Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
These seared pork chops are topped with a rich and creamy mushroom sauce that gets flavored with fresh herbs.
Panko Crusted Pork Chops with Asian Slaw
Panko breadcrumbs and a high-heat oven lend satisfying crispiness to pork chops without frying. The miso-flavored chops pair with coleslaw, here updated with snow peas, red bell pepper and Asian flavors like ginger, to round out this healthy 400-calorie meal that's ready in under an hour.
Bell Pepper Bok Choy & Pork Stir Fry
This healthy pepper and pork stir-fry recipe has a citrusy mojo sauce. Because stir-fries cook up quickly, have all the ingredients prepped and next to the stove before you turn on the heat. Serve over brown rice or rice noodles.
Puttanesca Pork Chops
This flavorful pork chop dinner recipe is proof that bold Neapolitan puttanesca sauce can liven up more than just spaghetti. Unlike brined olives like Kalamatas, oil-cured olives have a meatier bite because they're coated in salt then macerated in oil. Look for them on olive bars or with other Italian products. Serve with sautéed broccoli rabe and whole-wheat orzo.
Cranberry Pork Loin Chops
In addition to pork, you can use the tangy orange-and-cranberry sauce side dish recipe over grilled chicken or fish too.
Pork White Bean & Kale Soup
Kale is matched up here with white beans and chunks of lean pork tenderloin to create a soup that's satisfying and quick to make. Smoked paprika gives the soup a Spanish flair so some warm bread and sliced Manchego cheese would go well on the side.
Air Fryer Stuffed Chiles with Pork
These hearty stuffed chiles are packed with a savory filling made from pork, zucchini and black beans. Once stuffed, the chiles are delicate, so use caution when transferring to the air-fryer basket. A crumble of cotija cheese finishes these chiles for a satisfying main dish.
Honey Mustard Pork with Spinach & Smashed White Beans
Drizzle the quick honey-mustard pan sauce over the pork and beans in this 30-minute dinner for a comforting, healthy weeknight meal.
Apple & Fennel Roasted Pork Tenderloin
Roasted apples, fennel and red onion are the perfect foil to roasted pork tenderloin. Make it a meal: Stir sauteed broccoli rabe into quick-cooking barley to serve alongside.
Cream of Mushroom Pork Chops
These cream of mushroom pork chops are comforting and easy to make. Cream of mushroom soup is a great base for a quick and foolproof sauce; dry sherry adds depth of flavor. Shiitake mushrooms add more rich and earthy flavors to the dish, making this perfect for a weeknight or for company.
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce
Here, we roast grapes to bring out their succulent sweetness, then combine them with thyme, mustard and Madeira in an easy, savory sauce for pork tenderloin. Serve with barley and steamed green beans.
Adobong Baboy Filipino Pork Adobo
In the Philippines, adobong baboy (pork adobo) is made by stewing pork in soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and aromatics. Serve this healthy pork adobo recipe with rice to get every last bit of the flavorful sauce. This dish gets better as it sits, making it a perfect make-ahead candidate for effortless entertaining.
Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin Medallions
This is a classic way to cook pork tenderloin medallions on a stovetop. Pan-seared pork tenderloin is perfect when sliced and served over salad, roasted potatoes, in a wrap or as a hearty appetizer on its own. You could cook the tenderloin and then slice it, but then you would miss the crispy seared coating that touches every corner of these two-bite wonders. Many big box stores sell pork tenderloins in pairs. Instead of making one for dinner and freezing the second one, try this recipe to set yourself up for delicious, filling, healthy lunches for the week.
Pork Chops with Garlicky Broccoli
A little Parmesan in the pork chops' crunchy coating makes it extra-flavorful. The broccoli is simple yet special—try it alongside just about anything you're cooking, but it pairs perfectly with the pork here for a satisfying healthy dinner ready in just 30 minutes.
Baked Pork Chops
These juicy baked pork chops are well-seasoned and so easy to make. The seasoning mix is savory and versatile: make a double batch to save time the next time you make baked pork chops, or use the extra on chicken or steak.
Pork Chops with White Wine & Capers
Enjoy a restaurant-worthy dinner without leaving the house with these pork chops with white wine and caper sauce. Boneless pork chops are perfect for busy weeknights—they cook quickly and pair well with just about anything. Got extra capers on hand? They add a briny punch to tomato sauce, lemony seafood dishes or creamy dips mixed with fresh chopped herbs.
One Pan Pork Tenderloin with Heirloom Tomato & Shallot Confit
Pair juicy, tender pork with a rich, flavorful tomato confit that tastes like melted tomatoes and sweet shallot preserves. We think this sweet and savory pork recipe is just as suitable for company as it is for Wednesday night dinner at home.
Chicken & Shrimp Gumbo
Chock-full of shrimp, chicken, sausage, okra and tomatoes, this flavorful stew is a staple in Louisiana. Make it a meal and serve with Real Cornbread (see associated recipe).
Paprika Baked Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes & Broccoli
You'd never guess that this elegant meal comes together on just one baking sheet. While the pork rests, whip together an easy red pepper sauce to complete this impressive and healthy dinner. The sauce would also be delicious with chicken. We're willing to bet this easy sheet-pan dinner recipe will go into heavy rotation on your kitchen playlist.
Empanadas with Chorizo & Potato
A staple in South American cuisine, homemade empanadas can be served as a main dish or a side. We keep this simple by focusing on the empanada filling and instead of making the dough from scratch, we achieve flaky empanadas with the help of refrigerated pie crust.
Pork Picadillo
Picadillo, with its lively sweet-and-sour taste, is a classic Cuban dish that almost every family has a version of. It's traditionally made with ground beef, but because beef is expensive and in very short supply, Cubans use pork instead in this easy recipe. Picadillo is a great party dish, since it reheats well. Serve with rice or polenta.
Classic Pork Stew
This highly adaptable classic pork stew is hearty and comforting. You can use any fresh herb and switch up the root vegetables to suit your taste. Turnips, sweet potatoes or rutabaga would all work beautifully.
Loaded Baked Avocados
Avocado stands in for potato in this low-carb version of a baked potato! Sour cream, Cheddar cheese and bacon, combined with fresh chives and a sprinkle of pepper, make this a comforting treat.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
This healthy loaded baked potato soup recipe is inspired by the comforting flavor of fully loaded baked potatoes with bacon, Cheddar, sour cream and chives.
Baked Spaghetti Squash Fritters
These crispy loaded fritters are perfect for parties. Baking them instead of frying cuts down on labor (and oil splatters). Be sure to squeeze as much of the liquid out of the spaghetti squash and onion mixture as possible--moisture is the enemy of crispiness.
Pork Schnitzel with Creamy Dill Sauce
Pounding pork chops before breading and pan-frying is the signature method to getting crisp yet tender German schnitzel. Using an air fryer works well too and cuts back on calories.
Sheet Pan Maple Mustard Pork Chops & Carrots
You need just one pan for this satisfying weeknight dinner. A sweet and savory maple-mustard glaze livens up baked pork chops, while the carrots are jazzed up with flavor-boosting and anti-inflammatory garlic, ginger and turmeric. Rainbow carrots add colorful pizazz, but regular orange carrots are a just-as-tasty substitute. Pork dries out easily--using an instant-read thermometer ensures meat is cooked safely, but still moist.
Baked Cavatelli Casserole
This easy to make, comforting dish will keep you warm on a cold day.
Cheesy Egg Stuffed Peppers
Bake up omelets in a pepper for a healthy, veggie-packed breakfast. Sweet bell peppers are filled with a cheesy egg filling with all the fixings of a classic Denver omelet. If you're cooking for a crowd, this recipe is easy to double!
Slow Cooker Cassoulet
This classic French stew recipe is typically made with a variety of meats and simmered over the course of multiple days. In this easy, streamlined cassoulet, the slow cooker makes it a breeze to have a healthy dinner on the table when you get home.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
All the delicious flavors of your favorite chicken Cordon Bleu—salty ham, melty cheese, tangy mustard—with no tricky assembly required. This healthy comfort food recipe would be perfect for a potluck.
Collard Greens with Ham Bone or Ham Hocks
Mable Clarke, a South Carolina cook and activist, serves this collard greens recipe at monthly fish fries to support the Soapstone Baptist Church in the community where she grew up. There, farmers' markets overflow with big, leafy collards that are typically simmered with ham stock to make up this traditional Southern side dish. Clarke uses premade ham stock but it can be hard to find. We adapted the recipe with chicken broth and a ham bone or hock. As the bone simmers it adds flavor to the broth and yields enough meat to serve with the collards.
Ham & Asparagus Quiche
This spring ham and asparagus quiche is perfect for brunch or dinner with a green salad on the side. If you've got leftover Easter ham, let it shine paired with tender asparagus in this crustless quiche. Emmenthal cheese adds a rich, sharp flavor, but Swiss cheese is an excellent alternative.
Classic White Bean & Ham Soup
This healthy ham and white bean soup recipe is ready in 30 minutes and makes enough for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow. Just a little bit of ham adds savory flavor and protein without adding too much sodium.
Loaded Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon Cheddar & Chives
Imagine a loaded baked potato topped with bacon, Cheddar and chives combined with the creamy goodness of scalloped potatoes, and you have the ultimate comfort food casserole.
Pork & Green Bean Stir Fry
Apricot jam adds just the right amount of sweetness to balance the spicy, salty and umami flavors without turning the sauce into a sugar bomb. Serve with cooked rice to round out the meal.
Hawaiian Pork
Take your guests on a culinary trip to the islands with this Hawaiian-inspired pork recipe. The tenderloin is roasted with pineapples, sweet peppers and onion in a mouthwatering sauce flavored with soy, lime juice and ginger. Add a bit of fresh cilantro to each serving and you'll be eating like the island locals!
Jalapeno Popper Casserole
In this jalapeño popper casserole, tender, juicy bites of chicken are slathered in a creamy, slightly spicy sauce with a crunchy topping of panko breadcrumbs and crispy bacon. Enjoy this casserole over rice for dinner or serve it with chips as a game-day appetizer.
Arugula Salad with Roasted Pork Tenderloin Pears & Blue Cheese
Toasted walnuts and roasted pork tenderloin make this elegant salad worthy of company, yet it's easy enough to prepare on a weeknight!
Quiche Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is a classic French dish that makes for a hearty breakfast, lunch or dinner.
Soup Beans
Soup beans speak instant comfort to anyone who has familial connections from Appalachia, where every garden produced shelling beans that could be eaten fresh or grown to maturity for dry beans.
Loaded Smashed Brussels Sprouts
The sprouts in this loaded smashed Brussels sprouts recipe are cooked to crisp-tender, then crushed and baked in the oven and smothered in melted Cheddar cheese, bacon and a dollop of sour cream. Serve them as a fun side dish or a party appetizer.
Baked Bean Casserole
This tangy, quick and easy baked bean casserole is a great alternative to the sugary canned beans you see on grocery store shelves. These beans are well balanced and can feature your favorite barbecue sauce.
Mustard Maple Pork Tenderloin
Pork tenderloin is about as lean as it comes so it's a great healthy option, but it shouldn't be overcooked as it can dry out. Maple and mustard make a sweet-and-savory mahogany-colored sauce. A delicate note of sage gives it a wintery touch. Fresh thyme or rosemary also work if you prefer. Serve with barley, roasted squash and a Pinot Noir.
Golden Baked Pork Cutlets
These quick breaded pork cutlets made with just a few ingredients are so delicious everyone will be wishing they helped make them. Cutting the super-low-fat pork tenderloin into long fillets makes it quick-cooking. Serve with a medley of steamed vegetables and a side of mashed potatoes for a taste of nostalgia.
Ham & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Making a pocket in the chicken breast to hold the stuffing is easy with a good, sharp, thin-bladed knife. Browning the chicken in a skillet before baking gives it a beautiful golden color, and finishing in the oven ensures that it cooks evenly throughout.
Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Loaded Sweet Potatoes are baked sweet potatoes topped with savory or sweet toppings like cheese, beans, veggies, sour cream, or nuts. Hearty and customizable, they make a satisfying meal or side dish.
Smothered Cabbage with Ham
Use your leftover ham in this comforting one-pot dish with cabbage and potatoes. The simple flavors get brightened at the end with a splash of cider vinegar.
Loaded Broccoli Salad
This is the broccoli salad you will get special requests for. The combination of bacon, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions and Cheddar is hard to resist.
Bacon & Brussels Sprouts Quiche
This crustless quiche is perfect for brunch or dinner served with a green salad on the side. You can shred Brussels sprouts yourself with a sharp knife or look for pre-shredded sprouts with other prepared vegetables in your local grocery store. We love the smoky flavor of bacon, but pancetta is an easy substitute.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates
These bacon-wrapped dates are stuffed with creamy goat cheese for the perfect salty-sweet appetizer bite. Deglet Noor dates are smaller than Medjool dates and work best for this recipe. Center-cut bacon has had fat removed from either side of the strip, making it a leaner choice. If you’re having trouble keeping the bacon in place, secure it with a wooden pick before baking.
Chicken Carbonara
This chicken carbonara has the classic all-yolk sauce, which yields a rich and creamy texture. For some carbonara recipes the residual heat and starch from the pasta are enough to thicken the yolks, but we prefer the double-boiler method to gently cook the egg yolks to a custard-like texture without the risk of overcooking them to a scramble.
Char Siu Bao Steamed Pork Buns
These buns are a grab-and-go street food in China. Use a multi-tray bamboo steamer can cook all the buns at one time. To make them up to two months ahead, fill the dough, and freeze unsteamed buns on a tray in the freezer before placing them in a freezer-safe zip-top plastic bag. Steam directly from the freezer for an additional five minutes. Serve these for a meal or as a fantastic appetizer for entertaining.
Oven Roasted Pork
This healthy oven-roasted pork is as easy as it gets. Boneless center-cut pork loin is lean and uniform in shape, so it cooks evenly in the oven. Lowering the oven temperature after 30 minutes prevents the roast from drying out, so don't skip that step! Don't have fresh herbs on hand? Use dried instead. Substitute 1 teaspoon dried herbs for every 1 tablespoon fresh. Serve with green beans and crispy potatoes.
Quick Gochujang Pork & Rice Bowls
Deeply savory gochujang adds a mild heat to these quick-cooking grain bowls. Look for gochujang, a fermented red pepper paste, in Asian markets or in the Asian foods aisle of your local supermarket. Leftover brown rice can also be used in these grain bowls.
Italian Style Beef & Pork Meatballs
This foolproof meatball recipe makes enough to stash away for another day. They're great to have on hand for easy dinners (see three ways to use them, below). But they also make good impromptu appetizers.
Stir Fried Pork Piccata
In this variation on Italian piccata, we cook thin strips of pork in a wok. Lemon juice is a critical component of classic pork piccata, but you can't add it to a carbon-steel wok because it will strip the patina. We call for lemon wedges to be served on the side instead.
Pulled Pork with Caramelized Onions
Traditional pulled pork is barbecued, which gives it a smoky flavor. But the slow cooker happens to be the absolute easiest way to cook pulled pork—and you can get a hint of smoke by adding chipotle chile. Serve the pulled pork with potato salad, collard greens and grits, or make it into a sandwich and serve it on a bun with coleslaw.
Red Wine Braised Pork
This basic braised pork shoulder recipe is a great foundation for all sorts of meals. Try it in creamy pasta, stuffed into a sandwich with provolone and peppers or on top of a pizza.
Grilled Fennel Rubbed Pork Chops & Apricots
Toasting and grinding your own spices for a flavorful rub is the quickest, easiest way to build surefire flavor in this easy pork chop recipe. Serve with a simple tossed salad and some roasted sweet potatoes to round out the meal.