I love watching Rachael Ray on Food Network. It intrigues me how she can make a full meal in 30 minutes or less. Out of the hundreds of cooking shows on Food Network, I am the biggest fan of RR because it is the most realistic.

I like the other chefs on that network too, but when I watch those shows it is purely for entertainment purposes (and to make myself hungry), but I know I would never spend as much time as they do in the kitchen. It still cracks me up when I see them putting a dish in the oven, and thanks to the magic of editing, it comes back out 5 mins later perfectly baked. (too bad that doesn’t happen in real life. trust me, I’ve tried!)

Back in the day, when I use to come home from work at 5, I would dread having to cook dinner. By the time I finished changing, eating a snack, and going to the gym, it would be close to 7pm. Of course, I could just get take out, or go out to eat with the hubby, but you just can’t do that everyday. It’s neither healthy or economical. So I was always thinking of ways to make a tasty dinner, that was quick and had little clean up. I like to call these meals One Pot Shops (because the final product is pulled out of the oven with my entrée and veggie dish already done, and when dinner is finished, I simply throw away the foil the meal was on).

I haven’t been able to come up with many of these dishes, but there is one that I have perfected. Neither my hubby or I really enjoy eating pork chops, because it is usually dry and tasteless. But this recipe results in tasty and juicy pork chops, with broccoli and mushrooms in a cream of mushroom sauce. You just throw everything in the oven, wait 15 mins, and everything is done! (ok, there is a 15 min preparation time, but that means you are only really cooking for 15 mins, the other 15 you are waiting). I always look forward to making this dish, not only because it is delicious, but also because I know I will be able to read 3 chapters of my favorite book, give myself a mani/pedi, and vacuum the entire house, while dinner is cooking! You can’t say that about many meals!

So here is my recipe for Baked Pork Chops with Broccoli and Mushrooms:

Ingredients:

• 5-7 slices of thinly sliced pork chops (I like boneless better, but bone in is perfectly fine. The thinner the pork chop, the faster it is to cook, and the less dry it turns out)
• 1 package of sliced white mushrooms (about 8oz)
• 2 small crowns of broccoli chopped (or 1 large crown)
• 1 can of cream of mushroom
• 2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon oil

baked pork chops with broccoli and mushrooms in a cream sauce

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
• 1 table spoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Evenly coat the pork chops with the marinade
3. Heat pan with oil
4. Pan fry the pork chops until lightly browned on both sides (about 1 min on each side for the thin pork chops, 2 mins each side for the thicker chops)
5. In a separate pot, heat up the cream of mushroom, and add the pepper and thyme leaves until boiling
6. Then add in the raw mushrooms and broccoli until all the veggies are evenly coated with the cream sauce
7. Line a baking pan with foil, and lightly grease
8. Put in the browned pork chops, and pour the sauce and veggies on top
9. Bake in oven for about 15-20 mins (or until pork chops are no longer pink in the middle)
10. Let cool 5 mins, and serve straight from baking pan!

I love Italian food. The first time I was introduced to the Olive Garden, I thought it was the best place ever. My friend Michelle and I first started going there in middle school. It wasn’t because we heard it was good, but it was located next to the mall, and we could easily take the bus there.

Every time we go, we order the same thing, chicken Alfredo fettuccine, house salad, potato soup, and the garlic bread. And it is always as good as I remember. Even though I’ve been to many Italian places since the Olive Garden, it is still one of my favorite places to go.

But I recently heard from a good friend of mine, who has a cousin that works at the Olive Garden, that all their food is frozen, and they simply heat it up when you order it. I can’t say that I’m surprised. I am fully aware that the Olive Garden is like the fast food of Italian restaurants. So anyways, I figured I should try making chicken fettuccine myself, because how hard can it be if the Olive Garden can do it =)

So I bought all the ingredients, and just threw everything together, and surprisingly it was BETTER than the Olive Garden! I know it doesn’t mean much being better than the Olive Garden, because I’m probably one of the few people that think so highly of it. But even my picky husband, who doesn’t particularly enjoy Italian food, said it was the best chicken fettuccine ever!

And being that I don’t have all the time in the world, I did use some short cuts, like using store bought Alfredo sauce. But in my defense, I do know how to make the real thing from scratch, but why bother when you can buy it!

So here is my Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo recipe:

Ingredients:

Main Ingredient:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces (cut out as much fat as possible)

Fettuccine Alfredo - Stella-style - with some broccoli on the side

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Other Ingredients:

• 1 package fettuccini noodles
• 1 jar of Classico Alfredo sauce with garlic
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 package sliced white mushrooms

Directions:

1. Cut up the boneless skinless chicken thighs into bite size pieces
2. Add the marinade ingredients and let sit at least 15 mins
3. Heat up a big wok with oil, and add the garlic cloves and fry until a little brown
4. Add the marinated chicken pieces, and stir fry until the chicken is browned and fully cooked
5. Add the mushrooms and stir fry until mushrooms are browned (about 5 mins)
6. Add the jar of Alfredo sauce, and cover with lid on low (once it bubbles then its done)

For the noodles:

1. Boil a pot of water, add in oil and salt
2. Add the dry noodles (I usually need about 2 quarter sizes of noodle bunches for one person)
3. Cook until al dente (meaning until the noodles still have some bounce to them and aren’t too soggy) about 8-10 mins

And that’s all there is to it!