne, go ahead, but I think we have enough heat.
Thanks Mom for all those stewed tomatoes you made. I know she would laugh to think Rachel got rich making this simple food. Thanks Rachel for continuing to show us that food can be easy even if it takes a little longer than you said.
Pork Chops or Chicken with Biscuits & Tomato Gravy (Printable recipe available at the end of this post)
Ingredients
Box of biscuit mix
Or for homemade
2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled = 9 oz.
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces = 4 oz.
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup whole milk = 8 oz.
For the tomato gravy – Adapted from Rachel Ray
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small rib celery, finely diced
1 small red or green bell pepper, finely diced
1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely diced – I poked holes in mine and left it whole.
2 – 3 cloves garlic, finely minced (I used 1 – left it whole – smashed up when stewed.)
Salt and pepper to taste.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 bone-in, 1-inch-thick pork chops or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast.
Directions – for the pork chops with tomato gravy.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
Prepare the biscuit mix according to package directions, adding the cayenne.
Drop 8 scoops of dough onto a baking sheet; brush with a little cream.
Bake on the upper rack until golden.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeno and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 4 minutes – (I say about 10 minutes.)
In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium-high heat.
Season the chops or chicken with salt and pepper,
Add to the pan; brown on each side.
Transfer the pan to the lower rack of the oven to finish cooking, 10 to 12 minutes.
Stir the tomatoes and chicken stock into the vegetables; simmer
When the tomatoes are hot, stir in the remaining cream; simmer the gravy for 10 minutes to thicken.
Spoon the sauce over the chops or chicken; serve the hot biscuits alongside.
Directions for the biscuits
Heat oven to 400° F.
In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, salt, and butter until pea-size clumps form. (I hand grated on a cheese grater.)
Add the cold milk; pulse just until moistened.
Drop 6 -8 large mounds of the dough (about ½ cup each) onto a baking sheet.
Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
Printable Recipe Below:
Pork Chops With Biscuits & Tomato Gravy
Pork Chops With Biscuits & Tomato Gravy
Ingredients
- For the biscuits - Adapted from - Real Simple
- Box of biscuit mix or for homemade
- 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled = 9 oz.
- 1/2 cup 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces = 4 oz.
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk = 8 oz.
- For the tomato gravy - Adapted from Rachel Ray
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 small rib celery finely diced
- 1 small red or green bell pepper finely diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and finely diced – I poked holes in mine and left it whole.
- 2 - 3 cloves garlic finely minced (I used 1 - left it whole – smashed up when stewed.)
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 bone-in 1-inch-thick pork chops or 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast.
Instructions
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
- Prepare the biscuit mix according to package directions, adding the cayenne.
- Drop 8 scoops of dough onto a baking sheet; brush with a little cream.
- Bake on the upper rack until golden.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeno and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring for 4 minutes – (I say about 10 minutes.)
- In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil, over medium-high heat.
- Season the chops or chicken with salt and pepper,
- Add to the pan; brown on each side.
- Transfer the pan to the lower rack of the oven to finish cooking, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir the tomatoes and chicken stock into the vegetables; simmer
- When the tomatoes are hot, stir in the remaining cream; simmer the gravy for 10 minutes to thicken.
- Spoon the sauce over the chops or chicken; serve the hot biscuits alongside.
- Directions for the biscuits
- Heat oven to 400° F.
- In a food processor, pulse flour, baking powder, salt, and butter until pea-size clumps form. (I hand grated on a cheese grater.)
- Add the cold milk; pulse just until moistened.
- Drop 6 -8 large mounds of the dough (about ½ cup each) onto a baking sheet.
- Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes.
Thanks so much Madonna for sharing one of your awesome recipes here at BNOTP.
Be sure to visit Make Mine Lemon for tasty recipes and photography that will make you want to lick your monitor! 🙂 You’ll find Make Mine Lemon on Facebook, too.
You’ll find additional recipes under the category “Good Eats” at the top of BNOTP.
Darn it Susan, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet. Now I’m starving! That sounds so good. I’m usually not a big fan of pork chops, but this whole affair sounds delicious! Thanks, and thanks to Madonna for sharing. 🙂 Yum.
That does sound good! For another take on a great pork chop meal, my husband and I just prepared Rachel Ray’s PORK CHOPS WITH DIJON GLAZE and, I can tell you, it was absolutely delicious!! Very easy and so fancy!! We will definitely do that one again! The savory aroma lingering in the house … ! Wonderful!
Sound good, Carolyn!
Oh my gosh! This sounds so delicious! I have made tomato gravy but I have never added garlic and jalapeno peppers! I’m sure that heat takes it up a notch! Going to visit Madonna’s blog now!
You had me at biscuits! I have made a lot of Rachel Ray’s recipes lately. Most of the time (if you follow the directions exactly) they are a bit to heavy on the garlic. These adaptations sound wonderful. I have a box of cheddar bay biscuit mix in the pantry and all of the other ingredients except for the jalapeno on hand. You made my day with this one. I have printed the recipe and am ready to make pork chops with biscuits and tomato gravy for dinner tonight! Thank you for sharing….. Candy
Thanks, Candy!
Guess what we are having for dinner tonight. I was wanting a new recipe for pork chops.
Thanks a million,
Carra
Hi Susan,
Okay, now I know what I am having for dinner, I even have all the ingredients on hand. (I couldn’t believe that one – chops in the freezer and even heavy cream I bought for another recipe. Will let you know how it turns out, Love and Hugs, Doreen
Awesome! Let me know how it turns out!
I came over from Madonna’s blog – sounds like a delicious meal.
Thanks for sharing this recipe, Madonna! It looks delicious. I discovered your website through a link party recently; the name caught my attention because I LOVE anything lemon. I especially love lemon desserts (almost more than chocolate). I’ll pin this pork chop recipe and give it a try some evening.
Denise
This looks like a Sunday meal to me and have the adult kids over. I’m so happy there is no flour in the pork chops and they are gluten-free for my daughter. I have a great recipe for a gluten-free biscuit that I’ll serve instead of the Jiffy biscuits. Thanks for sharing.
For an even easier biscuit, use 2 cups self rising flour and enough whipping cream to make a fairly stiff dough. You can drop them or you can roll them out on a floured paper towel and cut out. Brush with buttermilk and bake @ 500 degrees until just brown. This recipe won a contest for the best biscuit sponsored by a flour company. I call them paper towel biscuits. I have always made biscuits the way my Grandmother taught me with shortening and buttermilk until I found this recipe.
Hi again Susan;
Oh dear, I had such good intentions early this afternoon to make this fabulous recipe! Than my daughter Susan (I love that name!!) said she had such a taste for breaded pork chops, she even offered to make them! How could I refuse?? lol So, I will hold on to this recipe and make it first thing next week, will let you know how it turned out! Have a great evening. Love and Hugs, Doreen
These biscuits with homemade tomato gravy sound right up my alley. You’ve done a splendid job Madonna.
Sam
Drop biscuits all the way for me! Love their homemade flavor, and they’re so quick and easy to make. Lovely dish — real comfort food. Thanks so much.
This meal looks awesome and yummy dear Susan! And yes, you are a great cook too, wow!!!
Hugs,
FABBY
Aww, thanks Fabby! Just made a huge pan of lasagna for my son and dil. We’re eating late tonight.
Hi Susan, I came over from Madonna’s blog and I’m glad I did. Madonna’s pork chops and biscuits take me back to some of the cooking my mother made when I was growing up in Texas.
Thanks, Karen! Glad you are here! This recipe definitely falls under the category of great comfort food. 🙂
Hi Susan. I also came over from Madonna’s blog. She always has such great recipes. I have enjoyed reading your blog too, but this is the first time I have commented. So glad that the two of you have hooked up. Love your Alice in Wonderland tea pot.
Thanks, Penny! Madonna really does have some fabulous recipes! Have a feeling he’ll end up in a table this summer. 🙂
I came over from Madonna’s blog. What a fab dish! And it is a pleasure to have found your site.
Welcome Adri…glad you are here! 🙂
Oh my gosh this sounds delicious. I hardly ever make pork chops because I’m so hopeless at it, they always come out tough and dry. Is there a particular cut of chop you get, Susan? I don’t think I have ever even seen any as thick as an inch, so I’ll have to ask. Yum! This made me hungry! 🙂