Comfort Food

I have been soliciting ideas from fellow Haband'ers for our blog and have been getting some great content. The first of which I'd like to share comes from Cate, our intrepid copy writer and Haband employee for 20 years! She tells the tale of some great home cooking that she grew up with and wanted to share her mom's recipe with all of you -- hope you enjoy!

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Hello!

Well, here in the Northeast, the autumn leaves have almost completely fallen, it turned really cool over the weekend, and the frost is definitely on the pumpkin! Time for a fire in the wood stove and some nice, home-cooked comfort food!

What constitutes comfort food? It's something that tastes really yummy, of course, something that reminds you of your childhood, and something makes the house smell fantastic!

Next question: What to make? The first recipe that came to mind was a wonderful scalloped potato and pork casserole that my Mom used to make when I was a kid.

We lived in a rural area with lots of woods and neighbors who owned horses. In the fall and winter, we'd play in the woods, go horseback riding, or sledding, and really work up an appetite! After hours outdoors, (no TV or video games for us) our cheeks would be all rosy and we'd be chilled to the bone. Then we'd come into our house and be greeted by the amazing aroma of Mom's casserole! Such a welcome, comforting smell. And the taste was even better!

I've taken Mom's recipe and lightened it up a bit. It still has all the delicious flavor of her original, but a fraction of the fat and calories. It’s also fairly easy to make.

I suggest you make this recipe for someone special, and guaranteed, they'll feel loved and comforted indeed!

Potato and Pork Chop Casserole

• 4-6 lean pork chops (boneless or with bone in), trimmed of fat
• 1 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 4-5 cups potatoes, with skins on, thinly sliced
• 1 can low-fat cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup water

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º F. Grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.
2. Trim fat from chops and season with salt and pepper and brown lightly in oil in skillet.
3. Place chops in the bottom of baking pan. Layer with onions and then potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Combine soup with water, mixing well. Pour over top.
5. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Uncover, continue baking for 15 minutes more.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Servings: 4-6 Preparation time: 20 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes