Inspired by New England cuisine, with a healthy dose of the south,these Baked Bourbon Maple Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples are weeknight easy. Their sweet and savory sauce will have you licking the spoon!
Baked Bourbon Maple Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples Oh my goodness... I didn't think it would happen. But it did. The temperature has dropped below 80 degrees!! WOO HOO!!
Ok, for some of you, this is no big deal. But for me... this is huge.. we might (gasp!!) actually be heading into fall!
Which means - apples, pumpkins, soups, stews, casseroles and all sorts of yummy goodness - and yes, I said "yummy" - this is, after all a food blog and not the New York Times.
So to celebrate, I am making Baked Bourbon Maple Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples. This is definitely a dish you should add to your fall food line up - because it is yummy!!! Ok, and it also has bourbon in it... need I say more???
I probably don't need to, but I will. First off, apples and sweet potatoes are naturals with pork - this is a no brainer. The addition of fennel however, may not seem quite so intuitive - but when it's roasted it's anise flavored earthiness works beautifully with all the other components and keeps the dish from being overly sweet.
The sauce comes together quickly - and will definitely have you licking the spoon!!
The best part though? You've got everything you need for a full meal right in these Baked Bourbon Maple Pork Chops with Sweet Potatoes and Apples. You can get it on the table in under an hour with 2 pans to wash - and no one needs to be the wiser that this did not involve multiple pans and hours of prep.
Which means of course, more time for whipping up something else "yummy" - and here are some ideas to get you started!
Nutmeg Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce
Bourbon Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Bourbon Cream Cheese Glaze
Other Pork recipes you might enjoy:
- Pan Seared Pork Chops with Honey Garlic Sauce
- Pork with Ginger Apples and Parsnips
- Ras al Hanout Grilled Pork Skewers
- Hawaiian Sweet Roll Sliders with Chinese BBQ Pork
Pork Chops with Sweet potatoes, apples and fennel
Ingredients
- 4 boneless pork loin chops - about 1 inch thick
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 2 Tbsp. bourbon optional
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 tsp. dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 large sprig rosemary
- Vegetables:
- 1 ½ Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 lb. yams peeled and cut into 2 inch by ½ pieces
- 3 granny smith apples cored and cut into ¼ inch slices
- 1 fennel bulb trimmed and cut into ¼ inch slices
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. Scatter vegetables onto a sided sheet pan and drizzle with the oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss to coat the vegetables. Place the sheet pan in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes and then stir the vegetables and continue roasting for another 10 - 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, blot the pork dry. Add the oil to a cast iron or other oven safe skillet and heat over medium high heat. When the oil is just shimmering add the pork. Season with salt and pepper. Sear on one side and then flip the chops. Sear on the other side. Place skillet in the oven to finish cooking the chops. Cook for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove pan from oven and transfer chops to a plate. Add the bourbon (if using) to the skillet. Place the skillet over medium high heat and cook, scraping up the browned bits. Add the apple cider and cook for 5 minutes until the cider is slightly reduced. Stir in the dijon mustard. Cook until incorporated. Turn off the heat and add the butter - stir until the butter is melted. Divide the vegetables among 4 plates. Top each with a pork chop and divide the sauce between the chops and serve.
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
Looks delicious Nancy. I have really been grousing about the heat. Everyone is making cold weather food and I am still in summer mode.
Nancy says
Me too Madonna - I mean is it too much to ask for it to get below 70 degrees in the fall??? Ugh.....
Susan Rebillot says
Nancy, this is a beautiful website! I have the Foodie theme, as well and love it! Pinned your recipes! They say Autumn to me! Your photography is lovely and appealing. I love the name and concept, too-- bringing others together around a table, love that! Thank you!
Susan
Barbara | Creative Culinary says
Love the yummy...and the sentiment and this dish. I'm such a fan of pork now that we don't have to cook it to death and this dish look perfect!
Nancy says
Thanks Barb! Me too, overcooked pork is NOT yummy - LOL!!!
medPaulinaKpal says
Excellent recipe! I did use pork loin cubes instead of chicken and used orange juice in place of the apple juice. Used fresh ginger and dark brown sugar as that was what I had on hand. No red pepper flakes as I was serving this to someone who can't take the heat. Sprinkled just a bit of cornstarch to pot during last 20 min of cooking to thicken the sauce to what turned out to be perfect consistency. I made it with basmati rice in less time than it would've taken me to call the local Chinese take out delivery restaurant and place an order and wait for it to be delivered.
Nancy says
So glad that you enjoyed the recipe!