Super Easy Meal #1: Pork Chops & Applesauce

We're all too busy playing with our Christmas presents to worry much about dinner. So, this week I'm offering a couple easy meals.

Super Easy Meal #1: Pork Chops & Applesauce
For this meal, you'll need a little help from your local butcher. Swing my his meat case and peruse the selection. I'll betcha he's got a tray of plump pork chops brimming with golden stuffing. See 'em? Maybe over there between the chicken breasts and the rump roasts? Yep, now you've got it. Get enough stuffed chops for your family. Grab some green beans (preferable the ones that some kind soul has gone to the trouble of trimming for you) and applesauce, and you're ready to go.

Once you're home, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, prep your green beans for roasting. Wash, trim, and spread them on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with lots of salt and pepper. Then set the tray aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high in a large oven-safe skillet. Generously sprinkle your pork chops with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, brown the pork chops for about 3 minutes on each side. (You'll know the meat is ready to flip when it doesn't stick to the pan.) Pop the whole pan in the preheated oven, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the pork chops reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees. Tent the chops with foil and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes.

When the pork chops have about 5 minutes left to cook, add the tray of green beans to the oven to cook.  They'll need about 12-15 minutes total. Stir them around halfway through. (Check out this post for a detailed description of roasting green beans.) You want them to be crisp-tender with golden brown spots.

Serve the pork chops with applesauce and green beans. (Oh, and if you're feeling ambitious, make your own applesauce. It's delish.)