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Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables #SundaySupper

Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables – Pan seared, thick cut pork chops oven roasted with apples, leeks, fennel, and butternut squash glazed in a herb brown sugar sauce.

Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables ~ Pan seared, thick cut pork chops oven roasted with apples, leeks, fennel, and butternut squash glazed in a herb brown sugar sauce ~ The Complete SavoristThis is my favorite time of year. The mornings and nights are cool, warranting an extra layer of clothing and the afternoons scorch, practically melting your face off. The leaves are in various hues between green, yellow, orange, and red, but not quite to brown though. And this is when all the best holidays occur. We have Halloween (love the whimsical witches), Thanksgiving (OMG the food), and the most important holiday of all, my birthday.

Yes, in my world, my birthday is a holiday.  We should all get the day off and celebrate. For reasons probably best left to a therapist to deal with, my birthday was always one day I felt utterly special. More than likely it was due to the extra positive attention I received.

As I am writing this (Saturday, 10 PM), my birthday is in 6 days and this is the first year I am not excited. Usually, at this point in my countdown, I am willing the days and hours away to get to it. But not this year. This year I can’t hold the sands back in the hourglass. I know it is mental thing and next year I will be back to reminding everyone my birthday is coming, being excited, and such.

What makes this year different? This year I turn 40. I cannot get my mind around the number to save my life. I don’t remotely feel what I thought 40 was supposed to feel like. I still feel 27, and somedays, probably act 16. But this 40, what is this?

The thing is, I really don’t have too much to complain about.

I have a great life. I have an adorable daughter whom I love more than anything and most days, she loves me more than anything. I have a wonderful family, and even though I don’t see eye to eye with all of them, in the end, I know they love me. I have friends who offer such love and support. One friend particularly, who is like a sister, is going through a family crisis that no one should ever have to deal with, yet still finds time to encourage me and help me out. I have an amazing career that just two years ago I hadn’t even begun to envision and a fantastic network of other bloggers I greatly enjoy “working” with. I have my health. I have a roof over my head. And it’s obvious I have plenty of food. I have a DVR with an episode of Scandal waiting for me to watch. I downloaded a new book. I have a freshly detailed car, I mean seriously, what in the world do I have to complain about? Nothing. So why does 40 feel so….so….Blah?

To help get over this Blah feeling (please, someone, give me a word, not a sound, that describes how I am feeling), I did what I always do to ‘cheer’ myself up; I went into the kitchen to cook.

You regular readers are probably shocked to see this isn’t a post with some kind of red sauce, since that is my normal comfort food. But I love (or to use my friend Matt’s word-adore) pork. It’s true too, I do adore pork. Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables ~ Pan seared, thick cut pork chops oven roasted with apples, leeks, fennel, and butternut squash glazed in a herb brown sugar sauce ~ The Complete SavoristThis is what I came up with to comfort myself for the big 4-0. Pork and the quintessential autumn produce of butternut squash and apples, with some fennel and leeks in a glaze made of brown sugar, cinnamon, herbs, and butter!  It doesn’t get much more fall on a plate than that. The restraint I had to exercise to get through the photography session was incredible. I did eat quite a bit of the veggies, but the pork just taunted me while I was behind the camera.

But when I finally got to cut it up, pour some of the juice from the pan over it and the veggies (and apples), man alive, I was transported to heaven. Succulent pork, sweet yet highly herbaceous apples and veggies, the words fail.

So while this dish didn’t cure me of my ‘turning 40 blues’, it did make me utterly excited to continue cooking more of these wonderful fall flavors. Oh and I totally cheated where the squash was concerned: I purchased a package of freshly chopped butternut to save me the work of dealing with it.Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables ~ Pan seared, thick cut pork chops oven roasted with apples, leeks, fennel, and butternut squash glazed in a herb brown sugar sauce ~ The Complete Savorist

Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables #SundaySupper

Author: Michelle De La Cerda
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Ingredients

  • 4 thick cut pork chops
  • 1 fennel bulb , cored and sliced
  • 1 leek; cleaned , halved, and sliced
  • 2 medium apples; cored and cubed
  • 12 oz butternut squash; cubed
  • 2 tbsp melted buter
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; divided 1:1
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar plus 1 tbsp
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (preferably Saigon/Vietnamese)
  • 1/4 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp sage
  • 1/2 tsp salt plus more for seasoning the pork
  • 1/3 tsp black pepper plus more for seasoning the pork
  • 1/4 tsp granulated garlic plus more for seasoning the pork

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°.
  2. In a large (12") skillet or pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat.
  3. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and granulated garlic over both sides of the chops.
  4. Sear each side of the pork chops, giving them a deep brown color; remove from heat.
  5. Prepare the apples and vegetables, toss them together in a bowl, then arrange them under and around the pork.
  6. In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, 1 tbsp oil, brown sugar, herbs and spices.
  7. Spoon the mixture over the pork and veggies.
  8. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
  9. Remove the cover and sprinkle the remaining 1 tbsp brown sugar over the pan contents and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes, uncovered, or until the pork is cooked through to 160°.
  10. Plate and spoon the juice over both the meat and veggies; serve and enjoy.

Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables ~ Pan seared, thick cut pork chops oven roasted with apples, leeks, fennel, and butternut squash glazed in a herb brown sugar sauce ~ The Complete SavoristPork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables ~ Pan seared, thick cut pork chops oven roasted with apples, leeks, fennel, and butternut squash glazed in a herb brown sugar sauce ~ The Complete SavoristThis recipe also marks my first contribution to the Sunday Supper Movement, a collection of bloggers dedicated to bringing families back together, around the table for Sunday Dinner. As a kid, we ate dinner together at the table every night, and Sunday’s were always an extra special meal. Times are different. Families are busy, but this wonderful group seek to inspire people to gather together around the table once again. I am honored to be associated with this fantastic group of food bloggers and to be part of their mission to bring families closer together, one meal at a time. Pork Chops with Glazed Apples and Vegetables ~ Pan seared, thick cut pork chops oven roasted with apples, leeks, fennel, and butternut squash glazed in a herb brown sugar sauce ~ The Complete Savorist #SundaySupper

Check out A Guide to Apples plus Best Fall Recipes Ideas for #SundaySupper and this week’s recipe collection:

Breakfast

Appetizers and Sides

Main Dishes

Desserts and Cocktails

Plus, A Guide to Apples plus Best Fall Recipes Ideas for #SundaySupper

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Thank you for sharing!

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53 Comments

  • Reply
    Sammie
    September 27, 2015 at 1:13 am

    Firstly I love your site AND I would never guess from your photos that you are about to turn 40!! You don’t look it at all. In my head I am 26 and always will be so I get your thinking. I found turning 40 hard (now 44!) I’m not sure why, most probably because I’m 26 (or so I kid myself). I do hope you have a lovely birthday, despite your reservations. Sorry I’m waffling. I adore your pork chop recipe. I cook pork with apples but squash and fennel I am so going to try that. Delicious dish. Thank you for sharing. Sammie

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 27, 2015 at 3:04 pm

      You are so kind, but yes, 40 is here. It’s so odd. Thank you for stopping by.

  • Reply
    Chestnut and pear cupcakes with caramel buttercream (GF) #SundaySupper - Caroline's Cooking
    September 27, 2015 at 6:22 am

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  • Reply
    Liz @ Books n' Cooks
    September 27, 2015 at 6:31 am

    This is going on my menu this week – love the glazed apples, but I hate doing dishes, so any one-pot meal has a permanent place on my menu! Can’t wait to try it!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 27, 2015 at 3:07 pm

      Hope you enjoy it, the fennel was my favorite part…really took on a different flavor.

      • Reply
        Liz @ Books n' Cooks
        October 7, 2015 at 6:14 pm

        We finally made it – yum! It will definitely be in our regular dinner rotation this fall! I look forward to seeing what else you make with the late-season produce.

        • Reply
          Michelle
          October 8, 2015 at 8:49 pm

          Wonderful! I am so happy to hear that you and your family enjoyed it.

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  • Reply
    Betty
    September 27, 2015 at 1:33 pm

    This pork dish looks wonderful and I like all the veggies. Happy birthday to you coming up and please don’t fret, I have turned 40 a couple of times and I assure you you won’t feel or look any different. Just enjoy the day and all the attention you will get and have a good time.

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 27, 2015 at 3:07 pm

      You made me laugh…40 a couple of times. Love you Grandma.

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Tara
    September 27, 2015 at 2:43 pm

    Such beautiful pork chops! Love the combination with the autumn fruits and vegetables. Happy early birthday!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 27, 2015 at 2:59 pm

      Thank you so much Tara.

  • Reply
    Liz
    September 27, 2015 at 2:52 pm

    What a fabulous meal! We eat a lot of pork chops and now you’ve inspired me to add some veggies and apples the next time I cook our chops indoors. WElcome to the Sunday Supper group!!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 27, 2015 at 2:59 pm

      Thank you so much Liz, it’s a great group.

  • Reply
    Sarah | Curious Cuisiniere
    September 27, 2015 at 4:19 pm

    Pork and apples is always a great combo!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 27, 2015 at 5:02 pm

      I agree, thank you Sarah.

  • Reply
    Betsy @ Desserts Required
    September 27, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    40 is FAB!!! Not just a little bit but over-the-top majorly fantastic and you are going to ROCK it! Kind of like you rocked this gorgeous dish. 🙂

    Welcome to the Sunday Supper family!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 28, 2015 at 11:56 pm

      Thank you so much Betsy! I am certain I will overcome the funk associated with it soon enough.

  • Reply
    Marion@LifeTastesGood
    September 27, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    So many of my favorite fall flavors in one dish!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 28, 2015 at 11:56 pm

      So happy to hear that Marion.

  • Reply
    Cindys Recipes and Writings
    September 28, 2015 at 4:12 am

    Lovely dish, perfect for fall. I’m on board with the pre-cut squash too! Welcome to Sunday Supper!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 28, 2015 at 11:57 pm

      Oh I am happy you use the pre-cut stuff too.

  • Reply
    Serena | Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
    September 28, 2015 at 2:49 pm

    Happy almost Birthday! I love simple one pan dinners like this!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 29, 2015 at 12:00 am

      Thank you Serena…hope you get the chance to enjoy it.

  • Reply
    Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook
    September 28, 2015 at 8:23 pm

    That balsamic sauce sounds incredible!
    P.S. – HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      September 29, 2015 at 12:00 am

      Thank you Lauren.

  • Reply
    Sarah Reid
    September 29, 2015 at 5:02 pm

    This totally makes me think of my mom, she does apples with pork a lot and would love the rest for sure!

    • Reply
      Michelle
      October 1, 2015 at 7:30 pm

      Thank you Sarah, it’s a perfect fall comfort food.

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    Sue Lau
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    Great flavors for fall! Love chops!

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