Pork 'n' Penne Skillet Dinner

We tried a new recipe for dinner tonight, and BOY, was it a hit!  Eli's friend was over, and I think he wanted extra hands so that he could give it more than 2 thumbs up!  Of course, he doesn't live here normally--but my family liked it, too. :)

The recipe is Pork 'n' Penne Skillet, another great one from Taste of Home.  We hadn't had pork in ages, so that in and of itself was a treat.

First, I sliced the boneless pork chops.

Then, the chops were dredged in a flour, chili powder, salt & pepper combo.

Mmm, mmmm.

I did leave the mushrooms out--only Steve is a fan, and if he wants me to cook something, he cannot ask me to put mushrooms in it. :)

Peppers? I can do those.

Onions and garlic, too.

Butter and canola oil were heated in the skillet.

And in went the pork chops.

Then the veggies--I love the colors.

Just a few minutes later...

Did I mention that I had to double the recipe?  Yeah, it became apparent that the entire batch wasn't going to fit in my skillet, so out came my 8 qt. stockpot.

We added tomato sauce and milk, brought the whole thing to a boil and added the pasta.

Fifteen minutes later? Perfection. (This is Patience's bowl--"elegantly plated"--she says that about everything.  I think we watch too much Food Network.)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound boneless pork loin chops, cut into strips
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped sweet red pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 2 cups uncooked penne

Directions

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add pork, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat.
• In a large skillet, cook the pork, mushrooms, onion, red pepper and oregano in oil and butter over medium heat for 4-6 minutes or until pork is browned. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
• Add the milk, tomato sauce and pasta. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until meat is tender. Yield: 8 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1 cup) equals 264 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 44 mg cholesterol, 546 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 18 g protein.