Alright, so today I decided to tackle making some pork chops with rice and that classic cream of mushroom soup. Not gonna lie, I was craving something hearty and this just popped into my head. It’s one of those comfort meals, you know? So, here’s how my little kitchen adventure went.
Getting Started – The Prep
First things first, I grabbed the pork chops from the fridge. I had a couple of nice, thick ones. I figured, why not? Go big or go home. I wasn’t aiming for anything super fancy with the seasoning. Just some good old salt and pepper, rubbed them in a bit. Sometimes simple is best, right? I also got the rice going. Washed it a couple of times – gotta get that starch off – and then just popped it into my trusty rice cooker. Set it and forget it, that’s my motto for rice.
While the rice was doing its thing, I thought about the pork chops again. I remembered reading somewhere that pork’s got some decent stuff in it. Like, B vitamins, which are supposedly good for your brain and making blood cells. And iron, too. Can’t hurt, I guess. Keeps you from feeling all drained.
Cooking the Chops and the Sauce
Okay, so for the chops. I got my pan nice and hot with a little oil. I wanted to get a good sear on them first, just to lock in the juices and get that nice brown color. Sizzled them for a few minutes on each side. They smelled pretty good already!
Then, the baking part. I transferred the seared chops into a baking dish. Now for the “cream of mushroom” magic. I cracked open a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. Yeah, the classic stuff. I just plopped it right over the chops, trying to cover them evenly. The stuff I read online said to add some water and a bouillon cube. So, I crumbled up a chicken bouillon cube in there and added a splash of water. Stirred it around a bit to mix it with the soup, trying to make a sort of gravy.
Then, I covered the whole baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Popped it into a preheated oven. I think it was around 350°F, maybe a tad more. Didn’t time it super strictly, just kept an eye on it. The idea was to let them bake until they were cooked through and tender, and the soup would make this nice sauce.
- Sear chops: Got a nice color on them first.
- Soup mix: Condensed soup, water, bouillon. Easy.
- Bake: Covered with foil and into the oven.
Halfway through, I remembered to give the gravy a little stir, like one of those online tips suggested. Just to make sure nothing was sticking and to spread the flavor around. The kitchen was starting to smell really good by this point.
Bringing It All Together
After a while – maybe 30 to 40 minutes, I wasn’t watching the clock like a hawk – I figured the pork chops had to be done. The rice cooker had clicked off a while back, so that was ready. I carefully took the baking dish out of the oven. Peeling back that foil, whoa, the steam! The chops looked juicy and the soup had turned into this nice, bubbly gravy.
So, I plated it up. A good scoop of fluffy rice, laid a pork chop next to it, and then spooned a generous amount of that creamy mushroom gravy all over the chop and a bit onto the rice. It wasn’t the prettiest dish I’ve ever made, no fancy garnishes or anything, but it looked and smelled like pure comfort.
And the taste? It was pretty darn good! The pork was tender, not dry at all. The rice was perfect for soaking up that savory mushroom sauce. It really hit the spot. A simple, satisfying meal. Definitely something I’d make again when I’m looking for something easy and filling. Plus, knowing it’s got that selenium stuff for your thyroid, well, that’s just a little bonus, isn’t it?
So yeah, that was my pork chops rice with cream of mushroom soup experience. No frills, just good, honest food made at home. Sometimes, that’s all you need.
