Meanwhile, dinner still needs to be cooked. Every day.
But no worries! These sheet pan dinners are all the rage around here. Simple. Easy. Quick. Delicious.
What more could you ask for???
Before I get to the recipe, I have to show you my admiring audience. They're almost always on hand when I'm in the kitchen.
First, there's Maggie-Cat. Queen of the house.
She's twelve years old this spring and settling into dowager status.
Then there's #JackoftheBlackHills - puppy delightfulicious. Aka J.J. Wigglebottoms III. Aka Jack.
He is just past his adolescent testing-all-the-boundaries stage and is growing into a wonderful, calm, easy to live with dog.
These two are always around to taste-test anything, or to volunteer for floor clean-up when necessary.
Anyway, back to the sheet pan dinner!
For this one, I chose to use a rosemary/herb flavoring.
Rosemary Herb Pork Chops Sheet Pan Dinner
Easy peasy - In a medium bowl, mix about 4 Tablespoons of olive oil with a couple teaspoons rosemary (fresh is best, but I used dried,) 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
First, use about a teaspoon of the herb/oil mixture and spread it on both sides of your pork chops. I used thin-sliced, which cook quickly.
Then quarter a few potatoes, and add whatever other veggies you have on hand. For this meal I used some frozen petite Brussels sprouts - the size was perfect for my cooking time. Toss them in the bowl with the remaining herb/oil mixture until all the veggies are coated.
Lay them all on a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper.
These quantities were just right for two of us. Increase or decrease the amounts of everything as you need to.
Roast your dinner in a 400° oven for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the meat and veggies once in the middle of the cooking time. Test the meat and veggies for doneness - pork should be at least 145° (my hubby disagrees and says 155°), and the potatoes should be fork-tender.
Take the pan out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes, and then serve.
We had cole slaw for our salad, and enjoyed a wonderful easy dinner!
In other news, like I said last week, Jack's and Maggie's peaceful lives are about to get disrupted. We pick up our new pup at the end of the week!
But I don't want you to think Jack doesn't have friends. This little guy comes by to eat the spilled bird seed almost every afternoon:
While most of the deer ignore Jack, this one usually walks over to the door to stare at him through the window. He's about 2/3 the size of the other deer, and is often with them, but sometimes alone.
The other deer spend plenty of time in our yard, too.
When I looked for information on how to deer-proof our garden, one piece of advice said, "Plant your shrubs and flowers close to the house to keep the deer from bothering them."
Um, yeah. Just how close would that be?
Are you looking forward to spring in your part of the world?
Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.
You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com
Before I get to the recipe, I have to show you my admiring audience. They're almost always on hand when I'm in the kitchen.
First, there's Maggie-Cat. Queen of the house.
She's twelve years old this spring and settling into dowager status.
Then there's #JackoftheBlackHills - puppy delightfulicious. Aka J.J. Wigglebottoms III. Aka Jack.
He is just past his adolescent testing-all-the-boundaries stage and is growing into a wonderful, calm, easy to live with dog.
These two are always around to taste-test anything, or to volunteer for floor clean-up when necessary.
Anyway, back to the sheet pan dinner!
For this one, I chose to use a rosemary/herb flavoring.
Rosemary Herb Pork Chops Sheet Pan Dinner
Easy peasy - In a medium bowl, mix about 4 Tablespoons of olive oil with a couple teaspoons rosemary (fresh is best, but I used dried,) 1/2 teaspoon oregano, 1/4 teaspoon thyme, 1/4 teaspoon basil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.
First, use about a teaspoon of the herb/oil mixture and spread it on both sides of your pork chops. I used thin-sliced, which cook quickly.
Then quarter a few potatoes, and add whatever other veggies you have on hand. For this meal I used some frozen petite Brussels sprouts - the size was perfect for my cooking time. Toss them in the bowl with the remaining herb/oil mixture until all the veggies are coated.
Lay them all on a sheet pan lined with foil or parchment paper.
These quantities were just right for two of us. Increase or decrease the amounts of everything as you need to.
Roast your dinner in a 400° oven for 25 to 30 minutes, turning the meat and veggies once in the middle of the cooking time. Test the meat and veggies for doneness - pork should be at least 145° (my hubby disagrees and says 155°), and the potatoes should be fork-tender.
Take the pan out of the oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes, and then serve.
We had cole slaw for our salad, and enjoyed a wonderful easy dinner!
In other news, like I said last week, Jack's and Maggie's peaceful lives are about to get disrupted. We pick up our new pup at the end of the week!
But I don't want you to think Jack doesn't have friends. This little guy comes by to eat the spilled bird seed almost every afternoon:
While most of the deer ignore Jack, this one usually walks over to the door to stare at him through the window. He's about 2/3 the size of the other deer, and is often with them, but sometimes alone.
The other deer spend plenty of time in our yard, too.
When I looked for information on how to deer-proof our garden, one piece of advice said, "Plant your shrubs and flowers close to the house to keep the deer from bothering them."
Um, yeah. Just how close would that be?
 |
| This picture was from last fall - they often walk between that bush and the house! |
Are you looking forward to spring in your part of the world?
Jan Drexler lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband and growing family. When she isn't writing, she loves hiking in the Hills or satisfying her cross stitch addiction.
You can find Jan on Facebook, Jan Drexler, author, or her website, Jan Drexler.com
Hahahahahahahahahaha!
ReplyDeleteHahahahahahahahahahaha!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Those guys are like the deer in Grand Canyon National Park. The deer and elk???? are so used to people that they walk on one side of the road while you walk ten feet away. No one runs and hides.
I love these pics...
Now my deer here are a huge problem because those cute babies eat way too much of my farm plants. They like them when they're baby plants, fresh, new leaves, and I like venison, so it's a contest, every year.
We have so many herds of deer now (fewer hunters every year and no predators) that hitting them with cars is a constant thing.
But then I love seeing these pics!
Jan, this is such an easy, fun dinner, and why have I never thought of it???
LOVE!!!!
You're right, Ruthy - this is an easy and fun dinner. And you can use whatever meat and veggie combination you like!
DeleteAnd the deer - we constantly watch for them when we're driving. Hitting deer is a common occurrence around here, too. But not nearly as bad as it is for our relatives in Michigan and Indiana.
You hit the problem right on the nose: decreased hunting and a lack of natural predators. It's a nasty combination for the deer. The large population leads to disease, winter starvation and increased road kills.
Around here, we have plenty of predators and a lot of hunting (in season!) That's one reason why we have a large herd living in our neighborhood - safety. The mountain lions are less likely to prowl close to people and dogs, so the deer feel safe.
By the way, did you notice the fence around the spruce tree in one of the pictures? That's the way we keep our shrubs and trees alive. Otherwise, they'd be stripped bare!
DeleteJan, I love sheet pan dinners. You're right, they are so easy. And it's all in one.
ReplyDeleteOur deer are definitely much more skittish than yours. They don't even come inside the fence, and I think that may be because of the dogs because my in-laws always had problems with the deer eating his garden and her roses. We have ornamental garlic planted near our rose bushes, something my MIL did to deter to deer. You'll have to do some research to see if there are any plant you could use that deter the deer.
I'm tempted to make another sheet pan dinner tonight, but the only meat I have thawed are a couple hamburger patties. Hmm...that sounds pretty good! Hamburgers and roasted veggies!
DeleteThe only deterrent that a friend of mine has found is a line of electric fencing about 2 1/2 feet off the ground. The mild electric shock keeps them away from her beautiful flowers.
Folks around here usually fence in their vegetable gardens - a six foot high fence around the perimeter and panels of fencing over the top for a roof. I'm not sure that would work for Ruthy's vast gardens!
Jan you read my mind. Guess who thawed out chicken last night with this in mind?! I'm going to use some root vegetables thought since that is what we have. Can't wait to see that new puppy! Hopefully Jack will play even if he is chill now. Otherwise you will have what we have lol one who just wants to be with his people and another who wants to play play play.
ReplyDeleteJack is still in puppy play mode, so there are no worries on that end! But he's so chill that I could see him putting on some weight in the future if we don't keep him active. This new pup will keep all of us going!
DeleteAnd the beauty of these sheet pan dinners is that you DO just use what's on hand. A win all around!
Jan, I love sheet pan dinners! I will definitely try this with some thin sliced pork chops.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see photos of the new puppy! Boy, life will change for Jack and Maggie-Cat! :)
I hope to have puppy pictures by next week!
DeleteI thought of you with these dinners - it's just a step beyond doing a pan full of roasted veggies. :-)
Goodness -- what is the dowager going to think about you introducing another lower class cur to the household?! I'm soooo jealous - two of my favourite dog breeds. I'm pining for a pup sooooooo much!
ReplyDeleteI would consider those deer as way too close for comfort! Squirrels that close freak me out!
ReplyDelete