My husband thinks it’s hilarious to talk about how he had no idea that I could cook until after we got married. As if life as a college student living in poverty with 3 roommates and no spare time is a good indicator of one’s ability to prepare healthy, wholesome, delicious, well-planned meals. The truth is that I had a lot of natural ability and good instincts when it came to cooking (I don’t mean for that to sound braggy…would it sound less braggy if I provided you with a list of areas where I don’t have natural ability or good instincts? Sports? Coordination? Sense of direction? Organization? Acting natural when I know someone is trying to take a picture/video of me?) and this overwhelming, almost obsessive desire to cook, but I didn’t have a huge amount of cooking experience. We were both college students when we got married and had a minuscule grocery budget, but I planned things so we would eat cheap and easy 6 nights out of the week, but once a week, I would splurge money-wise and time-wise on something I really wanted to learn to make. During the week, I would scour the internet and cookbooks and figure out exactly what that meal was going to be every week. One of these meals ended up being pork chops that my husband referred to as “melt in your mouth” pork chops. They were dipped in seasoned flour and eggs and bread crumbs and then covered in cream of mushroom soup and baked until they kind of fell apart with a fork. We still eat them, and they’re still melt-in-your-mouth, but I’ve been itching to make an updated version that involves fresher ingredients.
Well, today is the day. I still use lean pork chops (I actually use a pork loin roast and cut it into slices), but I use fresh onions instead of dried, fresh mushrooms instead of canned, and the sauce is made from milk, cream cheese, and melted creamy Brie cheese (don’t be scared, Brie haters! This has passed the test!). It’s comfort food at its finest, perfect for cozy fall evenings as the weather cools down, and something you could serve company or for a fancy Sunday dinner.
To get started, rinse the pork chops in cool water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. 
Roll each pork chop in the seasoning mixture and set aside. 
Preheat oven to 375. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat, swirling the pan to coat with oil. When hot, add the pork chops and cook until golden brown on each side. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and set aside. 
Add the butter to the skillet (try adding 1/2 tablespoon at first and add more if you need to). When it’s melted and bubbly, add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic 
and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are starting to caramelize.
While the onions are cooking, you’ll want to make the sauce. 
Combine the milk, cream cheese, salt, and coarsely ground black pepper in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. When the onions have finished cooking, add the sauce mixture and cook until bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat (or turn it to very low) and add the Brie 
and stir to combine. When the sauce is smooth and the cheese is melted, add the pork chops and cover with a lid. Place the covered pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the pork chops have reached 165 degrees F. Serve over rice or with boiled baby potatoes. Makes 6 servings. 
Creamy Brie & Mushroom Pork Chops
Recipe by Our Best Bites
Ingredients:
6 lean pork loin chops, trimmed of excess fat (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2-2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 large white onion, cut in half and cut into 1/4″ slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
SAUCE
2 cups low-fat milk
3 ounces low-fat cream cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon olive oil
4-5 ounces Brie cheese, trimmed of the rind (don’t kill yourself getting it off, but you want most of the rind gone) and cut into 1/2″ cubes
Instructions:
Rinse the pork chops in cool water and pat them dry with a paper towel. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Roll each pork chop in the seasoning mixture and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375. In a large oven-safe skillet, heat the tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat, swirling the pan to coat with oil. When hot, add the pork chops and cook until golden brown on each side. Transfer the pork chops to a plate and set aside. Add the butter to the skillet (try adding 1/2 tablespoon at first and add more if you need to). When it’s melted and bubbly, add the onions, mushrooms, and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are starting to caramelize.
While the onions are cooking, combine the milk, cream cheese, salt, flour, and coarsely ground black pepper in the jar of a blender and blend until smooth. When the onions have finished cooking, add the sauce mixture and cook until bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat (or turn it to very low) and add the Brie cubes and stir to combine. When the sauce is smooth and the cheese is melted, add the pork chops and cover with a lid. Place the covered pan in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and the pork chops have reached 165 degrees F. Serve over rice or with boiled baby potatoes. Makes 6 servings.
